How To Buy And Store Flour For Baking Purpose
Flour is considered a staple and healthy food item and is found in all households, restaurant pantries, and cafes. Flour is also essential for all baking purposes and is usually needed in high quantity. But when it comes to buying and storing, you must be extremely proactive. So how will you buy and store the flour, especially when it is in bulk quantities?
While buying flour, you must follow a set of guidelines so that you get high-quality flour.
#1 You Must Know About The Different Types Of The Flour Available:
Flours are of different types and required for various cooking and baking purposes. For example, for baking bread, you need bread flour; for cakes and pastries, you need cake flour. So when buying, ensure what type of flour you would be needing.
#2 You Must Check The Freshness Of The Flour:
While buying flour in bulk or small quantities, it is quite essential that you are getting it fresh. To check the freshness of the flour, you can examine the texture of the flour and smell it as well. If the smell seems rancid, then don’t buy it as it would not be fresh. Besides this, you can check the expiry as well as the manufacturing date on the packet of the flour. If you buy an old packet, then you won’t be able to use the flour for a long time. So while buying, choose wisely and keep in mind that you would be using it for a long period.
#3 Be sure About The Quantity You Would Need:
Generally, restaurants and cafes require large quantities of flour, but for household purposes, you would be needing it in smaller quantities. So you can either get the small packets or buy them from the flour bulk bins.
Besides buying high-quality flour, you must understand that it is quite essential to store the flour properly to maintain its freshness and quality.
#1 You Must Store The Flour In Cool Dry Place:
If you are not storing the flour properly, the natural oils of the flour would make the flour go bad. It means that the flour would become rancid. If you want to protect your bulk quantity of flour from becoming rancid, you should store it in a cool and dry place. In a cool ambiance, the natural oils of the flour would stay intact and not make the flour turn rancid. Moreover, when the flour becomes rancid, it attracts critters and termites, or other flour insects. Storing it in the freezer would be the best because it will prevent the flour from becoming rancid and also do not let the insects breed in it.
If you do not have a freezer, then you can store the flour in the refrigerator, or you can use your cellar, which would be naturally cool.
#2 The Flour Storage Area Must Be Away From The Sunlight:
Sunlight is the second enemy of flour. The sunlight will generate a large amount of heat on the flour which is not at all desirable. Because it will destroy the freshness and quality of the flour. With sunlight, the flour will undergo an oxidation process and make it go bad. So you must ensure that the place you are storing the floor is dark. You can keep it on the shelf, which is cool, and prevent the sunlight from falling directly on the shelf.
#3 Always Make USe Of Airtight Container For Flour Storage:
This is the most important factor that you should consider while storing flour. The flour can get spoiled when it comes into contact with oxygen or moisture. So you should ideally choose a container that is completely airtight so that no air or moisture enters the container. You can even use paper bags or plastic containers which do not allow the air to enter. You can also use a zip-pouch plastic bag and store it in a cool as well as a dark place.
Summary:
Flour is the most essential item when it comes to baking, so you must ensure that you are buying the best quality of flour, which is extremely fresh. After buying the flour, your major concern should be to store the flour in the right place — cool, dry and dark. If you want your flour to stay fresh for a long time, you must follow the aforementioned points.