Power to The Bakers.Does Flour Expire? Learn Everything About It
Flour is usually included as a staple diet for millions of people. It is due to the fact that flour is used in a multitude of baked things, right from bread to muffins, pastries, and many other baked items. So when making use of the flour on a daily basis, you would need to buy it in bulk. Buying in bulk has many benefits, and one of the main benefits is that you do not have to run to the store every now and then to buy flour.
Now here is the catch — when you are buying flour in bulk, you need to take care that it is stored properly. Besides this, if you get to know that the flour has expired then remove it as soon as possible.
You might be a bit surprised by knowing that flour expires. Well, yes, it does. Even flour has a proper shelf life, and you must not use it after the expiry date.
What Is The Shelf Life Of Flour?
As you know, there are different types of flour available in the market, and each flour type has a different shelf life. Usually, we talk about wheat flour or whole grain flour, or white flour. The shelf life of the flour is approximately 3 to 7 months if kept at room temperature, and if you are keeping the flour in the cold storage, then you can extend the shelf life of the flour to 8 to 9 months. The period between the fresh flour and the rancid flour is quite important, and you must keep a check on the quality of the flour so that it does not get spoiled.
How To Know If The Flour Has Turned Bad?
Well, there are multiple ways in which you can tell whether the flour has turned bad or not. The very first factor is to check the texture of the flour. If you feel that there is the formation of lumps in the flour and the flour doesn’t feel smooth then you can consider that the flour has expired. Besides this, you can also check the smell of the flour.
If it smells of natural oil then you can understand that it has turned rancid and cannot be used for any cooking purpose. Sometimes when the flour turns bad, it changes in color from white to yellowish or brown. This is also an indication which tells you that the flour has turned bad.
Note: If you are not getting any such indication from the flour, then focus on the expiry date. You must use the flour only for the next 7 to 8 months and not more than that.
Can You Use The Flour After The Expiry Date?
Most often, people consult the experts and ask that if there is no indication that shows the flour has turned bad, but it has exceeded the expiry date, can the flour still be used?
Well, if you want to keep yourself and your family safe, it is essential that you discard the flour after the expiry date. Even though the flour might not smell bad or change in color, it is not healthy to use such flour.
How To Keep The Flour Fresh For A Long Time?
If you are buying the flour in bulk quantities and want to keep it fresh for a long period, then you can follow these tips.
- You should store the bulk flour in air-tight containers or bulk flour jars. In this way, you can prevent the moisture from entering the flour and turning it rancid. Besides this, when the flour is stored in air-tight containers, it does not let the pests breed inside the flour and keep it fresh for a long period.
- The flour containers should be kept in the refrigerator or on the shelf that cools and away from the sunlight. Sunlight is the biggest enemy of flour. The heat generated by sunlight will increase the heat in the flour and make it ooze natural oils. This will turn your flour bad even before the expiry date.
Summary:
So now you are completely aware of the important things about the flour — whether it expires or not, how to check if the flour has turned bad. How to store the flour so that it stays fresh for a long period, and much more. So you can use this information in your daily life and implement the guidelines to consume healthy flour-baked items.