Shelf life of wheat flour. How to store flour at home. Three important storage rules

Flour is considered an essential ingredient in the preparation of many foods.

Traditionally, flour is obtained by grinding grains of various cereals. Flour contains carbohydrates, due to which it is considered one of the most valuable in terms of nutritional value products.

There are many tips and tricks regarding storing flour at home. As a rule, flour for home use is purchased large quantities, since it is not always easy to provide a place and conditions for its storage.

It is best to store flour in a dry, well-ventilated area at a temperature of +5-+20 degrees. In such conditions, flour can be stored for 12-18 months.

When storing flour, you should avoid places near foods with strong odors. These products include various herbs and spices, as well as tea and coffee. Flour easily absorbs foreign odors and becomes unsuitable for further use.

Often, flour is sold in paper packaging. In order to avoid moisture when storing at home, it is necessary to place a sealed paper bag with flour in plastic.

If the package has already been unsealed, it is best to pour the flour it contains into a glass or metal container with a tight lid. Often canvas bags are used to store flour.

If the flour is stored for a long time, then in order to avoid souring or mold, it is recommended to dry it from time to time, first spreading it on a sheet of paper in a thin layer. It is best to then pour the flour into a new bag, but if there is none, you must first dry the old one.

When storing flour at home, it is very important to avoid the appearance of various insects in it, such as bugs, mealworms and other pests. Insects can simply eat part of the flour and spoil the rest with the products of their vital activity. If there are still insects in the flour, it must be thoroughly sifted and poured into new bags.

In order to prevent the appearance of insects, quite effective folk method: Simply add a few unpeeled cloves of garlic to the container in which the flour is stored.

Special substances, phytoncides, secreted by garlic, repel insects without causing harm to the flour itself. Dried calendula flowers can also be used for these purposes.

Storing flour is only a hassle if it is completely neglected. basic rules And technological features process, despite the fact that the product is quite demanding on environmental conditions. With pathologically high humidity and temperature, its quality noticeably suffers.

Using inappropriate containers will result in bugs infesting the dry composition. To prevent such problems from arising, it is recommended to initially select the optimal place in the apartment for storing flour and monitor its quality. It will not be possible to restore a spoiled product even by sifting and steaming; it will have to be thrown away.

Basic rules and shelf life of food products

At home, you need to adjust two indicators in order to store flour without fear of spoilage - humidity and temperature. The component loves dry rooms, so the humidity should not exceed 70%, it is better if it is at 60%. The temperature should be kept within 10-18ºС. Only in such conditions will bugs not appear in the flour and signs of mold will not appear.

Wheat flour

Tip: Sudden temperature changes negatively affect the quality of flour. You shouldn’t constantly carry the entire bag of product from the pantry to the kitchen; it’s better to pick it up as needed. This is troublesome, but safe for the component.

For safe and full use of the product, you need not only to know how to store flour, but also how long you can do it. If you keep flour in the refrigerator, in a compartment with a positive temperature, then the indicators will be as follows:

Wheat – about 8 months.
Rye – less than 6 months.
Corn and soy (not deodorized) – no more than 5 months.
Corn and soy (deodorized) - about a year.

As the temperature rises, these indicators decrease noticeably. If the package of flour shows some exorbitant numbers, then similar product not worth purchasing.

Corn flour

Features of choosing containers and rules for caring for the component

Unfortunately, only some housewives pay attention to the form in which flour is stored at home. The rest leave the powder in a paper bag. In this form, the component can only be kept in the refrigerator until the seal of the packaging is broken. With the opened flour you need to do the following:

First, dry the composition to get rid of excess moisture and prevent mold. To do this, sprinkle the flour in a thin layer over parchment paper and wait at least half an hour.
Then pour the product into glass, metal or plastic jar with a tight lapped lid.
A shelf at floor level is ideal for containers, but not on the upper tiers of cabinets.
It is not recommended to keep strong-smelling ingredients near flour. The dry composition actively absorbs foreign aromas, which changes its taste and properties.

Soy flour

From time to time the component needs to be poured, dried and checked for traces of moisture to prevent mold from appearing. If there are bugs in the product, then it is best to get rid of the ingredient, rinse the dirty container, dry it and spray it with steam. After which you need to purchase New Product and this time pay special attention not to the prevention of the phenomenon.

