Out-of-Date bread flour - is it bad?

[Barb L.]

I was going to try and make that NY Bread --- got my flour out-(bread flour) says use by june 2006 --should I pitch it and use AP flour ? Thanks for any help !

 

[Candocook]

Go ahead and use it!!

 

[shpj4]

Barb my feeling is that you should go ahead and use it.

 

[Loprraine]

I didn't know flour had an expiry date!

 

[Michael in FtW]

Barb - go ahead and use your bread flour. Flour does have a "best used by" date - but I doubt you'll notice a difference of only 6 months.

 

[Barb L.]

Thanks, I will !!!

 

[marmalady]

Unless it has critters in it, it should be fine! The only thing I've noticed with 'old' flour is that it tends to be drier, and the bread dough may reqiire more liquid.

 

[Katie H]

Unless it has critters in it, it should be fine! The only thing I've noticed with 'old' flour is that it tends to be drier, and the bread dough may reqiire more liquid.

I say go ahead and use it unless, of course, it is moving. Some of my different types of flours are at least as old as your bag. As for moisture, I cook using an electronic scale, so when a recipe calls for 5 ounces of flour, I can weigh out 5 ounces.

 

[StirBlue]

I am assuming the bread was good.

Oh yes! Flour does go bad. It taste yukky stale after a year of purchase. Some people just use their flour in December to make me cookies. I hope this was the last batch. 5 years have I received these cookies. Their chocolate chips are pretty chrunchy too.

Once a store ran flour on sale around Thanksgiving, an incredible 8 (eight) bags for $1 (one dollar). NO LIMIT. I bought 8 bags; two I used during the holidays and two during the winter. I stored the other 4 bags in a wooden chest in the pantry. I forgot about that flour for about seven (7) years. I laughed when I found it. I had no intention of using it ever. I did open a bag just to see how it looked. It was still soft and sifty but it was dark yellow!!!

 

[YT2095]

it`s the oils in the flour from the wheat germ that oxidise that`ll give that off color and strange smell.
stored cool dark and airtight will help loads though.

 

[Claire]

Not to mention weevils. I don't think anyone here is starving enough to have to pick bugs out of their flour, but I've lived places where we had to store flour in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Also had that problem with bulk couscous as well. I learned to NOT buy some products in bulk! 5 lbs is it.

 

[Shaheen]

This reminds me of the day I had everything prepared for my cookies and only the flour had to be added. I sifted the flour into the bowl only to see really tiny white "things" moving! I tried to save the ton of butter but then even after sieving it for the second time I saw all those creatures still moving. Had to toss it all out

 

[YT2095]

pity they were White critters, you could have tried passing them off as Choc Chips or Rasins

 

[boufa06]

This reminds me of the day I had everything prepared for my cookies and only the flour had to be added. I sifted the flour into the bowl only to see really tiny white "things" moving! I tried to save the ton of butter but then even after sieving it for the second time I saw all those creatures still moving. Had to toss it all out

Shaheen, eating the odd critter irrespective of colour is not nearly as bad as eating the chemical (ethylene dibromide) used to keep flour critterless.

 

[YT2095]

true, bromates as "flour improvers" has even been banned in most European countries as a possible Carcinogen

pass me the critters, no one ever died from a little extra protein!

 

[DinaFine]

White flour is probably ok, I have read that whole wheat will go rancid if not kept in the refigerator or freezer. If it smell funny, its probably bad.

 

[DinaFine]

This reminds me of the day I had everything prepared for my cookies and only the flour had to be added. I sifted the flour into the bowl only to see really tiny white "things" moving! I tried to save the ton of butter but then even after sieving it for the second time I saw all those creatures still moving. Had to toss it all out

Oh yuck, White moving things that look like little short moving rice grains are maggots. If you live in a damp hot climate, I would definitly keep it in the refrigerator. glad you noticed them and didnt eat it. ]

 

[Barbara L]

I keep all my flour, grains, and many cereals in the freezer. I have been told that if you put them in the freezer for 48 hours it will kill anything in them and you can then store them outside of the freezer. Since I have plenty of freezer space, little cupboard space, and live in a humid area, I just keep them in the freezer.

Barbara

 

[Jenyfari]

I tend not to pay too much attention to 'Use By' dates. Just use my eyes and my nose to see if it is okay. When I was a kid there was no such thing as 'Use By' dates but we seemed to manage.

 

[skilletlicker]

I don't remember where I heard it but I recall an adage, "Grind you corn once a week and your wheat once a month." Since I assume the distribution times for milled grain are longer than this I freeze whole grains flours and meals. I like to freeze corn kernals and wheat berries for 48 hours before sealing in critter proof zip-lock bags
Degerminated flours I keep in critter proof containers for about as long as as I want.