Whether you are a survivalist thinking about possible long-term occurrences or you are a normal person living life one day at a time, there is a general common factor that puts us all on the same pedestal; we all have to eat.
Food and water are essential to the human body, and according to the survival rule of threes, we can only survive without water for three days and can survive without food for three weeks. This raises concerns for survivalists who actively prepare for situations where buying food items may no longer be possible. This is why many survivalists are known to stack up bottles of water and non-perishable food in their homes.
Some survivalists even build greenhouses to provide them with constant fruit and vegetables. One of the non-perishable food items that are common with survivalists is Flour.
Flour is a basic pantry staple that can be used to make a lot of delicious foods. Cake, bread, snacks, and many other choice foods are made using Flour. This is why survivalists like to keep them around in large quantities.
Although Flour is considered non-perishable food, it will go bad if you don’t store it properly. This article has been compiled to show you the mistakes people make when storing Flour and to avoid those mistakes. Enjoy!
Common Mistakes in Storing Flour and Practicable Solutions to Avoid Spoilage
Storing Flour in a Hot or Humid Environment
Flour should be stored in a cold place.
Flour contains oils and other natural compounds. These oils and compounds will remain inactive as long as you are cool enough. However, if they are exposed to heat or humidity, the Flour might become rancid. When your Flour becomes rancid, the cake or snacks you bake will have an unpleasant taste or odor.
To avoid rancidification, the best place to store your flour long-term is in a fridge or freezer. Once your Flour is secured in a cold place, it will be harder for bacteria and other organisms to grow and fester. If you don’t have space in your fridge or freezer, the next best place to store it will be your garage or any other area in your home below room temperature.
Before you place your Flour in a cool environment (fridge, freezer, garage, or anywhere), you must remove it from its original paper package and store it in an airtight container.
Storing Flour Without Locking Out Oxygen
Flour should be stored in an airtight package
This is perhaps the most important rule to follow when storing Flour. We already know that heat causes rancidification; however, another major cause of rancidification is oxygen. When oxygen comes in contact with another element, it takes away electrons from it.
This analogy is evident in the way irons rust after being exposed to water for some time, the stink that comes from rotting food after you throw them out, the brown coloring of apples left in the open, and so on.
When oxygen comes in contact with your Flour, the dormant yeast, mold, fungus, insect eggs, and bacteria in the Flour will absorb the oxygen, and they will begin to grow. This is bad because the rancidification process is unavoidable at this point. If the oxygen is not taken away, insects and other small organisms can start living in the Flour.
When you buy Flour, there might already be insect eggs or other bacteria in this Flour. Even if you store the Flour in an airtight bag, they will hatch when they have access to a little oxygen, and you will have to throw out all the Flour. It is vital to first freeze or microwave the Flour before storing it permanently.
Some of the best bags you can use to store Flour include vacuum sealer containers, airtight containers, mason jars, containers with oxygen absorbers, and mylar bags.
Learn how you can better store your food items HERE.
Storing Flour Next to Chemicals or Other Food Items
Flour should be stored independently
One place where you should never store Flour is near chemicals or other food items. Flour is a very “welcoming” food, and it reacts to anything in its environment. If you keep Flour in a freezer that contains meat, fish, pepper, or onions, you can be sure that your Flour and whatever you use for baking will have the same smell.
Storing it near chemicals is even worse; it can lead to food poisoning. As a general rule, food should not be stored with cleaning chemicals or any other chemicals. Flour should be kept alone and far away from anything that can contaminate it.
Storing Flour in a Lit Environment Flour Should Be Kept in the Dark
Light is another cause of oxidation, and oxidation leads to rancidification. Light generates heat, and it can cause the Flour to create an environment suitable for bacteria and fungus to grow in the Flour. If you store your Flour in a freezer, you are safe because the space is dark.
However, if you don’t have a fridge, you can put the Flour in airtight bags and store them in food storage containers. You have to make sure that these food storage containers are placed somewhere cool or even cold; the heat might be another problem.
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Conclusion
Food is important for survival, and survivalists have to make sure that they have it in abundance if their fears become a reality. Flour is one of the more preferred food for survivalists because it can make pastries, cakes, bread, and other snacks.
If you buy Flour and you don’t store it in a way that can make it last years, then the purpose of purchasing the Flour is defeated. This article has revealed common mistakes that you can avoid when storing Flour.
However, we advise that you seek professionals’ advice on the best way to keep it in your own house when you buy Flour. Flour is non-perishable, but if it is exposed to the wrong conditions, it will become sour at best and non-edible at worst.
We hope that this article was helpful. If you have any queries feel free to reach out in the comments section below.
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