What should you do to prevent insects from appearing?

To prevent the presence of ubiquitous ants, bugs and other pests in flour, you must adhere to the rules for storing the component and, if possible, use the following recommendations:

Insects in flour

You can transfer the composition from the usual containers into fabric bags. They must first be soaked in saline solution, which is also an excellent natural preservative.
Some housewives put peeled garlic cloves in a container with a product whose pungent odor repels insects. True, specific notes may become attached to the product.
A good effect is achieved by placing the container with the component in a bag or bag lined with dried calendula petals.

Besides this, there are quite original methods repelling insects. Since ancient times, long nails were stuck vertically into a container with dry mass, after which the insects no longer appeared.

Each time before using the powder, you need to check its quality. A spoiled product acquires a sour smell and uncharacteristic bitterness. If a dry composition smells cold, this indicates an increased moisture content in it. Before use, the mass must be dried on parchment paper, otherwise the result will be unpredictable.

Flour is one of those products that housewives try to purchase in reserve. Some people love to bake, while others simply bought a lot of flour on sale at a supermarket or at a fair. Having saved money on price, it is now very important to keep the capricious product safe and sound. This is not easy to do. It absorbs moisture and odors, and often becomes food for insects and rodents.

Therefore, to prevent such troubles from happening to flour, it should be stored according to certain rules.

You can preserve it at home only if you take into account all its properties. The main parameters on which the storage duration depends are temperature regime and humidity. It is also equally important to decide on the place where the product will be kept.

Flour is a product of grinding cereal crops. The most common is wheat flour. Taste wheat product remains virtually unchanged throughout the entire storage period. At the same time, flour from flax, almonds and corn can change them beyond recognition. Flaxseed and almond flavor adds to baked goods original taste and aroma. It is recommended to store these types in the refrigerator, after placing them in an airtight container.

How to determine if a product has become unusable

A quality product that was stored correctly, should be dry, crumbly, odorless, mold and bugs.

Where is flour stored?

Most often it is stored in the same paper bag. where it was purchased. Paper is a good storage material, and pouring flour into another paper bag is not practical. Caring housewives prefer to sew bags from linen fabric. If the package breaks, pour it into glass jar with a tight lid.

As a rule, a separate shelf is designated for it in the kitchen. It absorbs foreign odors quite quickly, and lumps form from dampness. Therefore, there should be no sharp, unpleasant aromas in the room, and there should be a sink or other source of water nearby.

It is advisable to pre-dry large volumes. To do this, the product is laid out in a thin layer on paper and kept near the stove or heater.

Many housewives doubt Is it possible to store flour in plastic container . Food-grade plastic is absolutely harmless; in addition, it perfectly protects the product from moisture during long-term storage. Can be adapted for storage plastic bottles with a wide neck, as well as mayonnaise buckets or any other containers made of polymers. Remember to wash and dry them thoroughly before using them.

Some housewives prefer to sew a linen bag. If you pre-soak it in salt water and dry, the product will be stored longer, and insect pests and fungi will not be afraid of it.

Flour storage conditions

If you decide to keep it in the refrigerator, then keep in mind that the shelf life will be limited.

For rye it is less than five months.
Deodorized soy and corn - eleven months.
For wheat no more than eight.
Non-deodorized soy and corn can be stored for no more than four months.

As a rule, if the temperature rises, then these indicators also change.

Wheat flour is stored at a temperature of at least five degrees for six months. For corn, soy and rye, the shelf life at low temperatures is reduced to three months.

Let's figure it out how to store flour in a high-rise apartment. If you have a glassed-in balcony, you can store it there, but only in winter. In summer it is not advisable to keep the product on the balcony, since Sun rays and dampness will ruin it.

Permissible humidity is 70%. Further increase in humidity leads to the formation of lumps. The most favorable temperature for storage is fifteen degrees. This product does not tolerate sudden changes, due to which fungus appears inside the product.

Bugs and midges

To prevent midges or bugs from getting in, follow some rules and use folk remedies. How to store flour to prevent bugs from getting in:

Store the product in cloth bags soaked in salt.
Midges don't like the smell of mint. To scare them away, just place a few mint chewing gums on the surface of the jar.
You can get rid of bugs using garlic. Add a few cloves directly to the jar and close the lid.
Any metal object is lowered into the container. This could be a fork, spoon or large coin.
Bay leaf is considered safe and effective means from midges. Despite its aroma, the flour is not at all saturated with its smell.
Midges cannot tolerate the smell of calendula. If you put several dried calendula buds in a bag, the bugs will not come close to it.

