A thing I read about flour storage has me checking my pantry

I was reading an old baking book from the library, the kind with the plastic cover. It said that whole wheat flour can go bad in just a few months if you keep it in a warm kitchen. I always thought flour was just flour, you know? It sat on my counter for maybe six months. I checked my bag last night and it had this faint, almost sour smell. Not strong, but definitely off. The book said the oils in the whole grains go rancid and it can make your bread taste bitter or flat. I used some last week for a loaf and couldn't figure out why it tasted so dull. Now I know. I'm moving my new bag to the freezer. Has anyone else had a loaf turn out weird because of old flour?

2 comments

2 Comments

leo5679d ago

Yeah that checks out. I mean, my last batch of pancakes tasted like cardboard and I blamed my mixing skills. Maybe it was just sad, old flour all along.

thomas_black819d ago

Totally had that happen with my cornmeal last month. Swapped it for a fresh bag and the difference was crazy. Stuff just goes stale sitting in the pantry.