Most of the kitchen rooms have a number of essential ingredients, and some of them are quite perishable in nature. For instance, the dairy products, eggs or meats have to be stored properly in the fridge, whereas the dry foodstuffs, like flour may be stocked for extensive periods in a cupboard or pantry of the kitchen. But, in spite of its stability, the flour may also ultimately turn out to be unusable over time. The shelf life of all kinds of flour depends mainly on how it has been packed up for storage.
If you are provided with the responsibility of a cook, then you have to recognize whether your flour may get spoiled at a time or how long does last. Besides, you have to make out whether flour is not in good condition. If you know everything about the ingredient, then your flour will never go bad before your use.
The foremost thing that you must understand is that you may find several types of flour. The good fact is that many of these are quite parallel to each other. You may consider that many types of flour may stay fresh for nearly one year, while they are stored well. However, there is an exception of this fact – whole wheat flour. The oil content of this flour is more than that what you may find in some other flour varieties. Thus, it begins to lose the excellence very soon. In many instances, it may last only six or seven months.
When you are the user of whole wheat flour, you may keep this flour in a refrigerator. Some other types of the flour may be stored securely in pantry. The paper container of flour, if not opened, may be the safe place to store your flour for an extensive period. On the contrary, the packet, if opened, must be closed very tightly and carefully. When you decide to stock up an unsealed flour package, you may think of moving the products into some more consistent packaging. The cereal bag, which is sealable, is a wonderful option. However, you may utilize any kind of container, which may be sealed firmly and you will be competent to properly shift the contents from it to the other site. You have to ensure that no moisture touches your flour. When a little amount of water contacts it, there is possibility that most of the part of your flour may go bad very fast. You will perhaps be compelled to throw away the complete package.
Milling and flour
For the purpose of milling, wheat kernels consist of three major elements. The external layer of the bran has high amount of the fiber along with some quantity of oil. The seed has nutrients and oil as well as fiber. The endosperm is generally protein and starch, and this endosperm constitutes white flour, whereas the rubbery bran and the oily seed are preserved in case of the whole wheat flour.
On the other hand, stone-ground flour is made in a different way. Thus, the stone-ground ones consist of both germ and bran. Such differences may affect the time period for which the flour has to be stored.
Is there any expiration date of flour?
It is to be remembered that flour may have a particular expiration date or also may go bad. In fact, time leads your flour to get deteriorated. Thus, when you have not used it within the right time period, the product may become spoiled. Or, it may also become very low in quality. Obviously, you will not get gratified, while you cook something with the use of the flour. While moisture and some other compounds reach your flour, the freshness of the product may be damaged.
Flour may remain in the best state before the expiration date, particularly, when you have not unsealed it and preserved it well. Many kinds of the flour can last early 6 to 8 months before the stated expiration day, while the self-rising and whole wheat flour cannot go bad before 4 to 6 months. Corn meal-based flour may also stay fresh for one year. The unfortunate fact is that when some kind of bug, such as, flour beetles, plague the flour prior to storing it, they may lead to the spoiling of flour.
How to identify the damaged flour?
While you are using flour, there are some ways to determine whether there is any problem in it. One of them is the flour bug. As soon as you have noticed any tiny bugs in your flour packet, you must throw it away.
These small bugs are also called as weevils. When they inhabit in the flour, they start laying their eggs inside the bag. Many people suggest that you may keep the flour in the refrigerator for two days in order to destroy the bugs, i.e., weavils. However, it is quite more secure to carry your flour packet directly outside. You must then disinfect your pantry, as the weevils may be present there or in the nearby places.
If the flour is free from any bug, then you have to smell it. When there is some odd odor, released from it, you should not use it. A fact, which you should know, if the package of flour package is not tightly sealed, the flour may absorb the scents of other goods. Thus, now, it smells slightly different than the usual one. It does not indicate that the flour has become spoiled. It never smells unpleasant. It has been stored in situations, which let other smells to access the package.
How you can store your flour for extensive shelf life?
The most excellent option for the storage of the flour is to keep it in the original flour container in your storeroom. However, it has to be inside one plastic carrier or an airtight bag. All types of flour last for much longer time period, while these are stocked in some dry and cool surroundings. It must also be placed in any vapor-resistant carrier as the flour easily takes up all the nearby chemicals and odors. While the carrier is unsealed, it may be transported into a different air tight bag. Original container may also be kept inside plastic container for more safety. The freshness of your whole grain flour may be increased by a number of months with its storage in a freezer or a fridge.
However, it is never a recommendable step in case of your white flour because its expiration may depends on whether it remains fully dry. If you know the proper ways of storing your food, you can consume healthier foods, and there will also be very low amount of waste.
Overall, it may be concluded that the flour never goes bad easily, if left out; this is really a normal fact. When you like to extend the originality of your flour, then you may consider keeping it inside the fridge. The foremost rival of the flour of any type is moisture, and you must keep in mind that it is important to stock up the powder in any dry spot. Thus, in every way, you have to try to prevent your flour from being stale.
