Foods that don’t spoil easily include flour. But if you don’t store flour properly, it will spoil. The best options, including those for long-term storage, for storing flour are listed below.
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What is Flour?
The powdery byproduct of grinding grains like wheat, corn, rice, or seeds (or dried roots like cassava) is known as flour. It is used in many different types of culinary preparations, including roux for sauces and light batters as well as baked goods like bread, cakes, and pie crusts. The endosperm, germ, and bran found in wheat kernels (also known as wheat berries) are used to create the majority of conventional flours.
Why Flour Goes Bad
Like any dry food, if the flour is exposed to oxygen, light, moisture, or insects, it will go bad. Here are some issues that could arise if you simply leave a bag of flour in your pantry and cause it to spoil.
Mold: Temperature changes or humidity can cause the flour to absorb moisture and eventually begin to mold. The mold will be detectable by smell before it is visible.
Oxidation: Oxidation happens when the nutrients in the flour come into contact with oxygen from the air and start to degrade. With whole-grain flour, this is especially problematic. The natural oils in the whole grains will oxidize and turn rancid.
Insects: You may still encounter insects like weevils or moths even if you store your flour in airtight containers.
How is that possible?
because when you buy flour, it frequently already contains insect eggs. Depending on the circumstances, it might take weeks or even months for them to hatch. However, if they do hatch, you will soon have a problem with an infestation that is very difficult to eradicate.
Absorbing Smells: Like a sponge, flour can take in smells from its surroundings. Do you have onions next to your flour? The cake you make using it will then also smell like onions. Flour, or any other food for that matter, shouldn’t be kept in storage in particular.) near chemicals like cleaning products.
Best Ways to Store Flour
Flour won’t keep for longer than six months in its original paper bag. It can last 6–10 months if you transfer it to an airtight container. The best method is Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers for long-term storage (over 3 months).
I’ve listed a few ways to store flour below. Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers are the best option for long-term (more than three months) flour storage. There isn’t a longer-term flour storage technique that is truly dependable.
Air-Tight Containers
Shelf Life: Approximately 6-10 months
Typically, flour only lasts for six months in its original paper packaging. It can last significantly longer if you remove it from the packaging and place it in an airtight container.
The flour may already contain insect eggs when you receive it, which could be a potential issue. The eggs may take several weeks or even months to hatch. Once they do, you’ll have an unpleasant infestation that’s challenging to get rid of. Therefore, it’s a good idea to take precautions to kill insect eggs in the flour before storage, such as by freezing or heating it up in the microwave.
- Mason jars
- Vacuum sealer containers
- Air-tight containers like those made by Progressive Prepworks or Rubbermaid’s Brilliance
Freezer
Shelf Life: Indefinitely
The best way to store flour is to freeze it if your freezer has space. It will remain edible indefinitely in the freezer, but you should have a backup plan in case there are power outages.
Flour should be taken out of the freezer and brought to room temperature before using. When you bring flour to room temperature, keep in mind that condensation can cause it to absorb moisture. Keep your flour in a tightly closed container to prevent moist flour; condensation will build up on the container rather than the flour.
Drying Damp Flour:
If the flour becomes wet, spread it out on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to about 200F. You may need to heat the flour for up to an hour if it’s extremely wet in order to get it dry. Sift it to get rid of any clumps after drying it.
Vacuum Sealing
Shelf Life: 1-2 years
The vacuum sealing process removes air from the packaging. It will eventually happen that air and humidity seep through the bags because they are not completely leak-proof. However, since there is less air in this arrangement, the flour will last a lot longer.
Vacuum sealing also keeps insects from getting into your flour. It will NOT kill insect eggs that are already in the flour though. For this reason, before storing dry food, many people first take precautions to kill insects in it.
To store flour with vacuum sealing:
- A large vacuum sealer bag should contain the entire flour bag inside. The flour cannot be poured directly into the vacuum sealer bag because the flour particles will be drawn into the device.
- To vacuum seal the flour, adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- For at least 96 hours, place the frozen flour in a sealed container. Insect eggs that may be present in the flour are killed in this way.
- If you must remove the flour from the freezer but won’t be using it right away, let it come to room temperature before putting it in any other storage container. Condensation will develop otherwise.
Buckets, Plastic Containers, Or Jars With Oxygen Absorbers
Shelf Life: 5+ years
Little iron packets called oxygen absorbers are used to capture oxygen. A food-grade plastic container filled with flour and OA packets will absorb the oxygen in the container and halt oxygenation-related spoilage. Insect eggs cannot hatch due to the lack of oxygen.
The issue is that the majority of storage containers don’t actually seal off the air completely, so they eventually leak. This includes used food buckets and soda bottles.
If you need to store a lot of flour, buckets with gasket lids (see Amazon) are a respectable choice because they typically do a better job of stopping air leakage.
Canning jars also tend to be very reliable and you’ll know the oxygen absorbers have worked because the lid will look “sucked down.” To avoid spoilage, make sure to keep jars in a cool, dark place. Heat and light can also lead to food spoilage.
Mylar Bags With Oxygen Absorbers
Shelf Life: 10+ years
The best solution is to use oxygen absorbers in sealed Mylar bags if you want to store flour for months, years, or even decades.
Irresistible to oxygen and moisture, mylar bags are made of a substance that resembles metal. The flour is completely protected from light, moisture, and oxygen by sealing it in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. Because the packaging lacks oxygen, even insect eggs cannot hatch.
White flour can be kept in this manner for 10 to 15 years. This can extend the shelf life of whole-wheat flour by about ten years.
Dry Canning – Not Recommended
Dry foods, such as flour, are placed in canning jars with lids and heated in the oven as part of the dry canning process. The food may be sterilized and sealed by heat. Even though canning jars are used, dry canning is NOT the same as water bath canning.
There are a lot of potential issues with dry canning, as NM State University has cautioned.
- There’s no evidence that the process actually sterilizes food
- In the jar, the procedure may trap moisture.
- Moist food may become contaminated with botulism if it is sealed in an oxygen-free container. Foods like flour, which have a moisture content of less than 10%, are not affected by this, but condensation that builds up in the jar may cause the flour to become very wet.
- Jars can sometimes EXPLODE
The only method that is suitable for long-term flour storage is Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers.
FAQs
How Do I Know If Flour is Spoiled?
Your senses are always reliable. If the flour smells “off,” discard it. If you bake with it, it won’t make you ill, but it won’t be particularly tasty. Throw it away if you notice any bugs or signs of pests.
Can You Use Flour 2 Years Out of Date?
If stored properly, flour can easily last two years beyond the “best by” date. Check for signs of spoilage, such as a musty or sour odor, discoloration, clumps, bugs, or an odd taste.
Final Words
Flour can be kept in a variety of ways for a very long time. Less frequently used but offering the longest shelf life are mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. The alternative is to store it in the freezer in an oxygen-absorber-filled airtight container or resealable bag.
How do you keep flour for a long time?
