With the arrival of summer heat and warm weather, one of the problems we often face is flour storage.
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. Read on to find out our tips on how to best and properly store packages of flour.
First you need tochoose a place in the pantry that is dry, ventilated away from heat sources and with little light. This is because temperature, humidity and light are the main enemies for the storage of any food product. Temperatures below 25°C, low humidity and little light are essential to slow down the rancidity and oxidation processes of flours.
Airtight plastic or preferably glass containers can come in handy for this purpose. They will ensure the maintenance of moisture and also the contamination of odors from other products in the pantry (flour behaves like a "sponge," absorbing all odors present in the same storage environment). In this way, you can also store it in the refrigerator to maintain ideal temperatures.
Do not store flour where rice, legumes and spices are also present. We would create ideal conditions for the development of insects and for switching from one food to another.
In the pantry,natural repellents can also be used to keep moths and insects away.Bay leaves or cotton balls soaked in lavender or eucalyptus essential oils near airtight containers might do the trick.
One of the most common consequences of poor flour storage is theformation ofsmall butterflies or common grain bugs. Sometimes, it may happen that it becomes rancid, especially whole wheat flour, which is rich in fiber and wheat germ. In this case, you need not worry. It does not mean that the flour has expired or gone bad; on the contrary. First and foremost, this indicates that the flour is natural, has not undergone any processing, and are free of preservatives.
To remedy these problems, protective atmosphere packaging is generally used, which allows shelf-life to be extended without losing in quality or in the organoleptic characteristics of the product. With the protective atmosphere process, oxygen is replaced with another element, commonly found in the air and suitable for contact with food, nitrogen (more than 70 percent of the air we breathe is nitrogen). Beware, however, once the package is opened, all the benefits of this type of packaging are lost and we should resort to the suggestions found on this page....
Another very common question concerns the expiration date of flours. If I have a package of flour in my pantry that shows an outdated expiration date, what does that mean? Can I still use it?
The expiration date of flour indicates the minimum shelf life (indicated by TMC) or "best before...." That is, the date by which, if stored properly, the flour retains all its properties. So before we throw it out, let's check it well, if it has been stored properly and does not have the problems we have already discussed, it may have started to lose some of its properties but may still be good and be used.
Especially in hot weather, we recommend that you do not overstock your pantry with flour and buy it more frequently.