Which Types Of Flour Can You Store In The Freezer?

In case you haven't heard, there are several places to keep your flour in addition to the good old pantry. Storing flour in the freezer is becoming a norm, but it depends on the type of flour you have and how you intend to use it. At room temperature, you can typically expect flour to last one month (whole-grain flour) to three months (white flour). If left in a cooler environment, it can last three to six months. Freezing flour is probably one of the wisest ways to prevent it from going bad as doing so increases its shelf life to two years for white flour and about a year for whole-grain flour.

Specific types of flour flourish especially while chilled. If you love gluten-free flour and different types of nut flour, you might want to save a spot in the freezer. Keeping these flours fresh and delicious (for, say, all the no-bake snickerdoodle cookie dough balls you go overboard making) is important to avoid the rancid flavor of spoiled nuts. 

Garbanzo flour (or chickpea flour) is an incredibly versatile flour to keep in your kitchen, but it must be kept out of direct sunlight and in a dry and cool place. In this case, the freezer may be your best bet for staying fresh. Freezing flour is also a great way to combat the presence of pests and mites that may grow within your package.

When storing flour in the freezer, there are some tips to know to ensure it remains usable and doesn't get spoiled by freezer odors. Unfortunately, the paper bag that most flours come packaged in isn't able to protect it from moisture, heat, or foul smells. The paper is designed to allow an easy evaporation route for excess moisture left over from the milling process. The best solution is to pack your flour in an airtight container (a trusty freezer bag works) before storing it in the freezer. 

It is also helpful to freeze flour if you tend to buy it in large batches with plans to use it at a later date. While many professional chefs go by the old-school rule of FIFO (first in, first out), organizing a pantry or kitchen to avoid waste can sometimes still get tricky. Freezing flour from the beginning eliminates the possibility of forgetting about it and having to throw it out because it got shoved to the back of a cupboard and went stale.