How can you tell when flour has gone off?
I was just reading another topic about grinding flour where someone suggested that their flour supply would go off within two weeks if not kept in the freezer. I buy my flour in 20lb bags that last me several months. Is this wrong? How do I know when it's bad?
Best Answer
Whole wheat flour goes rancid. There is a lot of fat in wheat germ and when it oxidizes the flour becomes very bitter and has a very noticeable, unpleasant scent.
First of all- if you use bleached white flour there is little to worry about. Bleached flour has had much of the wheat removed to give it a longer shelf life. At the expense of flavor and nutrition of course.
Keeping whole wheat flour out of light, sealed from oxygen, and cold will keep it from going rancid. Any one of those will extend the life of the flour- putting it in the freezer sealed from air will keep it good indefinitely.
In the cupboard I will start noticing off flavors in my fresh ground flour in a couple weeks. In the freezer I have gone as much as a year with no discernible degradation.
You will notice if it has gone bad because it will smell and taste bad. This rancidity isn't dangerous so if the flour smells and tastes fine then it is.
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Quick Answer about "How can you tell when flour has gone off?"
The best way to determine whether your flour is safe is to smell it. While fresh flour has a neutral odor, bad flour smells off — it can be stale, musty, or almost sour. It may also look discolored. Additionally, if your flour has come into contact with water or moisture, large clumps of mold may appear.Can you use flour 2 years out of date?
Eating expired flour generally doesn't have significant consequences. \u201cMost of the time, nothing happens other than that your baked goods don't taste good,\u201d Knauer says. However, there is a small chance that eating expired flour might make you sick.Can you use flour 3 years out of date?
Long story short, yes. If your flour is really expired, the molecular structure of the powder changes and can potentially produce harmful compounds. But like many other foods, flour will remain good long past its "best by" or "better if used by" date that can be found on the original container.What happens if you use expired flour?
If you happen to bake once or twice with rancid flour, you probably will not have any harmful health side effects but your food will definitely suffer. Flour that has gone bad will give your food a sour or musty taste. Even though the food you made is fresh, it will not smell or taste fresh.Is Flour Still Good To Use - Does Flour Expire
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