How to Store Flour Long Term

If you found this page, you’re probably wondering how to store flour long term. The best way to store flour long-term is by using sealed mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. Using this method will yield the best possible shelf life.

Storing flour in the original paper bag will result in a six-month shelf life. Keeping your flour in an airtight container can extend this up to one year.

How Does Flour Go Bad?

If you store flour properly, it can last for a decade or more. The key is to protect flour from the leading causes of flour spoilage.

• Mold – Flour exposed to excess moisture will be prone to mold. The first sign of mold will be the sour smell. Eventually, you can easily see mold growing in the flour. Moldy flour should be thrown out.
• Insects – Flour can become contaminated with insect eggs no matter how suitable your storage containers are. If you’re concerned about insect eggs, you can freeze flour to kill any eggs before storage. New bags of flour can contain insect eggs before you even open them.
• Oxidation – Oxidation caused by exposure to oxygen will cause flour and many other grains to go rancid. Storing flour with an oxygen absorber can significantly reduce this possibility.
• Absorbing Smells – Flour and many other foods can absorb scents when exposed to a strong odor for some time. Storing flour in airtight containers and away from smelly things can prevent this.

For maximum shelf life, you must protect flour from the following:

1. Moisture – When storing food long term, it is best to keep things as dry as possible. Without moisture, there is less risk of mold or other contamination.
2. Heat – The ideal temperature for food storage is about room temperature or 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If your food is experiencing warmer temperatures, it will reduce its usable lifespan
3. Oxygen – Exposure to oxygen will cause certain foods to oxidize, which can degrade their flavor and nutritional properties. If oxygen is present in your food stores, it will also create an environment for microbes and insects.
4. Sunlight – If your food is exposed to sunlight, it can affect some foods’ appearance, flavor, and nutrients. Oils and fats are prone to oxidation when exposed to sunlight, increasing the risk they go rancid.
5. Pests – Rodents and insects can contaminate or destroy your emergency food supply.

How to Store Flour Long Term

There are many ways to store flour to increase its shelf life. Below are a few of the best.

Mylar Bags With Oxygen Absorbers

Shelf life: 10+ years

Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers are the best way to store flour and maximize its shelf life. When done correctly, you can expect whole wheat flour to last up to ten years and white flour to last ten or more.

Sealed mylar bags are airtight and lightproof. When combined with correctly sized oxygen absorbers, no oxygen, moisture, or light compromises the flour. Mylar bags also offer decent protection against insects.

If you vacuum seal bags with oxygen absorbers, it will help prevent insect eggs from hatching. Any insects in the flour, when you seal it, will die due to lack of oxygen.

For detailed info about using oxygen absorbers, check out our post.

Foodgrade Buckets or Canning Jars(mason jar) With Oxygen Absorbers

Shelf Life: 5+ years

Flour can be stored directly in food-grade buckets, mason jars, or canning jars. As long as your containers have airtight lids, they will do a great job in helping preserve your flour.

The benefit of canning jars is it’s easy to view the contents when periodically checking your stores.

If using food-grade buckets, I recommend gamma lids because they are the most convenient and generally seal the best.

Combine an airtight container with oxygen absorbers for maximum shelf life.

Vacuum Sealing

Shelf life: 1-2 years

You can use consumer-grade vacuum seal bags for flour storage. By vacuum sealing, you will reduce the air packaged with your flour which will help extend the shelf life somewhat.

The problem with this method lies in the limitations of plastic vacuum seal bags. These bags are not completely airtight, and oxygen and moisture will permeate the bags.

This method will undoubtedly extend the shelf life but not as much as a mylar bag.

Freezer

Shelf Life: Indefinitely

You can keep flour in a freezer practically forever. Freezing will protect the flour from most potential contamination sources. The bonus is that freezing will kill insect eggs.

Bring the flour out of the freezer and let it get to room temperature when you intend to use it. If it’s humid, the flour can absorb moisture as it warms. It is best to keep the flour in an airtight container during the warming process to help prevent moisture from absorbing into the flour.

Storing Different Types of Flour

White flour has the longest shelf life of any ordinary flour. This is because it contains very little fat.

Whole grain flour and wheat flour will have a much shorter shelf life than white flour because they contain more fats. Your biggest issue will be those fats going rancid.

Alternative flours like almond flour and coconut flour also contain many oils. These flours will usually go rancid before they spoil from other sources, no matter how well you store them.

Bread flour and self-rising flour shelf life will depend on the extra ingredients within the flour mixture. It will probably last a long time if it’s primarily white flour. It may go rancid if it has a higher fat content than pure white flour.

If you want to store flour long-term and get the best shelf life, use white flour.

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