Power to The Bakers.How To Store Bulk Flour So It Stays Fresh For Long?
Flour is considered one of the most essential ingredients that are available in all the kitchens. Whether you are interested in baking cakes, or bread, or cookies, flour is the most required item. As the number of people consuming flour is increasing day by day, you need to make sure that you are having enough quantity at your home so that you are never falling short of it. Flour is a staple commodity and is required for almost all cooking purposes. But if you are storing a lot of flour, you are at high risk of getting it spoiled or rancid. It might also happen that flour critters start growing in it if you are not storing it properly. So you need to be proactive and ensure that the flour is stored properly.
We are sharing some of the expert tips to store the flour perfectly so that it can remain fresh for a longer period of time.
#1 You Must Store The Flour In Cool Place:
If you want to prevent the flour from oozing out its natural oils and going bad, you must store it in a cool dry place. Have you seen the bottles of natural oils? If stored for a longer time in a warm area, they easily go rancid. Similarly, if flours are kept in warm areas, they can easily go rancid. So to prevent this, you need to ensure that the flour is stored in a cool place. You can keep it on a shelf that is clean and sunlight does not reach the area. Besides this, you can store the flour in the refrigerator/freezer. It would be your best decision, as it will prevent rancidity and will also be helpful in any possible pests. If you are not into frequent baking, then it would be better for you to store the flour in the large chest freezer.
Note: Wherever you are storing the flour, make sure you are keeping all the heating vents closed.
#2 Store The Flour In Airtight Containers:
Well, this is the most essential point that you must never forget while storing the flour for a longer period of time. Flour can get spoiled when they come in contact with oxygen and the moisture present in the air. So you should store the flour in such a way that air (moisture) is unable to reach there. Yes, you can opt for storing the flour in the paper bags that you buy from. But if you want to keep it for a long haul, then choose an airtight container and store the flour in it. Some people even choose to store the flour in zip-lock bags where the moisture content cannot enter.
#3 You Should Store The Flour In The Dark Area:
Well, besides moisture, the second thing that can destroy the quality of the flour is light. The light has the power to generate heat, which can force the flour particles to lose out their natural oils. Moreover, sunlight also leads to the oxidation process, which should be prevented at any cost if you want to keep your flour fresh for a long. If you think that a refrigerator is not the right option for you, then you can store the flour inside a cooler or thermal bag, or sometimes you can make use of a stoneware canister for flour. It will be a dark, cool, and tight container for storing flour.
#4 You Can Make Use Of Oxygen Absorbers To Keep Your Flour Fresh For Long:
When you are storing bulk flour in a container or bag, then you can add about one oxygen absorber packet in every container. In this way, you can ensure that even the slightest amount of oxygen cannot damage the quality of the flour. These oxygen absorbers are not very expensive, you can get a packet of them and use it whenever required.
Storing the flour perfectly is quite helpful, but you must also have the knowledge to identify whether the flour is fresh or rancid. Before every use, if you are checking the quality of the flour, it will prevent you from making use of the spoiled flour.
So how will you identify whether the flour is fresh or not? First of all, you must smell the flour if it is ok, then check whether there are any critters in the flour or not. This will help you in identifying the quality of the flour.
Summary:
Whether you love baking or not, the flour will always be on your grocery list as it is a staple item. So you must know how to store bulk flour properly so that it remains fresh even after 6 to 7 months’ time. Follow the above-mentioned tips and you will always enjoy high-quality fresh flour every time you bake something from it.