My neighbor's flour story made me check my own pantry

I was chatting with my neighbor, a retired pastry chef, about why my recent batch of cookies felt heavy. She asked when I bought my flour, and I said maybe eight months ago. She looked at me and said, 'Honey, flour's not a rock. It's a living thing that gets tired.' She explained that old flour absorbs water differently and loses its lift. I went home and checked the date on my bag, and sure enough, it was from last fall. Has anyone else had a bake fail because of old flour they didn't know was old?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaretm2318d ago

Wait, I thought flour lasted forever. That's actually a game changer.

andrew_rivera18d ago

Seriously? That's a dangerous myth. Whole wheat flour goes rancid in a few months because of the oils. Even all-purpose can get weevils or smell musty. I found a forgotten bag in the back of my pantry once and it was full of tiny bugs. How old is the flour you've been using?

nora_dixon10d ago

Ugh, now I'm scared to check my own pantry.