How, in what and where to store flour at home to prevent bugs

There should always be matches, flour and salt in the house. That's what wise people say. And in fact, almost every housewife has a supply of flour, and it is not at all necessary that she be a lover of baking. But not everyone knows and follows the storage rules, and therefore a variety of living creatures are regularly introduced into the product. How to store flour so that bugs do not settle in it, and what to do if insects do appear in it, will not hurt everyone to know.

How to determine that bugs have appeared

Signs of the presence of uninvited “guests” in flour can be different. At the stage when insects are already visible to the naked eye, you don’t even have to try to save the product. Even if all pests are destroyed, the flour will have an unpleasant taste and smell. After that, it will only be suitable for animals, and even then not always.

The following types of insects can infect stocks:

• bread grinders. These bugs “move” into the house from bakeries and bread factories where sanitary and hygienic standards are not observed. They enjoy eating biscuits, gingerbread, crackers, and bread, and when the “family” gets bigger, they begin to eat flour and other foods nearby. Over time, they spread throughout the house and begin to eat indoor plants, clothes, curtains and even books. You can determine the presence at the initial stage by regularly inspecting the windows. These insects love light very much and constantly fly towards it. They are similar in appearance to fruit flies, only much smaller;

• red mucoed. This beetle also enters the home from factories, stores, grain warehouses and mills. It spreads very quickly and also destroys supplies, but only if the house is humid. It does not eat dry food, so if you follow the rules for storing flour, you don’t have to worry about such an attack. Even if the pest gets into the house, it will quickly die due to the lack of suitable nutrition;

• flour beetle This is the most dangerous and most common creature for flour and other food supplies. They love flour, semolina, and starch most of all, but over time they can also affect other grains. The bugs are up to 4 mm in size and have a brown-golden back;

Foods affected by flour beetles are dangerous to eat. They can cause allergies and very severe poisoning.

• food moth. This pest multiplies very quickly and destroys food. Starts with dry ones, and then moves on to all other stocks. It is very difficult to remove the insect. Moths multiply too quickly.

In order to timely determine the presence of pests, it is necessary to regularly inspect the flour itself, the place of its storage, and the entire room. You should start worrying if not only bugs appear in the flour, but also lumps or cobwebs, if small wet spots, crumbs of unknown origin form on the walls and shelves, as well as small midge corpses on window sills and other surfaces.

Why do bugs appear in flour?

Often thrifty housewives one day discover various living creatures in flour. This product is to the taste of many bugs: flour beetles, weevils, bread borers, Suriname flour beetles, and food moths.

Insects, migrating, look for better living conditions. Many bugs, attracted by the light, fly into the window and choose cereals or flour as their place of residence. Adults can get home with food from a store where it was stored in unsanitary conditions.

How to avoid it

To get rid of living creatures in flour, you need to resort to a whole range of measures:

• First of all, everything should be thoroughly cleaned and washed. Cleaning is done in all kitchen cabinets, shelves, and drawers.
• After all the scattered cereal has been collected and the surface has been cleaned, you can begin processing.
• 9 percent vinegar is diluted with water (proportion 1:1). All horizontal and vertical surfaces are treated with this composition. Vinegar will destroy adults, larvae, and eggs.
• Baking soda can be a substitute for vinegar. Two tablespoons of salt are dissolved in warm water (1 liter), everything is mixed well.
• Storage containers also need to be treated. Glass and plastic containers are thoroughly washed and scalded with boiling water.
• Fabric bags are washed and boiled.
• You can resort to pyrethrum by spraying it in your cabinets.

Optimal temperature and humidity indicators and properly selected containers will help preserve the beneficial properties of flour for a long time, prolonging its shelf life, providing the table with delicious and fluffy baked goods.

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What to store in

Flour is sold by weight less and less often. Most often in stores it can be purchased in paper bags. You can, of course, not print them before using them, but after opening them, keep the product directly in this package, adding the required amount. But it will be reasonable if you buy 1-2 kilos and use up the flour almost immediately. Although in this case there is a risk of infecting other products with pests that easily penetrate paper packaging. Even if the presence of insects is not noticeable in flour, they can transfer to cereals, cookies and others.

