When do you know flour is bad

Just like any cooking ingredients, flour can go bad if not stored properly. Since flour has already become a regular in every pantry, there are even alternative flours for those with gluten sensitivity. Flour is used in many of your favorite baked desserts, bread, for pasta and noodles, pie and pizza crust, as a thickening agent for soups and sauces and a lot more. For that, we have our ancient ancestors to thank. They are responsible for discovering the process of grinding grains and seeds to turn them into fine powder back in BC.

Different recipes might require different types of flour. Because the demand for specific types of flour has emerged over time, many kinds of flour are now available in the market. They usually have a best-by or best-before date on the packaging. However, flour will still be good after the best-before date provided if it is stored properly.

Exposure to air and moisture cause the natural fats in the flour to oxidize which will decline in quality over time. You can easily know flour has gone rancid from its smell. Most flour has almost no odor while some nut and alternative flours have a sweet or nutty smell. Spoiled flour smells musty, sour and sometimes like rubber or Play-Doh. Aside from spoiled flour, you should also watch out for flour beetles also known as weevils.

Improper storage can cause the presence of these bugs. Weevils are completely harmless to the human body. Kill the bugs immediately to prevent discoloration and foul odor in the flour. Freezing your flour for a few days or a week will kill these bugs. After the bugs are killed, the flour is still safe and usable. Follow these steps to tell if your flour has weevils:. To get rid of weevils, sift your flour thoroughly to separate the weevils from your flour. Or do your best to avoid infestation in the first place.

Spoiled flour can give your baked goodies a strange taste and texture. Worst case scenario, foods made with spoiled flour can make you sick. This post may contain affiliate links. If you click one of these links and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Flour seems like one of those ingredients that might last forever. It is dry and it is typically made with a single ingredients so what could possibly spoil? Well, flour can, in fact, go bad and that bag you have had on your shelf for five years may need to go in the trash! Here are a few ways to tell is your flour has gone bad. Different kinds of flour have different shelf lives.

White, all purpose flour will be able to last longer than any other flour as it is a highly processed, very refined grain. A grain of wheat consists of three main parts, the germ, the bran and the endosperm. When making white flour, the germ and bran are removed from the grain, leaving behind only the endosperm. This part of the wheat is very dry and contains few nutrients.

Less nutrients and minerals means less aspects of the flour to spoil. That is why white flour will last the longest on the shelf and also why it is considered to be one of the least beneficial flours health wise. All purpose flour has a general shelf life of 1 year when stored in a pantry or up to two years when kept in the refrigerator.

Once the germ and bran are left on the wheat, the shelf life decreases tremendously. The fat and fiber, along with many of the other vitamins and minerals, in the less processed wheat will spoil when kept on a shelf for too long. Whole wheat flour only has a shelf life of one to three months, a significant drop in time when compared to white flour. Alternative flours also have reduced shelf lives, again because of all the vitamins and minerals in the flour components that have potential to go bad.

Oat flour will last about three months when store in a pantry as will coconut flour, buckwheat flour and other nut flours. You can double the shelf life by storing any flour in the fridge, keeping it in an airtight container as well.

One way in which your flour can go bad is when the fats and oils in the flour go rancid. This means the fats and oils are too old and should no longer be eaten.

The main warning sign of rancid flour is the smell. When flour has gone bad, it will smell sour or musty. Normally, flour has no odor at all or just a slight nutty smell. This flour can contain toxins, so you need to discard it. Keep in mind that some alternative flours can have a specific odor. Stale flour changes its texture, and you can notice lumps or even discoloration in rare cases.

That flour can ruin your recipe since the dough structure will also be inappropriate. Insects can appear in the flour no matter how much you clean your pantry. Plus, there are also chances to buy an infected product. These bugs can quickly spread in cornflakes, rice, flour, or other grain products.

Destroy them by placing flour in the freezer or toss it out if the idea of consumption disgusts you. Any mold in flour is a warning sign, and you need to throw it away because it is not edible. Any black or blue spots indicate fungi presence, mostly due to high humidity. It can still spoil or go rancid. There are a few storing tips you can use to keep flour safe. Always keep the flour in the original bag until opening it. Place it on a shelf with other dry foods, such as rice or cereal, in a dry and dark place, preferably your pantry.

Any vessel similar to the one for keeping coffee or salt will be usable, but Mason jar and flip-flop containers are also excellent solutions. Avoid placing the flour bag on the floor even if you are sure that there is no moisture in your pantry.

The coldness may lead to clumping and premature spoilage. Alternative flours, like coconut or almond, have a short shelf life. You will probably use them less often than whole grain or all-purpose flour, so it is better to place bags in a fridge.

Still, moisture and cold can decrease their quality after picking up the odor from other food. Prevent these problems by putting flour in an airtight container, with or without the original package.

Always write down the date if you plan to throw away the original package. Otherwise, you will probably forget when you bought the flour and leave it in a fridge for too long. Take it out before using it, the same as you would do with a frozen flour. Keep in mind that you can end up with firm cookies full of lumps when using flour straight from the fridge.

Believe it or not, it can go rancid and spoil even in a freezer. Always divide it into several smaller zip lock bags and defrost only as much as you need.