Shelf life of flour?

[Constance]

I keep extra flour in my basement pantry, which is cool and dark, and haven't had a problem with wheat bugs. But when I lived in southern Louisiana with my first husband, it was a different story. Flour didn't keep more than a few months.
#1 and I had a very rocky relationship. He was gone most of the time, and when he was home, we were fighting. One morning, as he was leaving for work (he was a teacher/coach), he announced he needed a couple of pies for a banquet that night, and no, wives were not invited. They never were.
I did have fresh apples, but when I checked my flour, it was buggy. I had no car or close neighbors I could borrow from, so I went ahead and made the pies with the buggy flour.
They turned out very nicely...the crust simply appeared to have little seeds in it. The husband brought home empty pie plates, and said the pies got rave reviews. Everyone wondered what was that "nutty taste" in the crust.

 

[expatgirl]

I keep extra flour in my basement pantry, which is cool and dark, and haven't had a problem with wheat bugs. But when I lived in southern Louisiana with my first husband, it was a different story. Flour didn't keep more than a few months.
#1 and I had a very rocky relationship. He was gone most of the time, and when he was home, we were fighting. One morning, as he was leaving for work (he was a teacher/coach), he announced he needed a couple of pies for a banquet that night, and no, wives were not invited. They never were.
I did have fresh apples, but when I checked my flour, it was buggy. I had no car or close neighbors I could borrow from, so I went ahead and made the pies with the buggy flour.
They turned out very nicely...the crust simply appeared to have little seeds in it. The husband brought home empty pie plates, and said the pies got rave reviews. Everyone wondered what was that "nutty taste" in the crust.

LOL--you Cruella Deville,

That's probably the most "romantic" pie your exhubby's coworkers had ever eaten as the wee beasties spend their entire life cycles in the flour--love, courtship, etc., not to mention death. Their exoskeletons are made of chitin which is pure protein so no wonder the pie had a "nutty flavor". It looks like you had the last laugh!!!!!!

 

[sparrowgrass]

Weevils and larvae are easy to see in the flour--small black/brown bugs, and webby stuff around the larvae. Sometimes there will be tiny circular holes in the paper bag, where the critters have escaped to infest your macaroni, chili powder and rice.

If you don't see that when you open the bag, don't worry about sieving. If you do find evidence of insect infestation, check ALL your grain products.

Freezing flour/spices/other grain products for 48 hours will kill insect eggs present in the flour.

For more than you really want to know about pantry pests:

G7370 Pests of Stored Products, MU Extension

The last couple paragraphs talk about prevention and elimination of pests.

 

[goodgiver]

When a person buys anything made from a grain you should put it in your refrigerator for 2 weeks and then store it however you want and that will get rid of all little critters. When I cooked in institutions that is what the Board of Heath suggested.

 

[LadyCook61]

I put about 2-3 dried bay leaves in the flour, it helps keeps the bugs out.

 

[CharlieD]

Really, that is interesting. I usually keep my flour in refrigerator, but bay leaves, if they work, is probably a better idea.

 

[browneyedgirl]

Several years ago I bought a 20 kg. bag of whole wheat flour that already had visible weevil larvae in it, it was opened within a week of purchase and was seriously infested. I took it back and got a refund and an apology, but never bought that brand again! Flour can come from the factory with eggs in it, depends on how long it sits on the shelf at the store whether or not they hatch before someone gets a bag with a bonus of free livestock! Since then when I buy flour I put the bag in the freezer for a couple of days in the summer or simply leave it out in my car for a few days in the winter (it was -32C. here yesterday).

 

[LadyCook61]

Really, that is interesting. I usually keep my flour in refrigerator, but bay leaves, if they work, is probably a better idea.

works for me, I had flour a year old sitting on a shelf I had forgotten about and I checked it and no weevils no bugs so I believe the bay leaves kept them away.

 

[expatgirl]

Bay leaves go into all of my grain products------flour, spaghetti, rice, cornflour, etc., but if the eggs are already there and hatching it's too late---bay leaves just repel the adults looking for places to breed and lay eggs in the first place

 

[bevkile]

I put about 2-3 dried bay leaves in the flour, it helps keeps the bugs out.

I too, have excellent luck with bay leaves, and I live in Florida. It doesn't matter how old the bay leaves are. I use them in my rice, when I buy in large quantities. It is when I don't use them that I have a problem. I trust my leaves more than I do the freezer.

 

[Andy M.]

99 times out of a hundred, the bugs you see in flour got into the bag at the mill. The eggs are small enough to get through the sifters. To prevent problems, put your bag of flour into the freezer for three or more days when you bring it home from the store, then take it out and use it. The freezing premanently destroys the critter eggs.

 

[expatgirl]

99 times out of a hundred, the bugs you see in flour got into the bag at the mill. The eggs are small enough to get through the sifters. To prevent problems, put your bag of flour into the freezer for three or more days when you bring it home from the store, then take it out and use it. The freezing premanently destroys the critter eggs.

Andy's right and then you can add the bay leaves to keep any future farmers out------you can also spread bay leaves around your shelves (kinda messy but does help) or you can tape them to the shelves.

 

[mozart]

99 times out of a hundred, the bugs you see in flour got into the bag at the mill. The eggs are small enough to get through the sifters. To prevent problems, put your bag of flour into the freezer for three or more days when you bring it home from the store, then take it out and use it. The freezing premanently destroys the critter eggs.

But you are still eating "dead" critter eggs, right?

 

[Michael in FtW]

But you are still eating "dead" critter eggs, right?

Humm ... but it is so much more exciting when you think about it as being a source of protein that you didn't have to pay for!

When I was a kid and we lived in GA and FL - Mom never had a problem with critters in the flour - she just dumped the bag into her Tupperware canisters, gave 'em a "burp" - no bugs, no problems.

 

[expatgirl]

About eating dead eggs, etc., I had an entomology prof who expounded on the fact that many people's food allergies esp. to chocolate were due to the presence of "protein based" varmints. I guess it's something that you try and not think about if you can---it's gross I know.