# Out-of-Date bread flour - is it bad?



## Barb L.

I was going to try and make that NY Bread --- got my flour out-(bread flour) says use by june 2006 --should I pitch it and use AP flour ? Thanks for any help !


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## Candocook

Go ahead and use it!!


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## shpj4

Barb my feeling is that you should go ahead and use it.


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## Loprraine

I didn't know flour had an expiry date!


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## Michael in FtW

Barb - go ahead and use your bread flour. Flour does have a "best used by" date - but I doubt you'll notice a difference of only 6 months.


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## Barb L.

Thanks,  I will !!!


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## marmalady

Unless it has critters in it, it should be fine!  The only thing I've noticed with 'old' flour is that it tends to be drier, and the bread dough may reqiire more liquid.


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## Katie H

marmalady said:
			
		

> Unless it has critters in it, it should be fine!  The only thing I've noticed with 'old' flour is that it tends to be drier, and the bread dough may reqiire more liquid.



I say go ahead and use it unless, of course, it is moving.  Some of my different types of flours are at least as old as your bag.  As for moisture, I cook using an electronic scale, so when a recipe calls for 5 ounces of flour, I can weigh out 5 ounces.


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## StirBlue

I am assuming the bread was good.

Oh yes! Flour does go bad. It taste yukky stale after a year of purchase. Some people just use their flour in December to make me cookies. I hope this was the last batch. 5 years have I received these cookies. Their chocolate chips are pretty chrunchy too.

Once a store ran flour on sale around Thanksgiving, an incredible 8 (eight) bags for $1 (one dollar). NO LIMIT. I bought 8 bags; two I used during the holidays and two during the winter. I stored the other 4 bags in a wooden chest in the pantry. I forgot about that flour for about seven (7) years. I laughed when I found it. I had no intention of using it ever. I did open a bag just to see how it looked. It was still soft and sifty but it was dark yellow!!!


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## YT2095

it`s the oils in the flour from the wheat germ that oxidise that`ll give that off color and strange smell.
stored cool dark and airtight will help loads though.


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## Claire

Not to mention weevils.  I don't think anyone here is starving enough to have to pick bugs out of their flour, but I've lived places where we had to store flour in an air-tight container _in the refrigerator_.  Also had that problem with bulk couscous as well.  I learned to NOT buy some products in bulk!  5 lbs is it.


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## Shaheen

This reminds me of the day I had everything prepared for my cookies and only the flour had to be added. I sifted the flour into the bowl only to see really tiny white "things" moving! I tried to save the ton of butter but then even after sieving it for the second time I saw all those creatures still moving. Had to toss it all out


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## YT2095

pity they were White critters, you could have tried passing them off as Choc Chips or Rasins


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## boufa06

Shaheen said:
			
		

> This reminds me of the day I had everything prepared for my cookies and only the flour had to be added. I sifted the flour into the bowl only to see really tiny white "things" moving! I tried to save the ton of butter but then even after sieving it for the second time I saw all those creatures still moving. Had to toss it all out


Shaheen, eating the odd critter irrespective of colour is not nearly as bad as eating the chemical (ethylene dibromide) used to keep flour critterless.


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## YT2095

true, bromates as "flour improvers" has even been banned in most European countries as a possible Carcinogen 

pass me the critters, no one ever died from a little extra protein!


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## DinaFine

White flour is probably ok, I have read that whole wheat will go rancid if not kept in the refigerator or freezer. If it smell funny, its probably bad.


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## DinaFine

Shaheen said:
			
		

> This reminds me of the day I had everything prepared for my cookies and only the flour had to be added. I sifted the flour into the bowl only to see really tiny white "things" moving! I tried to save the ton of butter but then even after sieving it for the second time I saw all those creatures still moving. Had to toss it all out
> 
> Oh yuck, White moving things that look like little short moving rice grains are maggots. If you live in a damp hot climate, I would definitly keep it in the refrigerator. glad you noticed them and didnt eat it.  ]


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## Barbara L

I keep all my flour, grains, and many cereals in the freezer. I have been told that if you put them in the freezer for 48 hours it will kill anything in them and you can then store them outside of the freezer.  Since I have plenty of freezer space, little cupboard space, and live in a humid area, I just keep them in the freezer.  

 Barbara


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## Jenyfari

I tend not to pay too much attention to 'Use By' dates. Just use my eyes and my nose to see if it is okay. When I was a kid there was no such thing as 'Use By' dates but we seemed to manage.


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## skilletlicker

I don't remember where I heard it but I recall an adage, "Grind you corn once a week and your wheat once a month."  Since I assume the distribution times for milled grain are longer than this I freeze whole grains flours and meals.  I like to freeze corn kernals and wheat berries for 48 hours before sealing in  critter proof zip-lock bags 
Degerminated flours I keep in critter proof containers for about as long as as I want.


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## Debs w

My flour says use by end of march can I use it ??


