Is it ok to store flour in the freezer?

Question

If so, should I put it in a plastic bag first?

Answer 1

Flour Facts
A 5-pound bag of flour contains 17-1/2 cups. Flour that is properly stored will keep for six to eight months.
To store all-purpose flour: to maintain quality, flour must be kept cool and dry. Warm, damp conditions cake and pack flour and provide the right environment for insects to hatch in it. Flour must also be packaged in a vapor-proof material, because it readily absorbs odors.


Freezing flour for 48 hours before it is stored will kill any weevil or insect eggs already in the flour.
Do not store flour near soap powder, onions or other foods and products with strong odors.
Put a large bag in a large container with a tight-fitting lid, such as a clean trash can. This will keep out dust, insects, dampness and odors.
Do not pour the flour directly into a trash can or a trash bag. Trash cans and trash bags are not made to hold food products and could contaminate the flour with dangerous chemicals.
Store the container in a cool, dry, dark place. If possible, keep the container off the floor.
Each time after the bag is opened, squeeze out the air in the bag and tightly roll down the top of the bag.
When you remove some flour, take out enough to last several weeks. This way the container does not have to be opened frequently. Store this smaller supply in a cool, dark place in the kitchen. If the kitchen is in a warm climate, store flour in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If freezer space is available, flour can be repackaged in airtight, moisture-proof bags or containers, labeled and placed in the freezer at 0 degrees F. If flour is stored like this, it will keep well for several years.
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Flour equivalents: substituting other grains for wheat flour
In standard recipes, you may be able to replace up to 1/4 of the wheat flour with other grains. Here are the substitutes for one cup of wheat flour:

1 cup corn flour (not cornstarch)
3/4 cup coarse cornmeal
7/8 cup rice flour
1 scant cup fine cornmeal
5/8 cup potato flour

You won't get exactly the same results when you replace wheat flour with other grains. Here are some suggestions:

Rice flour and cornmeal tend to have a grainy texture. A smoother texture may be obtained by mixing the rice flour or cornmeal with the liquid called for in the recipe, bringing this mixture to a boil, and cooling it before adding the other ingredients, or by heating/boiling the liquid and pouring it over the rice or grain while stirring.
Soy "flour" is a bean flour. Like other bean flours, it gives a heavy texture because it has no gluten. It also has a beany taste. It has no gluten. Replace 1 to 4 tablespoons per cup.
Reduce baking temperature and increase baking time when wheat flour is reduced. This is particularly true with foods made without milk and eggs.
Yeast can't raise mixtures made without gluten. Non-wheat flours have little or no gluten, so yeast breads made with non-wheat flours are very heavy.
Muffins or biscuits with less wheat flour have better texture if made small.
Dryness is a common characteristic of cakes made with flours other than wheat flours. Moisture may be enhanced or preserved by increasing fats in the recipe and by frosting or storing cakes in closed containers.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Whole wheat flour does not keep well because of the oil content and will become rancid. For whole wheat flour you should follow the directions on the packaging. White flour keeps very well. Depending on how long you want to keep white flour you can store it in your pantry for about six months, in your refrigerator for about a year, pretty much indefinitely in your freezer although the taste will deteriorate. If you are wanting to store flour for food storage you should put it in the freezer for 48 hours to make sure any weevil eggs are killed and then put the flour in Mylar bags with an appropriately sized oxygen absorber, press out as much air as possible, seal the bag with heat (I use a hair straightener) and then put the bag or bags in 5 gallon buckets with an airtight lid. Flour will last 10 years this way if you store the bucket in an area that does not regularly get over about 75 degrees. Less is better. If you store whole un-ground wheat kernels this way they can last between 20 - 30 years, so if you like whole wheat and have a grinder this is the way to go. Buying wheat this way in large quantities is very economical.

Answer 4

Flour In Freezer

Answer 5

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Answer 6

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Answer 7

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is it ok to store flour in the freezer?
If so, should I put it in a plastic bag first?

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Actually, it's better for the flour if you store it in the freezer for a few days before using. All flour contains tiny bugs called weevils, and the freezing kills the weevils. They are not harmful to eat, but I would suggest sifting flour before use also. I have found them in brand new bags of flour (especially from Gold Medal and Heckers flours).

Answer 10

Difficult to say. A "best before" date doesn't mean "deadly poisonous after". BTW, those little "worms" are actually flour weevils and their eggs would have been in the flour when you bought it. Keeping it in an airtight container won't stop them getting in, just getting out. Putting the bag in the freezer for a day will kill the eggs.