Best before date - Flour

[Gruney]

I'm fairly relaxed about BB dates, however this enquiry relates just to flour - bread flour, to be precise. I recall, on a previous thread on bb dates, a comment that it could be risky to exceed the date, and better to just throw it away and buy new - of course, I can't find the thread. Oh, and I'm not trying to save money, just don't want to buy another bag and be having the same conversation in two years time.

I've got a pal coming down for the weekend, and I want to make, for a pre couple of early doors pints, what I call "Cowboy Pancake" - essentially a large apple pancake made with bread flour, and done in a cast iron frying pan. That should slow his gallop down a bit. The large bag of flour I have has a bb date of June '19 - if I didn't have memories of the previous thread, I wouldn't think twice. What do you you reckon?

[PatsyMFagan]

Hmmmm … I've never considered bbd's on flour -I usually decant mine into storage containers, so I would have no idea how long I would have kept it. I don't though put new flour on top of old.

[earthmaiden]

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=9847&p=240069&hilit=flour+rancid#p240069

Hopefully this is the link to the previous conversation (not very good at this using phone!).

As the date is only last month I would use it without worrying too much. I do find that old flour (older than yours) can develop a bitter taste though.

[Gruney]

Thanks both. EM - was it really 6 years ago? I've got it now - it was weevils - I'll just go for it.

[Suelle]

I used some bread flour at the weekend, for a cake - it's BB date was June 18. It was fine!

[Gruney]

Great news Suelle - thanks.

[Ratatouille]

Plain flour sans weevils can be used for seceral weeks or even months after the BBD. SR flour needs to be a little more recent because the raisin agenst tend to loose their properties.