If you’re looking for some easy ways to keep your flour fresh and prolong its shelf life, look no further! These brilliant flour storage ideas (along with loads of helpful tips) will have you covered.
Issues That Can Affect Flour Storage In Your Home
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t give much thought to how you store your flour. You might just put it in a cabinet or pantry and call it good.
However, if you want your flour to stay fresh for as long as possible, there are some things you should keep in mind.
#1 – Flour can go off
You need to keep it as fresh as possible with whatever storage you pick (especially if you’re looking at long term storage). The best way to do this is to keep it in a cool, dry and dark place.
NOTE: Flour is sold in paper bags, because it allows the flour to breath for a while after milling. If you were to store flour in an airtight container straight away, it would go off quicker as it needs a little time to oxidise.
#2 – Flour can house bugs
You need to ensure that those little creatures don’t get a chance to stay. A great way to do this is to add in a bay leaf to the flour as weevils hate this and will stay away.
You can also kill anything that’s there by freezing the flour and/or removing oxygen in it.
#3 – Flour can absorb odours from other foods.
As such, it needs to be kept away from everything else as much as possible. The best solution therefore is to make sure your flour container(s) are airtight.
#4 – Flour can absorb moisture
You don’t want dry goods such as flour to be affected by moisture – so airtight containers are the way to prevent this issue.
Where Should You Store Flour?
With all the things listed above taken into consideration, there are 3 main places that work best for flour storage.
#1 – The Freezer
If you’re putting the flour into the freezer to kill bugs after you purchase it, then why not keep it there for the longer term?
Flour will last longer if kept here as well, which can be a real bonus if you don’t use it regularly.
#2 – Pantry or Cupboard
A dark cool larder / pantry / cupboard would be ideal if the container picked was airtight.
#3 – Fridge
The fridge would be a happy medium between the first two choices and as long as the container chosen is airtight you won’t have any issues with it absorbing the many odours the rest of the food stored here can produce.
Where Should You NOT store flour?
Flour needs to be kept in a cool, dark place.
As such, don’t use see through containers if keeping it out on a kitchen surface or open shelf.
Ideally don’t leave it out at all because it’s more likely to be affected by the light and warmth of the kitchen.
What’s The Best Kind Of Container For Storing Flour?
So now you know what you need to look out for when storing flour, and where is best to pick for storing it – now it’s time to pick the right storage for your needs.
The best storage is as follows:
#1 – It fits the space you’ve got available for it
Firstly – check the size of the space you’ve got available – and measure all the dimensions (width, depth and height). This will make sure that you get the right sized storage and don’t make a mistake.
#2 – It fits A full bag of flour in it
Also worth mentioning is that you should always think about the size of the bag of flour you’re likely to be buying. You ideally want to decant the entire pack into your chosen storage – so that it all stays fresh.
#3 – It’s airtight
Whatever you do – ALWAYS look for airtight storage options to make sure it lasts as long as possible, doesn’t absorb odours, and stays bug free.
TIP – Check that the lid fits snugly and that there’s no way for air to get in. A good test is to put some water in the container and then turn it upside down. If any water leaks out, then it’s not airtight and won’t be suitable for flour storage.
5 Brilliant Flour Storage Ideas To Try
So, with everything in mind, let’s look at some of the brilliant flour storage containers you’ve got to choose from and see which ones work best for you.
#1 – Tupperware (Plastic Container)
You can pick opaque or see through options – and both have their advantages.
If you can see through them then it’s easy to spot when you’re running low. However, you need to make sure it’s kept out of the way of any light. Opaque Tupperware means the light won’t get to the flour at all.
TIP – Always use BPA free plastic containers.
Pros: Airtight. Freezable. Variety of sizes and shapes to fit all spaces with less wasted space. A great food storage option.
Cons: Can be expensive. It can sometimes look sealed when it hasn’t been properly.
#2 – Metal Container With Lid
Metal containers like this one come in lots of different designs, and can be a really great (and stylish) storage option for keeping your flour fresh.
This is one of the only options that keep it protected from the light as well – but you still need to watch for how warm the room is if you keep it out on a surface.
Pros: Airtight. Protects flour from light.
Cons: Can’t see the amount of flour in the jar.
#3 – Mason Jar
Mason Jars are a very trendy option but also quite sensible. It’s a specific type of look and feel so would work perfectly in a more traditional or industrial type kitchen.
Pros: Airtight. Very secure. Can see what flour you have inside at a glance. Creates a lovely display as they’re attractive.
Cons: Larger jars can be pretty heavy. Most jars are round and so don’t store close up together, which would be an issue for smaller kitchens as you’d want them to stack neatly to maximise space.
#4 – Old Glass Jar From Sauces
You don’t even have to look far for good flour storage – because you can recycle what you’ve already got!
Pasta jars make great storage containers, for example, as long as they’re large enough to take the amount of flour you want to store.
Pros: Economical. Screw top. Airtight. A great way to upcycle something you’d otherwise throw away.
Cons: Usually small-ish and so you may need several to store all the flour from one bag. Glass jars can be heavy and difficult to grab.
#5 – Vacuum Sealed Bags
Using a vacuum sealer can be a great option for flour storage as it’s quick and effective. I’d always suggest double bagging for safety as the last thing you want to do is get a hole in it…
Pros: Can work out cheaper than a lot of options – even with a vacuum sealer being bought. Also makes the flour last as long as possible (often years!).
Cons: You will need to invest in a vacuum sealer. Bags aren’t stackable when stored – so may not be as handy for the storage space you’ve got available.
Best Flour Storage Available Now
To keep things as easy as possible for you to find the right items for your kitchen and space – I’ve collated some of the best I have found online. Hopefully it saves you some research time!
Note – Clicking on any item below will take you to the store so you can see details and purchase – for your convenience. The links are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission for any purchase you make – at absolutely no cost to you, of course.
So there you have it – the best ideas for the right way to store flour so it lasts as long (and tastes as good) as possible.
Just follow the following steps for any flour that you buy – and you should get great results!
Step 1 – Put the bag of flour in the freezer for a day or two after you buy it just to kill off any bugs that may be inside.
Step 2 – Decant it into an airtight container that fits the storage space you’ve got available. (That space needs to be somewhere cool and dark).
Step 3 – Label the container with the best before date on the packaging, so you know when it should last until (but always go by your gut when you use it because if it smells off, it probably is).
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