Food Bugs in flour

[Old Gray Mare]

So its almost Christmas and time to bake cookies and other goodies. Pull out the flour and bugs! Not the little black ones we've found before in grains, not weevils. No these were tiny and slightly darker than the flour. Yes, the flour was stored in air tight containers with bay leaves. Didn't help.

Talked to the locals who told me to store flour in the refrigerator or before storing as above, freeze it for a week or two and use more bay leaves.

 

[DIMDAL]

Never had much luck with bay leaves.
If you live in freezy locations, now is the time to buy up your dry goods, and leave outside to freeze for a while.
I use plastic totes covered with a tarp. An un heated garage, old car, enclosed trailer etc... work well too. Just make sure the local varments and weather can't get to your dry goods.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I buy my flour and cornmeal in 5 lb bags. As soon as I get home with it, I empty it out into Ziplock gallon freezer storage bags. Check to make sure there are no bugs already in it, then I put it in my freezer, until I need it. It stores forever in the freezer, and no bugs. I have taken some out of the freezer, after being in there for several weeks, let it thaw a few days, then vacuum seal it in 1/2 gallon canning jars.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Bugs are just an issue in Florida. I don't like them but I've learned to deal with them and/or work around them. And there are different types of bugs that live in flour, not all of them weevils:

Tiny Bugs in Flour: What Are They? How to Get Rid of Them? – OneHappyLemon

onehappylemon.com

 

[Illini Warrior]

unless it's too cold or there's not enough 02 - the bug larva is going to hatch >>> you can freeze it to the end of times and let it warm up and the larva will thrive - you're fighting Mother Nature - if freezing killed larva the entire northern hemisphere would be bug free ...

 

[SouthernBreeze]

unless it's too cold or there's not enough 02 - the bug larva is going to hatch >>> you can freeze it to the end of times and let it warm up and the larva will thrive - you're fighting Mother Nature - if freezing killed larva the entire northern hemisphere would be bug free ...

Not if when you pull a gallon bag out of the freezer to use, you keep it in the fridge while using it. I have always done all my flour and cornmeal in the freezer this way, and I have never had bugs of any kind. Sure, if you take it out of the freezer, and let it just sit at room temp, without it being sealed, it will eventually get bugs.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

My only freezer is small, and jam packed with meats that must be kepy frozen.
There is just no room to put rice in the freezer.


But in my neck of the woods, it is about to turn plumb cold. Freezing temps are about to hit. It is a good time to put the rice outdoors, and let the rice freeze in the extreme cold.

 

[momma_soapmaker]

I keep flour in the fridge, and freeze extra bags.

Too many bugs in Arkansas.

 

[kelee877]

I freeze my dried goods even pasta,sugar,flour,corn meal..usually for a week or more depending on work schedule

Then I portion(I only fill 1/3) out in to brown paper lunch bags. Fold the bag down and tape. I use duct tape so I can write date and contents.

I use the blanket vacuum bags. Fill one up with my labeled brown bags and vacuum seal.

If I need a bag I just open it remove what I need and revacuum. I have a metal frame under my King size bed that stores all of these. Not the frames that just fold down this is an assemble type. To add to this my box springs are stored upside down and I pulled the white cover back and between the coils I have paper towel, toilet paper, wipes, tin foil and such.

With those vacuum blankets bags I do check them every so often in case I have one that doesn't hold. I buy mine here in Canada at dollar store inexpensive. They can also be sized depending on how many brown lunch bags you put in, so they fit inside totes