What does flour smell like when it goes bad?
I've got about 15lbs of saphire unbleached white flour left from my 25lb bulk purchase from 2 weeks ago. While preparing a wonderful zucchini bread recipe I noticed a "sour" smell from my flour.
It's been tightly sealed in the heavy duty bag I purchased it in and stored in the pantry at 70-85°F.
Has my flour spoiled?
What are the storage guidelines for flour?
Best Answer
The smell is of rancid fats in the flour. It is a very distinct smell, but hard to describe. I would agree that "sour" is part of it. The best way to learn is by comparison. Smell some fresh, clean flour and remember what it is like. Any kind of unpleasant odor than that is rancidity. You may have smelled it also if you opened a box of cereal that has been around too long, or even poppy or sesame seeds - anything with fats that sits around at room temp will eventually go rancid.
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Quick Answer about "What does flour smell like when it goes bad?"
You can easily know flour has gone rancid from its smell. Most flour has almost no odor while some nut and alternative flours have a sweet or nutty smell. Spoiled flour smells musty, sour and sometimes like rubber or Play-Doh. Aside from spoiled flour, you should also watch out for flour beetles also known as weevils.What does off flour smell like?
When flour has gone bad, it will smell sour or musty. Normally, flour has no odor at all or just a slight nutty smell. Yet rancid flour will smell quite strongly, even being described as a rubber scent or similar to play-dough.Does flour smell when its bad?
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 \u2014 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.How can you tell if plain flour is bad?
What to look for: The flour should look just as it did the day you bought it. If it looks yellow or gray; shows signs of mold; if it's developed hard moisture lumps, or if you see evidence of insects, discard it. In addition, if the flour smells unpleasant (sour, musty, or just plain bad), don't use it.Can flour go bad and make you sick?
\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. \u201cIf rancid flour contains large amounts of mycotoxins, it can make you sick,\u201d explains Knauer.More answers regarding what does flour smell like when it goes bad?
Answer 2
I have also had flour go moldy (actually last week) and it was held in a pantry area I think that was a bit too warm and humid. It had a funky smell and then I noticed there was some actual discoloration.
When in doubt, throw it out. If it doesn't smell like when you first used it, then there is probably something going on with it whether it is rancid, moldy, etc.
And yes, the best way to keep specialty flours if you have the space is in your fridge or freeze in an airtight container.
Answer 3
The flour has turned bad when it starts to have a slight minty odor. It's developing a fungus.
Answer 4
I believe that flour wouldn't go rancid nor spoiled for just two weeks. Spoiled flour smell like paint tho, and it taste quite bitter
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