Flour that has been stored for a long time is checked occasionally. They take her out and examine her. If it is damp, lay it out in a thin layer on clean paper, and after a while, collect it and pack it again.

If you still have bugs, don’t rush to get rid of it. It can be heated in the oven, and then transferred to a dried and clean container, previously wiped with vinegar. Experienced housewives It is advised to wipe the shelf on which the midge-infested product stood with vinegar.

Sometimes, even with all the carefully observed storage rules, the product spoils. If you notice lumps or bark on the surface, it is better to get rid of it. In most cases, it is not possible to revive it, so you should not spoil baked goods with a low-quality product, or expose yourself and your family to the danger of poisoning.

Attention, TODAY only!

Flour is a strategic product that is found in every home and every family. In the villages, housewives said that if you have butter, flour and sugar in your house, you can survive any famine. And indeed - a good housewife uses flour almost every day - either it will delight the family with pies, or it will bake buns. This is why the flour runs out quite quickly. In such cases, experienced women decide to buy flour for future use. Firstly, flour is cheaper during the season, and secondly, you don’t need to carry it every time, and it’s somehow calmer when flour is always at hand. However, another question arises here - how to store this flour?

How to store flour

Flour can be stored in canvas or paper bags, glass or plastic containers. If you bought flour in a small package, you can put it in the refrigerator, but only until it is opened. Then it should be poured into an airtight container.

If you plan to store purchased flour for long-term storage, it should first be dried. To do this, pour the flour onto a sheet of parchment or a clean tablecloth and smooth it into a thin layer. After a few days, the flour can be stored. If you are storing several kilograms of flour, pour it into a cloth bag or glass jar. If you prefer to have a large supply of flour, then you need to buy a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Hardware stores have a wide selection of similar utensils.

You can store flour in ordinary plastic bottles. mineral water. They close tightly with a lid and are easy to move. If you don’t like narrow necks, bake often and ease of access to flour is important to you, you can pour the product into a plastic bucket with a lid. You can also leave a convenient plastic ladle or ladle and sieve there.

Where to store flour

So, the chosen container for flour has been found, but where to store the flour? It should be a dry, cool room, the humidity of which does not exceed 65%. The air temperature in the storage room should not exceed 18 degrees, otherwise the flour may become moldy and its shelf life will be significantly reduced. You should also pay attention to the fact that there are no sudden temperature changes in the room, this often leads to the flour becoming rancid.

Store flour in a kitchen drawer, pantry, closet, or mezzanine. Do not forget to make sure that there are no products or products with a strong odor nearby. The fact is that flour is very sensitive to foreign odors, so it cannot be stored next to household chemicals, spices and medicines. If you store flour for about detergents, future baking will somehow have a slight smell of soap. By the way, if you store flour in the kitchen, it is better to place the container at floor level, on the bottom shelf. In the upper part of the room the air is much warmer.

Flour should be checked from time to time for dampness and insects. If the flour becomes wet, pour it onto a flat surface and let it dry. room temperature. Taste the flour from time to time to prevent it from becoming bitter. To prevent insects from getting into the flour, you can use some folk remedies.

The canvas bag in which the flour will be stored is pre-soaked in saline solution. It is well known that salt is an excellent preservative; it will prevent bugs from getting inside the bag. Simply dissolve three tablespoons of salt in a liter of water, lower the bag into it and dry without rinsing.
You can put a metal object - a coin or a knife - into a bag of flour. This will scare away pests and they will not eat such flour. The main thing is that the coin does not get into the baked goods!
Midges and other insects do not like the smell of calendula and avoid it in every possible way. Dry a couple of sprigs of this plant, put it in a canvas bag or simply wrap it in a handkerchief. Then dip the calendula directly into the flour.
You can scare away bugs with garlic. Place a few cloves of garlic in the middle of the container with flour and you won’t be afraid of any pests.
You can put a few bay leaves in a bag of flour. This will repel insects, but will not give the flour an extraneous odor.
In pest control there are also modern methods. Place a couple of open mint gums in the top layer of flour. Not a single insect will stick its nose into such flour.

