Whole grains and flours play an essential role in our healthy diet plan. While the shelf life of grains and flour is usually much longer than other food items, it is important to store them correctly, to ensure it is safe from infestation and spoilage.
Here in this section, we bring to you a guide on how to store flours and grains rightly.
• To keep the grains or flours safe, make sure you store them in an impenetrable, airtight container. You can also put a bay leaf in your containers to keep the bugs away. For cabinet storage, sealed containers of glass are the best.
• The fridge is the second-best place where you can store grains and flour. Some health experts recommend storing grains and flour in the freezer for 24-48 hours once it is bought home from the grocery store. It helps kill any bugs or eggs that may reside in the food item. You can later transfer it into a tightly sealed container, as mentioned above. This can be done if the quantities bought are less and you have enough freezer space.
• Ensure the container is stored in a cool, dry, and dark location.
• Do not store these next to other strong-smelling foods or chemicals. Especially flour! The flour is like a sponge – it tends to absorb whatever it has around. You can determine the freshness of the flour with your sense of smell. A sour, burnt or funny smell indicates spoilage.
• Check floor/storage areas. If you had an insect infestation at the end of last year, make sure you fumigate, sterilize, or thoroughly clean the area and all the containers.
• Never mix your new and old packages. Doing so invites spoilage problems.
• It’s best to mark the date of storage on each food item. This way you can easily rotate your food stores and use the oldest items first.
To keep grains and flour in the best condition for a longer period of time, you need to bring all the best practices into place. It will help you get the most value out of your stored food item.
If you need help on how to incorporate grains and flour in your healthy diet plan, pregnancy diet plan, or child’s diet plan do get in touch with Kanupriya Khanna. One of the best dietitians in Delhi – Kanupriya will not help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, but will also give you some food hygiene tips to eliminate or reduce the risk of illness.