Does anyone freeze flour?

sb44

I have read that flour prices are shooting up at the minute, was wondering if anyone freezes their bread flour.May have to stock up on it before the prices rise.

lil_me

Can't say I have ever frozen just the flour. I think when you work it out running an additional freezer to keep it frozen, would it be worth the saving anyway? I've bought as much as I can store in my airtight boxes, after that it's just see how things go. If you freeze it, I'd try it first with a small amount, container would need to be completely moisture proof.

epsilondraconis

Freezing flour?!

Wouldn't all of its petals fall off?

beedeedee

Yes, I freeze flour every time I buy it - but for a different reason. If you freeze it for 24 hrs as soon as you buy it, those horrible weevil things will not grow. If you've stored flour for a while without pre freezing - make sure its not "moving" before you use it.

withabix

In terms of making good use of freezer space, this isn't it!

Stick to freezing small, high cost (higher £/kg) items rather than the basics if you want to make good use of your freezer. eg joints of meat on offer/reduced to clear, fish, luxury foods etc

Be careful of putting too much stuff in your freezer as well - they don't work efficiently if they are chock-full with a lack of air space around your food for air circulation.

Over fill your freezer and you will end up with higher running costs and you will also reduce its life as the compressor will wear out faster as it will be running for more of the time.

squeaky

beedeedee wrote: »

Yes, I freeze flour every time I buy it - but for a different reason. If you freeze it for 24 hrs as soon as you buy it, those horrible weevil things will not grow. If you've stored flour for a while without pre freezing - make sure its not "moving" before you use it.

Yep! Me too. The bag (unopened) goes into an airtight container and then is frozen for 24hrs. The container is then put on the shelf and left to defrost. (that way the bag inside is not likely to attract condensation and get damp). Then the bag is placed on the shelf and the next bag goes into the container and repeat...

There's nothing wrong with having a full freezer as long as there is "some" space for cold air to circulate around the various items. Jam packed solid isn't efficient though. As has been said above, I reserve my limited feezer space for things other than staples.

Riq

This is like the "Do you freeze milk" thread from a number of months ago.

I had never even thought about freezing milk but alot of people did it, I am thinking the same thing here!! ::D

pigpen

weevils are completely harmless so even if your flour is 'moving' you can still use it.. there are plenty of bugs that we eat without knowing it. Bugs are a great source of protein.

I have never frozen flour.. and I have some in my cupboards which has been there for about a year .. one bag I opened yesterday had a May 2008 BBE so been there a while and there isn't anything with legs in it. I think freezing it is pointless TBH..

jacksons_mum

what are weevils?

jacksons_mum

A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than 6 mm (¼ inch), and herbivorous. Due to the shape of their heads, weevils are commonly known as snout beetles. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae (the true weevils). Some other beetles, although not closely related, bear the name "weevil", such as the biscuit weevil (Stegobium paniceum), which belongs to the family Anobiidae.
Many weevils are damaging to crops. The grain or wheat weevil (Sitophilus granarius) damages stored grain. The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) attacks cotton crops. It lays its eggs inside unripe cotton bolls, and the young weevils eat their way out.
Weevils are often found in dry foods including nuts and seeds, cereal and grain products. In the domestic setting, they are most likely to be observed when opening a bag of flour although they will happily infest most types of grain including oats, barley and breakfast cereals. Their presence is often indicated by the granules of the infested item sticking together in strings, as if caught in a cobweb. If ingested, E. coli infection and other various diseases can be contracted from weevils, depending on their diet.

jacksons_mum

i cant believe ive never heard of them before!
wont cooking the flour do the same job as freezing it before use, i.e. kill the weevils?