How to store Nigerian food in the UK

The general rules

Dry goods want three things: dry, cool and sealed. Moisture is the main enemy of flours and granules — it causes clumping, mould and stale flavours. Warmth speeds up staleness and rancidity. An open bag lets in moisture, smells and insects.

The best place for most Nigerian dry staples is a cupboard away from the cooker, the kettle, the dishwasher and any outside wall that gets cold and damp. Under the sink is the worst place in most kitchens.

Once a large bag is opened, decant some into a smaller airtight container for everyday use and keep the rest sealed. Every time a big bag is opened, it lets in a little moist air, and a smaller working container reduces how often that happens. Write the best-before date from the original bag on the container.

Always use a clean, dry spoon or cup. A wet spoon in a bag of garri starts clumping and mould far faster than time does.

Garri

Garri is dried and roasted, so it keeps well if it stays dry. Store it in an airtight container or a well-sealed bag in a cool cupboard. Ijebu garri and yellow garri store the same way.

If garri clumps, it has taken on moisture. Small soft clumps that break apart easily can be sieved out; anything with a musty smell, visible mould or damp patches should be thrown away.

Like all dried grain and flour products, garri can attract pantry moths and weevils. Keeping it sealed is the main defence. Some cooks freeze a new bag for a couple of days before putting it in the cupboard, which is a common precaution with flour. If you find insects, discard the affected garri and clean the cupboard before restocking.

A sealed 4kg bag of Africa King Ijebu Gari will keep until its best-before date if stored this way. See our eba recipe for how to use it.

Poundo yam flour, amala, semolina and other swallow flours

Treat these like any other flour: airtight, cool, dry and dark. They are finer than garri, so they clump more readily if damp gets in. Seal the inner bag tightly after each use, or decant into a lidded container.

Yam flours can pick up strong smells from things stored next to them, so keep them away from spices, onions and cleaning products.

Olu Olu Poundo Iyan and Africa King Pounded Iyan both come in resealable-size bags; transfer to a tub if the bag does not close well. Our pounded yam recipe shows how to cook it.

Red palm oil

Red palm oil is semi-solid at cooler temperatures. In a UK kitchen, especially in winter, you will often find it partly or completely solid in the bottle, sometimes with lighter and darker layers. That is normal and is not a sign that it has gone off.

To use it, stand the bottle in a bowl of warm (not boiling) water for a few minutes, or scoop out what you need and melt it in the pan. Shake or stir it before pouring, because the layers separate as it sets.

Store palm oil with the lid tightly closed, in a cool, dark cupboard, away from the cooker. Light and heat make oils go rancid faster. Rancid palm oil smells sharp, stale or like old paint, rather than the usual earthy smell; if it smells wrong, do not use it.

If you buy a large bottle such as Banga Red Palm Oil, you can decant a smaller amount into a clean, dry glass jar for everyday use and keep the main bottle closed.

Do not keep palm oil in the fridge unless the pack says to: it sets hard and becomes awkward to use, and there is no benefit in a cool cupboard.

Ground crayfish, dried fish and stockfish

Dried and smoked fish products have strong smells and can attract insects. Ground crayfish should be kept in a tightly sealed jar or tub. Many cooks keep it in the freezer, where it stays fresher for longer and its smell is contained; it can be used straight from frozen because it is a dry powder.

Stockfish and dried fish should be kept dry and sealed. Large pieces can be wrapped and frozen. Once soaked or cooked, they are perishable and should be treated like fresh fish: refrigerated and used within a day or two, or frozen.

The Nigerian Pantry Plus includes ground crayfish alongside the other staples.

Instant noodles and packaged snacks

Instant noodles keep well in their sealed packets in any dry cupboard. The main thing to watch is the best-before date, as the oil in fried noodles slowly goes stale. A box of 40 Indomie is best kept in the box, which protects the packets from being crushed.

Plantain chips and other fried snacks should be kept sealed and eaten within a few days of opening, before they go soft. Store unopened packs in a cool place; warmth makes fried snacks go stale faster.

Fresh yam and plantain

Whole yam tubers should be kept somewhere cool, dark, dry and well ventilated — not in the fridge, and not in a sealed plastic bag. A cardboard box or a basket in a cool cupboard or utility room works well. Check them regularly; a soft, wet or mouldy patch means the tuber should be used straight away or cut back well beyond the damaged area, and badly affected tubers should be thrown away.

Once cut, yam should be used quickly. Wrap the cut end and refrigerate it, and use it within a couple of days. Peeled and chopped yam can be frozen: blanch or part-boil it first, cool it, then freeze in portions.

Plantain ripens at room temperature, from green to yellow to black. Keep it out of the fridge until it is as ripe as you want, then refrigerate to slow it down — the skin will darken but the inside stays usable for a few days. Ripe plantain can be peeled, sliced and frozen for frying later.

A 10kg box of fresh yam tubers is best opened and checked as soon as it arrives, with the tubers spread out rather than piled.

Cooked stews, soups and jollof

Nigerian stews and soups are often cooked in large batches, which makes good cooling and storage important. Cool cooked food as quickly as possible — divide a big pot into smaller containers so it cools faster — and refrigerate it within a couple of hours of cooking.

Most cooked stews and soups keep in the fridge for a few days in a sealed container. For longer, freeze them in meal-sized portions; many keep well in the freezer for a couple of months. Label each container with what it is and the date.

Cooked rice needs particular care. Cool leftover jollof or fried rice quickly, refrigerate it promptly, eat it within a day, and reheat it only once, until piping hot all the way through. This is standard UK food safety advice for any cooked rice.

Reheat frozen stews and soups thoroughly, until steaming hot throughout. Add a splash of water if they have thickened in the freezer.

Swallows such as eba and pounded yam are best made fresh; they harden as they cool and do not reheat well.

Drinks

Canned malt drinks such as Malta Guinness keep in a cool, dry cupboard until their best-before date. Chill before serving. Once opened, cover and refrigerate, and drink within a day or so.

A quick reference

Cupboard, sealed and dry: garri, poundo yam flour, amala, semolina, rice, instant noodles, red palm oil, stock cubes, dried spices, canned drinks.

Freezer: ground crayfish (optional but recommended), stockfish pieces, chopped frozen leaves, prepared yam, ripe plantain, batch-cooked stews and soups.

Cool, dark and ventilated, not the fridge: whole yam tubers, unripe plantain.

Fridge: cut yam, ripe plantain you want to slow down, and leftovers you will eat within a few days.

Questions

Why has my palm oil gone solid?

Red palm oil sets when it is cool, which is normal in a UK kitchen. Warm the bottle in a bowl of warm water or melt what you need in the pan. Solid palm oil has not gone off.

How should I store garri once it is opened?

In an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard, using a dry spoon every time. Moisture is what spoils garri, so keep the bag or container tightly sealed.

Should I keep yam in the fridge?

Not whole tubers. Keep them somewhere cool, dark, dry and ventilated. Refrigerate yam only once it has been cut, and use it within a couple of days.