storing flour

[bornthrifty]

in your experience, can I store a 6 month to 1 year supply of 25lb bags of flour in the original bag, in a not airtight plastic bin in the cool dark humid basement?

I have been storing it there for a while now, but increased my supply,and am wondering if by the time I get to the 3rd bag if it will be hatched with bugs



I am trying to avoid buying those cans and gamma lids as the original bags fit nicely in the kitchen when I am ready to use em

is the unopened bag ok in the basement?

or maybe open it and add bay leaves and tape shut?

anyone have trouble in those condidtions your experience is appreciated


I plan to keep using and replacing, just want to have more on hand generally just in case and to reduce trips to the store

I could even create a storage area, up in the main house

that would be dry dark and subject to summer hummidity, and winter dryness



I guess my hope is to keep it in the original bag, as I have a spot in the kitchen that fits the bag in it when I am ready to use


I'll buy those dern buckets if I have to, but would prefer not to

 

[Boyd]

what boyd does for that stuff is to put the bag into a plastic grocery sack, put it in my chest freezer for 3 days, then packs as many bags of flour into the orange home depot buckets (usually 2 1/2) per 5 gal bucket and put lid on. The freezing kills any eggs/larva and the bucket prevents bugs n stuff from getting in... but I go through a tremendous amount of flour so............

 

[dragonlaurel]

I would put the whole bag in a plastic bag to keep the moisture out, then put it in the freezer, at least 24 hours. To kill any eggs that may be in there.
You can get nice buckets free sometimes from people who buy kitty litter in them. Or ask a restaurant to save their buckets for you. The gamma lids are nice, but I stored bulk goods in the pails with the original lids successfully long before I ever heard of them. The normal lids are kind of hard to use unless you have strong hands though.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Since your basement is probably cool and probably stays about the same temp all year round, I would think it is your best storage space. If it is humid, you might consider storing the bagged flour in plastic totes. I have never had a problem with bugs in flour . . . knock on wood! But for extra insurance you could try freezing it for a certain amount of time (I forget how long is recommended to kill bugs/bug eggs).

 

[bornthrifty]

thanks everyone!

 

[millie]

There are bugs and larva in my flour?!?!? All flour? Bulk? Packaged? I am so grossed out right now. I never want to cook with flour again. I will have to give up bread, cookies, fried chicken. Well, what is the point of living on a diet without those things? Seriously? Should I be freezing my flour before I use it? Am I then just eating dead bugs and larva casings? UGH!!!

 

[dragonlaurel]

There are bugs and larva in my flour?!?!? All flour? Bulk? Packaged? I am so grossed out right now. I never want to cook with flour again. I will have to give up bread, cookies, fried chicken. Well, what is the point of living on a diet without those things? Seriously? Should I be freezing my flour before I use it? Am I then just eating dead bugs and larva casings? UGH!!!

Sooner our later everybody will end up buying something, getting it home and finding out it has "flour bugs" in it. They are yucky but it happens. They don't make people sick, but I'm not sharing my food with them. I usually but pasta in containers that show the pasta now. I also make sure that flour bags are sealed well. Cereal comes in sealed bags to keep them out.

I freeze my flours/grain stuff for around 24 hours as a habit now. Then put it in any airtight container that fits.

Don't worry too much about it. If they are in your grains, you will see them. I worry about the chemical additives that are so common in the baked goods more.

 

[Pirtykitty]

I keep my flour, cornmeal, etc in the freezer now year round.. Here when it gets hot it doesn't take much for the little critters to pop out... plus sometimes I don't use 5 lb's of flour very fast.. I do if i'm making bread but not if I'm frying chicken, or chicken fried steak etc..
I have my wheat stored in the 6 gallon buckets with gama lids on them ... Rice is also in the freezer in plastic with all the air sucked out.. Some time this week I need to vacum pack the brown sugar, and xxxxx sugar I bought the first of the month..
I also need to get the grain grinder down and start learning to work it.. LOL>.

 

[tortoise]

There are bugs and larva in my flour?!?!? All flour? Bulk? Packaged? I am so grossed out right now. I never want to cook with flour again. I will have to give up bread, cookies, fried chicken. Well, what is the point of living on a diet without those things? Seriously? Should I be freezing my flour before I use it? Am I then just eating dead bugs and larva casings? UGH!!!

Ditto. I'm learning that grain-free diet isn't that hard to do! I was just going to leave out processed sugar food, but the gals here gave me great ideas.