How to Store Freshly Milled Flour
Hi Friend,
Can freshly milled flour be stored like all-purpose flour?
This was one of the first questions I had when I started milling. After all, I had inherited my grandma-in-law’s flour bin (which I absolutely love!), and didn’t want to retire it any time soon.
Freshly Milled v. All Purpose Flour
Freshly milled flour contains all three parts of the wheat berry, keeping all the nutrients in the flour. However, the nutrients degrade quickly after milling.
A thrashed wheat berry (a wheat berry that been removed from the golden, papery cover of chaff) is made up of three parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Once milled, the nutritional make up of the bran and germ quickly break down, and the oils in the germ will cause the flour to go rancid. That is why the bran and the germ are removed from all-purpose flour. Flour containing only the endosperm will have a much longer shelf life.
On the other hand, freshly milled flour has all three parts of the wheat berry, making it a nutritional powerhouse! But if stored incorrectly it can quickly turn rancid.
Storing Freshly Milled Flour: Room Temperature
To maximize the nutritional value of your freshly milled flour, it is best to use it right away. However, if you have leftover flour or would like to mill in advance, you can keep your freshly milled flour at room temperature for no more than 3 days (we live in a dry climate, but I imagine this may change based on humidity and temperature).
You will want to make sure your flour container is:
moisture resistant
pest resistant
Be sure to check for rancidity by smelling your flour prior to using. If it smells off, you will want to discard it.
Storing Freshly Milled Flour: Fridge
Once again, for the greatest nutritional value freshly milled flour should be used right away, but you can store the flour in your fridge up to 4-7 days.
You will want to use a moisture resistant container. Tupperware and Ziploc bags work great. I love these nesting bowls and lids from the Pioneer Woman collection. Mine seal tight and are fun to look at.
Remember to always check your flour prior to using for smell and moisture.
When choosing a container to store your freshly milled flour, you want it to be moisture resistant and tight sealing.
Storing Freshly Milled Flour: Freezer
This is my favorite way to store my freshly milled flour. I generally go through my leftover flour in a few days, but storing it in the freezer keeps me from having to label mill dates on my flour containers. I like to keep a little bit of freshly milled flour on hand in case I need to thicken a sauce, dust a surface, or experiment with a partial whole wheat recipe.
You can keep your freshly mill floured in the freezer for up to 6 months.
You will want to make sure your flour container is:
freezer safe
moisture resistant
seals tight
and is stored away from the freezer light
Once again, I always check smell before using just to be safe.
I hope this helps! If you have questions about how to properly store your wheat berries prior to milling, you can read how we recommend storing wheat berries here.
Never run out of soft white wheat berries again with our Farm Club. By joining the Farm Club, you will have wheat berries shipped to your door monthly or quarterly directly from the farmers you know and trust. We love taking care of our regulars!
Best,
The Sieverkropp’s