I think I've messed up here...

[rodentraiser]

I have 7 canisters and right now there are (don't judge me here LOL) noodles, brown sugar, regular sugar, and ice tea mix in 4 of them. I have a white powder in the other 3 and I have no idea what the white powder is. Is there anything simple I can cook to know what I have where? I don't think I have flour in any of these 3 canisters and I'm pretty sure I have pancake batter (just add water) and Bisquick in at least 2 canisters. But I can't tell which of the three is the Bisquick or pancake mix or what the third white powder might be. They all taste like nothing, so powdered sugar they ain't. And no, no heroin or cocaine, either. Sheesh!

 

[dragnlaw]

Did you ever happen to buy flour 000? that would look super fine.l

Bisquick is probably a little more clumpy/cakey and you could squeeze some into little lumps.
If it's ;not salty or bubbly
Just mix a tablespoon powder and a tablespoon water. taste, cook see what you think.

 

[caseydog]

And no, no heroin or cocaine, either. Sheesh!

Well, that rules out snorting some to find out what it is.

CD

 

[pepperhead212]

I was thinking of some sort of starch - cornstarch, most common, but many others out there.

 

[Aunt Bea]

If it’s Bisquick or a complete pancake flour you should be able to add enough water to make a batter and fry off a test pancake or two.

If it’s plain flour, cornmeal, etc… not much will happen.

In the future, cut the instruction panel from the bag or box and toss it into the canister for future reference or just get rid of the canisters and slip the original boxes into a plastic bag that can be sealed.

Good luck!

 

[Badjak]

How fine is the stuff?
Could maybe be maizena or rice flour if it is real fine and whiter than AP flour

 

[dragnlaw]

I.'ve always done as Aunt Bea suggested to you. I cut the panel out of the box with the name (and maybe any instructions that come with it, particularly something like bisquick for the differences in pancake batter vs waffle batter.
Actually for bisquick I pull the bag out of the box and put that in my container, with the cut out label slide down the narrow side facing out on the shelf.

Rice flour is a very good suggestion. Mix a drop of that and throw into a fry pan - get a bubbling tid bit. Salt and yummy. I do that with rice paper sometimes, not only fun but tasty.

 

[blissful]

Maybe you weren't using all the containers but stocked up on bisquick or pancake batter and filled the 3rd one with either of those? (buying habits)
Or are you maybe experimental and adventurous and you thought to buy something new to try recently and put that in the 3rd? (adventurous)
Do all three of them rise a little if you add water and heat to them? (has a leavener added)
When you taste them each, does each have a little sugar sweetness in them? (has sugar added)
When you stir them or grab a handful, can you get it to stick together or clump or are they free flowing with no stickiness? (has fat added)

 

[jennyema]

Have you tasted it?

 

[dragnlaw]

Going over what you've said and done. So you know 4 and
2 out of the last 3. Just not which 2, so....
The pancake mix will probably bubble a little bit from the leavening added,
the bisquick will clump a bit from the added fat, and
your last one if you add a bit of water will be rice flour if the paste, when smeared on wax paper or plastic wrap, dries clear like rice paper.
If not then.... some other type of thickner? Boil 1 cup of water; mix together equal parts powder and cold water (tablespoon each?) then whisk it into the hot water see if you get at thickened paste - like glue we used to make as kids.

 

[dcSaute]

what is the $ value of the most expensive unknown thing?
how about: just dump all the unknowns and take it as a 'taught moment?'

if the stuff has been there so longer you cannot recall what it is . . . how fresh might it still be?

 

[jennyema]

Again, just taste it. Its easy to tell Bisquick from plain flour.

 

[jazzerlord]

Again, just taste it. Its easy to tell Bisquick from plain flour.

Yeah, Bisquick typically has a softer texture and a nice aroma compared to regular flour

 

[rodentraiser]

I've tasted all three and they all taste the same. Yucky.

I know there's no rice flour because I've never bought that. I know there's no flour because I just bought a 5lb bag and it's still in the pantry unopened. I know none of them are baking soda or baking powder because I keep those in their original packages now - I learned that one the hard way. I think Blissful is correct and I have one of the same thing in two canisters.
It's all probably pretty fresh. I just used what I think was the pancake mix a week or so ago. OK, maybe that wasn't pancake mix.

Looks like a pancake cooking test later tonight. Meantime, I'll bring all 3 canisters over to the table and stare at them and see if I can see any differences.

 

[blissful]

@rodentraiser any chance your grocery store keeps a copy of what you bought recently? Like on amazon I can look at what I bought and when. Azure standard is like that too. Or do you keep receipts of any type? If you knew what you bought, it might give you an idea. Or do you keep grocery lists?
I have had unlabeled things in jars in my pantry. I bought restickable labels. If I move it from one container to another, I can peel it off and stick it on the new container. My memory is not as sharp as in my 30's.

edited to add: I'm looking forward to hearing how it all turned out. I know how frustrating that can be. It's like a cooking experiment to figure out.
Also southern living says "While pancake mix and Bisquick share many ingredients, the two are not the same. The main difference is that the pancake mix is sweeter. Most pancake mixes can be used in place of Bisquick and vice versa in sweet recipes. Compare your pancake mix with Bisquick's ingredient list before swapping."

 

[dragnlaw]

and did you remember to mark the one you tried as pancake mix and found that it is NOT pancake mix?

 

[Badjak]

Just out of curiosity:
What is in pancake mix?
For me (European) it would be flour, milk, eggs and a little salt. No sugar

 

[dragnlaw]

Pancake mix would be various mixes but basically flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and kept until needed. Then milk, butter, egg would be added when you wanted to make some.
Really just a mixture of dry ingredients that you can measure out, add your liquids and you have batter!

 

[GotGarlic]

I've tasted all three and they all taste the same. Yucky.

If they taste bad, and not just tasteless like regular flour, I'd say they're probably rancid. I would throw them out and start over.

 

[GotGarlic]

Just out of curiosity:
What is in pancake mix?
For me (European) it would be flour, milk, eggs and a little salt. No sugar

That sounds more like crepes than pancakes, which definitely have sugar.