Newly purchased flour should be kept separate from other products to protect them from bugs.

A proven method is to put the flour you brought from the store in the refrigerator for a day or two. This will destroy any bugs that may be in it.

After opening, place the product in a hermetically sealed container.

These are available even for large volumes of flour and cereals. If previously bulk products were kept in paper or canvas bags, today in any hardware store you can buy a container of any size for them.

When choosing a container for storing flour, pay attention not only to the volume, but also to the “neck”. If it is narrow, you can simply pour the required amount for consumption. And if it is wide, like a bucket, then you will need to stock up on a ladle. It should always be sterile and dry so as not to spread infection.

Instead of buying plastic containers, you can use bottles from water and other drinks.

But their material is not so dense, and they are not intended for storing food. Most are intended for one-time use.

Thus, the best ways to store flour are:

1. Special plastic buckets or containers with hermetically sealed lids. When choosing such containers, pay attention to the smell. It should not be there, otherwise the product will become saturated with it and become unfit for consumption.
2. Glass jars with screw caps. You can also use plastic lids for this purpose, but not ordinary ones, but those intended for canning. They are first heated over steam or in hot water, and then the containers are sealed. This eliminates contact with air and prevents insects from getting inside.
3. Special metal cans. But when choosing them, pay attention to the presence of a seal on the lid and “neck”. This is necessary to create a tight seal.

It is better not to use paper and cellophane bags, as well as canvas bags for storing flour. They are where pests most often live.

Correct container

Until the flour is needed for medicinal or culinary purposes, it is best to store it in a sealed factory packaging. After opening, the product should be poured into another container. Which one exactly?

• If you don't have much flour and it will be used up quickly, the best option for storing it is a plastic container with a lid. If there is no special container for bulk products, the powder can be poured into a plastic bottle. This option is very convenient if the product is used little by little, for example, used for frying or batter. If the flour will be on an open shelf, the bottle should be dark in color . This will protect the powder from contact with sunlight.
• It is reasonable to pour a small amount of flour powder into a mayonnaise bucket with a hermetically sealed lid. For convenience, place a measuring spoon in a bucket 2/3 full.
• Are you planning to use the powder for a month or two? You should pour it into a glass jar or metal container with a lid.
• It is recommended to store large supplies at home in “breathable” linen, jute or paper bags. It’s great if the container has ribbons. If they are absent, the neck of the bag is tightly tied with a rope or elastic band.

You can keep flour in a plastic bag for no more than a week. In such packaging, condensation quickly forms and the product becomes damp.

Where is the best place to store flour?

Flour should be stored in a dry and moderately cool place. Humidity should not exceed 65%, and temperature - +20 degrees. And if long-term storage is planned, then the indicators should be even lower - humidity no more than 60%, and temperature no more than +15.

Sometimes, to prevent infection by insect pests, it is recommended to bake bulk products in the sun. But you should not always keep flour in direct sunlight.

Indicators in the room must be stable. This will help avoid changing the taste of the flour. Otherwise, it may begin to taste bitter or even mold.

It is best to keep stocks in:

• storage rooms;
• lower shelves of kitchen cabinets;
• kitchen pencil cases;
• mezzanines.

You should try to allocate a separate place. It is very important that there are no products with a strong smell nearby.

How to choose

To avoid any surprises when you open the package at home, study it before purchasing. The advantage of weighed products is that you can see, touch and even smell it. But usually it is available to us in opaque bags. Fortunately, this packaging has a flaw - flour spills a little from the top above the sealed seam, its quality can be assessed. In addition, it is worth studying some points:

1. Date of manufacture and duration of storage.
2. What products are located nearby?
3. Packaging integrity.

Advice!
The longer the packaging is stored in the store, the less time it will stay at home. Choose packages from the back rows, as they always try to sell goods with an expiring shelf life first.

Sanitary standards require compliance with the product neighborhood rules established for stores selling groceries. If this is done as expected, it is possible to maintain the quality of the products, as well as maintain their marketability and food safety for a long time. Flour is a dry bulk product. It is very important for them to constantly maintain air humidity at 60-65%. Good ventilation is also important.

