How to store flour

Keep flour in an airtight container somewhere cool and dark. White flour keeps for months; whole wheat, rye and fresh-milled flour contain oils from the germ and can go rancid within a few months at room temperature, so store them in the fridge or freezer if you use them slowly.

White flour: airtight, cool pantry, used within several months. Whole grain: about 1 to 3 months in a cool pantry, up to about 6 months in the freezer (King Arthur). Off? A bitter, oily or musty smell means throw it out.

Whole wheat flour →Cups to grams →

How long flour keeps

These are typical times for flour kept cool and dry; a hot kitchen shortens them. Whole grain flours turn first because of their oils: see whole wheat flour.

Typical storage times
Flour	Pantry, airtight	Fridge or freezer
White bread or all-purpose	Several months	Longer; rarely needed
Whole wheat, spelt, einkorn	About 1 to 3 months	Up to about 6 months frozen
Rye	About 1 to 3 months	Up to about 6 months frozen
Fresh-milled	Use within weeks	Months, frozen

Containers and pests

Airtight bins keep out moisture and pantry moths. Freezing new flour for a couple of days before storing is a common way to deal with weevil eggs. Let cold flour come to room temperature before mixing, or adjust the water temperature with the water temperature calculator.

Telling when it has turned

Smell it: fresh flour smells of almost nothing or faintly sweet; rancid flour smells bitter, oily or like old paint. Rancid flour is unpleasant rather than dangerous, but it spoils the bread. Weigh what you use with the converter to keep track of how fast you go through a bag.

Questions bakers ask

How long does flour last?

White flour lasts several months airtight in a cool pantry. King Arthur gives whole grain flour one to three months at cool room temperature and up to about six months in the freezer, depending on how fresh it was when you bought it.

Should I keep flour in the fridge?

Whole grain flour, if you use it slowly. White flour is fine in a cool, dry pantry.