If the bugs are still able to penetrate the flour, do not rush to throw away the product. Simply sift the flour through a fine sieve, dry it and pour it into a new container. If you use the same container, you must first rinse it, rinse it with a salt mixture, dry it, and only then add the sifted flour.

How long to store flour

Regular Wheat flour It can be stored for quite a long time (if all storage rules are followed) - up to eight months. Soy flour does not spoil longer - about a year. It is better to use rye flour in the next six months. Corn flour is suitable for consumption within five months from the date of its production.

Some tips for storing flour include the following. Before you pour the flour into a plastic container or plastic bottle, make a “salt cushion” in the bottom. To do this, sew a bag from several layers of gauze, pour it there coarse salt and place at the bottom of the container. Salt perfectly absorbs moisture and protects flour from dampness.

In ancient times, flour was stored in the following way. A large canvas bag of flour was dipped into the water for a few seconds and then quickly removed. A dense layer of dough formed around the bag, which was impossible for rodents or insects to overcome. In this way the flour could be stored for years.

If you don't like baking and rarely bake, there is no point in buying flour for future use. However, if you have big family, if children and you like to tinker with dough, purchasing flour is a very rational and correct decision. Store flour correctly so that you can pamper your home with crispy baked goods more often.

Video: how to properly store flour at home

There is flour in every house - indispensable product. Any housewife uses it for a variety of baking, homemade noodles or dumplings, sauces and side dishes. That is why flour is bought in large quantities at once, and the question of its correct and long-term storage always up to date without loss of quality.

This product, despite its long shelf life, requires the creation of certain conditions, the violation of which can lead to its loss. organoleptic properties and even the appearance of unpleasant insects. To prevent this from happening, you should learn how to store flour correctly, and then there will always be flour in your home. delicious buns, dumplings and other favorite dishes.

Basic requirements for storage conditions

The two main parameters affecting the preservation of flour are ambient temperature and humidity.

Flour keeps well for a long time at low air humidity. This figure should ideally be 60%, in extreme cases - no more than 70%.

Storage temperature should not exceed 20 °C, but for long-term storage it is advisable to provide temperature conditions in the range from 5 to 15 °C.

This product really does not like sudden changes in temperature, since as a result condensation forms inside and the humidity increases significantly, which contributes to the development of mold fungi and the appearance of insects.

How long can it be stored?

As you know, there are several types of flour: rye, wheat, corn, soy. Each of these types has its own shelf life. For example, corn, soybean and Rye flour- up to six months. Wheat flour can retain its properties somewhat longer, up to 8 months, but deodorized flour soy flour can be stored whole year. Other species can also spend 12 months or more in storage, provided that a constant temperature of 0 °C is maintained there.

How to choose the right one

When purchasing flour that you plan to store, you should carefully inspect the product for the presence of worms, black spots or sticky lumps. Unfortunately, when purchasing flour in a store, we are often deprived of this opportunity due to the opaque container in which it is packaged. In this case, all that remains is to carefully examine the packaging, checking its integrity, as well as the date of issue and shelf life.

What is the best way to store it?

Containers for storing flour are also important. It is best to choose hermetically sealed glass or plastic containers. An alternative could be canvas bags, metal cans or paper bags that do not block the access of air and, therefore, moisture to the product. Therefore, they are less preferable, and the flour stored in them requires additional control of its condition. If you store flour in paper bags, then it’s better to do it in the refrigerator.

Storage nuances

When storing flour, it is important to know not only about the requirements for temperature and humidity in the room, but also about some other factors that can affect the safety of the product.

For example, flour can be negatively affected by direct Sun rays, therefore it should be stored either in opaque packaging or in a place protected from light.

Flour very quickly absorbs odors substances and products located nearby, so it must be removed away from any sources of strong odor (coffee, spices, tea, household chemicals etc.), best on a separate shelf, in a personal drawer or cabinet.

In order to prevent unwanted guests from appearing in the flour, there are many folk remedies, invented by our ancestors. If you store flour in linen bags, first soak them in a strong saline solution. A clove of garlic, bay leaf or chili pepper placed in flour perfectly repels bugs without spoiling the taste of the product. Pests will not get into the flour if you put a paper or canvas bag with it in a box with dried calendula flowers.