Take a Look

• Dried food is naturally shriveled, making it hard to know when it has gone bad. Dried food that's rotten may have shrunk more, have darkened or have a chewy texture. Discard the food if you notice any of these changes. Spit it out if it's chewy. Visible mold, although uncommon, is a sure sign the food is rotten. Feel the food, as well. Air and moisture are the enemies of dried food, and moisture, in particular, is usually responsible for decay. The dried food should feel dry, yet pliable. If you detect moisture, the food was either not dried properly to begin with, or it has become wet in storage. In either case, it's probably not good. Throw it out to be on the safe side.

Take a Whiff

• Dried food has a mild odor resembling that of the food when it's fresh. The odor may be slightly sweet or acrid, but it should not smell yeasty, musty or like alcohol or vinegar. If you notice an unpleasant or unusual odor, discard the food.

Check the Package

• Although a use-by date won't definitively tell you if a dried food has spoiled, it can give you a good idea of how fresh it is. For the best quality, store dried foods in small, airtight packages in a dry, cool place. Label them with the date when you store them. At temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, dried foods will stay fresh for at least one year. In warm or moist conditions, the food may begin to spoil within a few months. Stored in the freezer, dried foods will stay fresh for one to two years and will stay safe indefinitely.

Consider the Food

• Some dried foods spoil more readily than others and need extra care. Grains and dried foods made from them rarely spoil unless they've gotten wet. It's unlikely white rice, pasta and oats are spoiled, although brown rice and whole-wheat flour can become rancid. Dried fruits contain sugar and acid, two ingredients that help preserve them. Dried vegetables are low in both sugar and acid and tend to spoil more quickly. Consider the product when determining if it might be rotten.