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Baking recipes often use sifted flour. You can sift flour without a sieve or gauze at home...

There should be no household chemicals, products with a characteristic odor (fish, smoked meats, spices), wet vegetables and fruits, or rancid flour nearby. The product absorbs easily and retains odors well

The packages must not contain holes, stains or other contaminants.

Shelf life of different types of flour

Flour, depending on the variety, is stored from 2-3 months to several years. I offer a cheat sheet for housewives, be sure to keep it for yourself.

How long can flour be stored?

The difference in terms depends on storage conditions. The lower the humidity level, and the less oxygen available, the longer the flour can be used.

Is there any point in keeping it in the refrigerator?

The product may be placed in a refrigerator or freezer. This is especially true for varieties with a high content of fats and natural oils (whole grains), the taste of which can become rancid over time. Remember that flour does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature, as it will quickly become damp due to the condensation that forms. If this does happen, lay it out on a sheet of paper and dry it next to the switched on gas stove. It is recommended to defrost gradually, first placing it on the refrigerator shelf, and only after a couple of hours can it be placed at 20°C.

Using a refrigerated cabinet allows you to extend shelf life by several months.

Preventive methods

Of course, it’s easier to protect your supplies than to throw away food later or deal with pests for a long time.

According to the rules, you need to bake the purchased flour on a baking sheet for several minutes or, alternatively, freeze it for several hours in the freezer. But this is long and troublesome. Therefore, not everyone does this.

But here are simpler methods that are not difficult to use:

• add garlic to the flour at the rate of 2 cloves per kilogram. There will be no smell, but there will be reliable protection from insects. Just remember to change the garlic every 1-1.5 months, because the phytoncides, which repel with their smell, evaporate over time;
• Place dried calendula flowers in bags and place them with flour. The smell of the plant perfectly repels all insects for at least 3-4 months;
• place a bay leaf in a container with flour. It also has a long-lasting effect and in no way harms the flour itself;
• One of the most modern options for protecting flour and cereals from bugs is the use of regular mint chewing gum. You just need to open the pack and put it next to the storage container.

If you still decide to store flour in canvas bags, first soak them in a strong salt solution (3-4 spoons per liter of water), and then dry them without rinsing.

Cleanliness will not save you from pest invasion. It is necessary to wipe the shelves with vinegar at least once a week. You can soak a sponge in it and treat the surfaces manually, or use a spray bottle. Only in the second case, you need to make sure that the liquid does not get on open products.

Storage conditions

To prevent bugs and mold from appearing, you need to remove the flour from the bag, pour it onto a baking sheet and fry it well in the oven for fifteen minutes. There is no need to return it to its original packaging. Flour is stored well in aluminum containers. If there is no oven, the bag of product can be placed in the refrigerator to freeze. High-quality flour is sometimes simply dried on paper in an apartment at room temperature.

Products purchased for future use must be constantly monitored. This is easy to do if you bring the process to automation:

• evaluate taste
• monitor the preconditions for temperature changes,
• periodically dry on paper,
• sift and pour into another container,
• If there are bugs, storage containers are washed with soda and dried thoroughly.

Temperature changes that could cause condensation to appear inside the jars should not be allowed. In such an atmosphere, insects breed faster.

Determining the delay and what to do with it

Before using expired products in cooking, you need to check whether they have deteriorated. To do this you should:

• Assess supplies for the presence of mold, moth larvae, mucous beetles, and examine whether the contents contain traces of rodent activity.
• Assess the organoleptic properties of the product. The presence of an unpleasant musty or moldy odor or a sour, rancid taste indicate spoilage.
• Lumps and a cool feeling to the touch indicate that the product is damp.
• Buy for future use only products with current expiration dates, without packaging deformation or tears.

Nutritional value indicators decrease over time for any product. Spoiled flour produces harmful substances, and the dough made from it may not be suitable, so it is better to buy a fresh pack and not risk your health and pleasure from the upcoming meal. Can be used at home: you can add starch and cook a paste; rye, amaranth, and sesame seeds make an ideal hair mask or ingredient for dry shampoo; bone species as fertilizer for plants.