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## Dawgluver

If it smells and tastes OK, and has no critters in it, you can probably use it.


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## taxlady

Dawgluver said:


> If it smells and tastes OK, and has no critters in it, you can probably use it.


+1


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## Greg Who Cooks

Critters are a definite indication that it should not be used.

Make sure your yeast is not out of date. Even better, proof your yeast.


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## Andy M.

99 times out of 100, critters in flour did not get into the flour at your home.  They got into the flour at the mill.  The eggs are so small, the fall through the sifters along with the flour.  It's not you or how old the flour is.

To prevent the appearance of bugs, freeze your flour for 3-4 days when you first bring it home then store it properly and you will not have any bug issues.


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## Greg Who Cooks

Andy M. said:


> 99 times out of 100, critters in flour did not get into the flour at your home.  They got into the flour at the mill.  The eggs are so small, the fall through the sifters along with the flour.  It's not you or how old the flour is.


+1

I have found bugs in sealed packages of flour and sealed packages of rice. (Flour is often packaged in paper, not completely secure, but the rice I'm referring to was sealed in a plastic bag so well that the plastic bag was pressurized and still maintained pressure, even though you could see the little bugs scampering around inside. This was a really good lesson to learn!)

As far as inserting your own bugs, I always store all materials of the sort that can become infested in bug proof containers of some sort. In the case of flour I store my GP flour in an air tight container, and all other flour in double plastic bags, tightly sealed.

It is a good practice to buy flour and other similar products in container sizes that you are likely to completely use up within a few or several months, or certainly use up before the use-by date.

However I see no problem in using flour past the use-by date as long as you're careful to give it a very close critter inspection. This includes digging down into lower layers and inspecting them too.

I'm reminded of the story, what's worse than finding a cockroach in your food? (A: half a cockroach!)


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## Gossie

Barbara L said:
			
		

> I keep all my flour, grains, and many cereals in the freezer. I have been told that if you put them in the freezer for 48 hours it will kill anything in them and you can then store them outside of the freezer.  Since I have plenty of freezer space, little cupboard space, and live in a humid area, I just keep them in the freezer.
> 
> Barbara



Does it have to be thawed in any way?   I have more freezer and barely any cupboard space.  ;-)


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## Gossie

Andy M. said:
			
		

> 99 times out of 100, critters in flour did not get into the flour at your home.  They got into the flour at the mill.  The eggs are so small, the fall through the sifters along with the flour.  It's not you or how old the flour is.
> 
> To prevent the appearance of bugs, freeze your flour for 3-4 days when you first bring it home then store it properly and you will not have any bug issues.



Any special way to freeze?   Plastic wrapped, maybe?


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## Gravy Queen

Apart from bugs , you shouldn't use flour or baking powder or spices that are out of date as they sort of stop working ( she says grasping for a suitable culinary term ) . Spices just taste of nothing and flour and baking powder will give poor results . Got this from experienced bakers .


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## sparrowgrass

Some of those bugs can eat right thru plastic bags--either to get in or to get out.  

I usually put the flour bag into a big ziplock to freeze it, because I can be a little rough on stuff in the freezer, and I don't want that paper flour bag to break.  I don't use glass in the freezer for the same reason.  If you are more careful than I am, putting it right into the freezer is fine.

I personally would not use flour that old, unless I was desperate--I would be afraid that it might have picked up off flavors.


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## Oldvine

Flour gets a tour of duty in the freezer at my house starting the day it comes home from the store.   If it's warm weather, it stays there until I need it.   Unless there is a major malfunction, it can be used straight from the freezer.  I don't even check the "Use by" dates.


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## Mel!

Barb L. said:


> I was going to try and make that NY Bread --- got my flour out-(bread flour) says use by june 2006 --should I pitch it and use AP flour ? Thanks for any help !



June 2006 makes it 6 years over the time you should have used it by. Seems like it should not look so good, or taste weird by now.

If it looks OK, and tastes like flour usually does, I would go ahead and use it. I presume, you stuck you hands into the flour bag and ate what stuck to them, when your mother was baking when you were a kid like I did, so you know what uncooked flour tastes lik.


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## taxlady

I haven't had issues using flour straight out of the freezer. But, if I'm making sponge cake or something else fussy like that, I let it come to room temperature, after I measure it. Takes almost no time to warm up.


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## Gossie

sparrowgrass said:
			
		

> Some of those bugs can eat right thru plastic bags--either to get in or to get out.
> 
> I usually put the flour bag into a big ziplock to freeze it, because I can be a little rough on stuff in the freezer, and I don't want that paper flour bag to break.  I don't use glass in the freezer for the same reason.  If you are more careful than I am, putting it right into the freezer is fine.
> 
> I personally would not use flour that old, unless I was desperate--I would be afraid that it might have picked up off flavors.



Ziploc was my first choice too.     can you do the same things with cornmeal?


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