Storing flours

EmmaJ_3

I'm having a bit of a cupboard sort-out, can I just ask how do people store their flours???

I'm now keeping most of my dry staples (grains/different types of rice/pasta, dried pulses, nuts, seeds) in labelled glass kilner-type jars, and I have to say it makes the sad little 'desperate housewife' in me very happy when I open my cupboard and they're all lined up, plus it makes keeping the cupboard clean easier as they're not all spilling out their packets all the time.

Is it ok to keep flour the same way?? At the moment I just store flour in the paper bags in the baking cupboard, 1 of each type in use at a time, with about 5 or so spares in my big under-stairs store cupboard. Would airtight containers be better? Glass jars ok (seeing as they're kept in a cupboard so protected from light anyway?)

Thanks in advance!

Essex-girl_2

At the moment I have my flours in two large cookie jars, I am going to go to Ikea in the next couple of weeks as that have loads of glass containers that are really reasonable and am going to sort out my dry stores cupboard with those.

I use the cookie jars coz they look nice for the flour, think if I had a pantry I would use lock and lock tubs.

sammy_kaye18

I store my flours in the cereal dispensing air tight containers - have never had any bugs in there yet and they fit nicely in my cupboard without taking up too much room

maypole

EmmaJ wrote: »

I'm having a bit of a cupboard sort-out, can I just ask how do people store their flours???

I'm now keeping most of my dry staples (grains/different types of rice/pasta, dried pulses, nuts, seeds) in labelled glass kilner-type jars, and I have to say it makes the sad little 'desperate housewife' in me very happy when I open my cupboard and they're all lined up, plus it makes keeping the cupboard clean easier as they're not all spilling out their packets all the time.

Is it ok to keep flour the same way?? At the moment I just store flour in the paper bags in the baking cupboard, 1 of each type in use at a time, with about 5 or so spares in my big under-stairs store cupboard. Would airtight containers be better? Glass jars ok (seeing as they're kept in a cupboard so protected from light anyway?)

Thanks in advance!

Unless you use the 5 spare flour up fairly quickly, I wouldn't store that much.
I once found pscocids (little tiny beetles) in a bag of flour I'd had for a while, they can get into any dried food. To prevent this, when I buy flour I either freeze it or put it in the fridge overnight before putting it into a cupboard. I haven't had any of them since. It is quite a common problem.

JennyW_2

I simply put the bag in a freezer bag, tie it and put it in the cupboard to keep it airtight. I think the worse thing would be for the flour to become damp or be exposed to any temperature fluctuations which could cause humidity as I believe these would affect the flour. HOwever I don't keep too much so hopefully I wont run the risk of too many problems.

noonesperfect

After I found some pscocids in one of my bags of flour :eek: , I went out and bought some of those lock n lock type containers from Matalan. A 3lb bag just fits nicely and I don't end up with a thin film of flour on the bottom of my cupboard, or little beasties in it!

EmmaJ_3

maypole wrote: »

Unless you use the 5 spare flour up fairly quickly, I wouldn't store that much.
I once found pscocids (little tiny beetles) in a bag of flour I'd had for a while, they can get into any dried food. To prevent this, when I buy flour I either freeze it or put it in the fridge overnight before putting it into a cupboard. I haven't had any of them since. It is quite a common problem.

Yeah I do get through flour, buy a few bags a week really, my spares/stock cupboard usually has 1 each of plain, SR, and wholemeal spare, plus a few each of strong white and strong wholemeal/stoneground for breadmaking.

Cool seems like airtight is the way, I'll treat myself to some more big Ikea jars next week then . I find their 'Slom' jars lovely and so much cheaper than a lot of other kilner-type jars, I've got all mine over a few years though.

My mum had little flour bugs once, we called them weevils. I have heard about freezing flour before use, but never actually done it - how long do you freeze for? Just overnight?

maryjane01

I have started using the click and lock airtight containers.

I looked up the Ikea 'slom' jars, and I find the top of the container quite small. What I like about the click'n'lock rectangular shaped containers is the area at the top of the container is quite large, so you can fill your cup over the top of the container, it can fall over the edge of the cup, and you haven't made a mess because it falls straight back into the flour pot!

I guess it also depends if your containers are on display. The Slom are nicer looking, but I keep mine in a cupboard.

What do other people do to stop flour falling all over the worktop?

D&DD

I use lock'n'lock for my kitchen cupboard flours (ones in use) but just store the others in the packets in the understair cupboard (or underbed store) after freezing.
I've just upped my foodstore contents so I'm now looking to find some large airtight storage tubs to keep the flour in...well huge ones really :rotfl:

EmmaJ_3

maryjane01 wrote: »

I looked up the Ikea 'slom' jars, and I find the top of the container quite small. What I like about the click'n'lock rectangular shaped containers is the area at the top of the container is quite large, so you can fill your cup over the top of the container, it can fall over the edge of the cup, and you haven't made a mess because it falls straight back into the flour pot!

That's a pretty good point actually, as I'm currently using the Sloms for rice, grains, pulses, nuts & seeds, I pour out of them rather than dip in like you do when using flour for breadmaking.

I do really prefer glass to plastic though.........will have a look around.

maypole

The thing is, keeping them in airtight containers doesn't stop the problem of the "bugs", they are usually, I believe, in the egg stage anyway in the flour when we buy it, if I remember correctly. Thats why I freeze mine first or put it in the fridge, to kill them if they are there, then the airtight container will be useful. You can freeze for as long as you like I think, I do anyway or just put overnight in the fridge. It doesn't seem to effect the performance of the flour in any way.