Does Flour Go Bad if Left in the Cupboard for Too Long?

[DMB75]

I was cleaning out my cupboard and I found a container full of flour that I forgot about. It's sealed tight, but I can't remember how long it's been in there. It doesn't smell bad or look bad to me. Does it go bad?


Donna

 

[Dawn4]

Yes, flour goes bad. It also gets bugs that you don't really see when you just look at the flour. When in doubt, throw it out!!!

 

[chefkristin]

They are called flour bugs. They get on pasta too. Once you put them in the boiling water they float to the top. YUCK!!!!!:yuck:

 

[DMB75]

How would bugs get into something that was sealed tight? I thought little black bugs get in flour, I didn't know bugs you can't see get in there too.

 

[LibrarianChef]

Actually, I'd have to look it up, but I thought most of the flour bugs were there before the flour was milled. I guess that just means that you begin to see them as they grow bigger feeding on the flour. Ick. Again, double-check me on this. It's been many years ago that it was explained to me about bugs and bug parts being left behind in foods during processing.

On another note, a doctor's explanation (via a friend) of what is actually happening to someone who is allergic to wheat. He says that many people who are supposedly "allergic" to wheat are actually just reacting to rancid wheat. Almost all wheat breads are made of wheat that was already rancid before the bread was baked. These wheat allergy people have been found easily able to eat any bread baked from fresh wheat that is milled or ground immediately after harvesting. I found that interesting because my family is wheat/gluten free due to my son's allergies. Now I just need to find a source of wheat that guaranteed delivery of fresh wheat so we can mill it ourselves and see how it works.

 

[DMB75]

Actually, I'd have to look it up, but I thought most of the flour bugs were there before the flour was milled. I guess that just means that you begin to see them as they grow bigger feeding on the flour. Ick. Again, double-check me on this. It's been many years ago that it was explained to me about bugs and bug parts being left behind in foods during processing.

That is really sick! So if they are so small and you can't see them, you just cook them right up with your food. :yuck:

 

[Dawn4]

Yes. My grandfather used to be an exterminator. I grew up calling these bugs cereal bugs. That's not the technical name, but that's what we called them. I know you can get them in pasta, rice, cereal, flour, sugar. I was under the impression that these bugs developed from wheat products that sit too long. They also feed on the box the food is in (like a pasta box) and can get into other things you have in a pantry. So you always want to rotate your dry food and boxed items when you bring things home from the grocery store. These bugs look like little grubs. They're white and they will float to the top of the water when you boil something like pasta.

 

[jenniferknapp]

I store my flour in the fridge after I heard about this...supposedly will keep bugs from "growing" ??

 

[Dawn4]

Good idea!!!

 

[jenniferknapp]

And actually, not sure if I learned it on here or what, but the cereal storage containers, where you put the bag in to it, works well for the flour...so I have a flip-top, sealable container that sits nicely along the side of my fridge!

 

[Dawn4]

Thanks Jennifer. I've seen you post a ton of times, but I never realized you were from NY. I think you are only the second person I've run across in my neck of the woods in the past year.

 

[DMB75]

Thanks for all the info. Looks like I will be putting my flour in the fridge from now on.

 

[chefann]

If you put your flour in the freezer for a day or two after bringing it home from the store, the cold will kill any bugs that are still living in there. It won't get rid of them, but it will help keep them from living and breeding.Whole-wheat flour CAN go rancid, because of the additional oils in it compared to white flour.