Power to The Bakers.How Long Does All-purpose Flour Last? Shelf Life, Safe Storage, And More
Flour is a staple food that you would find in almost all the kitchen. Flour can be of different types as they are milled from different grains. You can use different varieties of flour for baking varied food items. For instance, you can use cake flour, all-purpose flour, pastry flour, bread flour, and other flour varieties for all your cooking and baking needs. The most commonly used flour is all-purpose flour. You can use it as an alternative if you do not have any other flour stocked up. All-purpose flour is versatile and applicable for baking a wide range of items. When you frequently use flour, you must be buying it in bulk. But buying all-purpose flour in bulk makes it difficult to store.
If you are unable to properly store the flour, the flour may go bad within no time. When the flour goes bad, you cannot consume it and risk your health. It is always necessary to check that the flour that you are consuming is fresh.Let us get to know a few crucial things about all-purpose flour.
How Long Does All-Purpose Flour Last?
The all-purpose flour has a shelf life of 7 to 8 months. But only when you store the flour properly. Several factors determine how long the flour will last. The temperature of the room where you have stored the flour, the cleanliness of the place, and the type of container you use for storing the flour are a few crucial factors. If you are not storing the flour properly, it will hardly last 3 to 4 months. Even then, you may feel a difference in the taste and smell.
There are certain ways in which you can keep the all-purpose flour safe and prevent it from going bad.
#1 You Should Store The All-Purpose Flour In An Air-tight Container
When you store the flour in an airtight container, the air will not enter the flour. In simple terms. You are preventing the moisture and oxygen from entering the flour. It helps in preventing the oxidation process. Moreover, you do not let the all-purpose flour go rancid. If the moisture enters the flour, it will cause the natural oils to ooze out from the flour and lead to bad taste and smell.
#2 You Should Store The All-Purpose Flour In The Dark
While storing the all-purpose flour, choose a dark place (away from direct sunlight). If the sunlight falls on the flour, it will generate heat inside the flour, and the natural oils of the all-purpose flour will make the flour go bad. If you want to avoid it, keep the flour bags and containers in a dark place. You can pick shelves and pantries where sunlight does not reach.
#3 You Should Keep The All-Purpose Flour In The Cold Places
The coolness of the place will help you keep the natural oils of the flour intact. It will ensure that the flour does not turn rancid or have a bad taste. You can store the flour containers and bags in refrigerators or cold storage. Moreover, due to the cold temperature, the critters won’t breed in the flour. It is an effective way to keep the all-purpose flour last long.
#4 You Should Keep The Shelves And Pantry Clean And Dry
The most important thing when you want to keep the all-purpose flour long-lasting, you should keep the pantry and shelves clean. In a clean area, the critters and insects will not be able to breed and destroy the quality of the all-purpose flour.
How Will You Tell Whether The Flour Has Gone Bad?
Usually, when you buy packed food items, you can check the expiration date on the packets. The dates tell you how long you will be able to store and use the all-purpose flour. You should not use the flour beyond the date of expiration. But what if you buy the flour from the bulk bins? Although, you know that the flour is of high quality and fresh. But you do not know for how long you would be able to keep the flour fresh.
Check the smell of the all-purpose flour. Typically, the fresh all-purpose flour has a neutral odor. But when the flour turns bad, it will have a stale and musty odor.
Summary: It is all you need to know about all-purpose flour. So make sure that you keep up with the tips of proper storage to enhance the shelf life of all-purpose flour. Always ensure that you get your flour from reputed flour makers. One of the most prominent ones is US Flour. They have been producing high-quality flour for decades and are a known name for bulk flour supplies.