Why whole grain flour should be stored in the refrigerator

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Whole grain flour is an indispensable product for anyone who wants to eat right. It is useful, and we are sure that you will bake many delicious things with it, but below we will talk about how to use and store it correctly.

How is whole grain flour different from regular flour

Wheat grain consists of a husk, endosperm, and germ. In the process of processing grain into regular flour, the husk and germ are removed, leaving only the protein-rich endosperm. Whole grain flour retains all or part of the husk (bran) and germ.

The bran and germ are rich in oils and nutrients, so such flour can quickly go bad and develop an unpleasant aftertaste. In addition, whole grain flour is a tasty snack for flour beetles.

Whole grain flour lasts only a few months, unlike refined flour, which has a shelf life of up to two years.

Why you should store whole wheat flour in the freezer

Freezing will pause the process of flour spoilage and, of course, will prevent the appearance of bugs. You can also store it simply in the refrigerator, although not as long as in the freezer. In any case, the flour should be poured into an airtight container or zip lock bag.

Even if you plan to bake whole grain pancakes in the next few days, put the flour in the refrigerator anyway. You don't know under what conditions the flour was previously stored in the store, or you may be distracted from your culinary plans by an urgent project or some other plans. It is better to hide the flour in the refrigerator and be sure that it will be preserved than to find out one day that it has spoiled or that you have bred hordes of bugs on the shelf.

The rancid smell of flour means that the oils contained in it have started to spoil. You can use this flour for cooking in principle, you will not get poisoned, but the pastries will have an unpleasant aftertaste.

How to bake with frozen flour

When freezing, the properties of flour do not change, but using cold flour can affect the result, because the dough will rise for a long time. So when you start cooking, measure out the flour first and leave it at room temperature. It will likely warm up enough while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. If the flour is still a bit cold, warm up the water or milk used in the recipe to balance the temperature when mixing.