The Surprising Baking Ingredient You Should Store in the Freezer

Proper baking ingredient storage makes all the difference when it comes to the quality of your final baked product. While you may already know to keep your butter in the fridge, your sugar in an airtight container, and your spices fully closed, there’s one unexpected ingredient you might be storing wrong.

Turns out, flour is best stored in the freezer. Learning how to store flour the right way might be the baking boost you need to turn your decent baked goods into delicious delights.

Flour has a room-temperature shelf life of three to six months. If you want to increase that life expectancy, keep your flour in a cold, dark place—like the freezer. This can keep your flour fresh for up to two years.

Keep in mind that you should never place a paper bag of flour in the freezer and expect that to keep. Flour should be transferred to an airtight container that will protect it against any freezer burn. Then, label your container with the date of freezing so you can keep track of freshness.

If you’re wondering how to tell if your flour has gone bad, give it a quick smell. To ensure your baked goods and desserts are as delicious as possible, replace any flour that smells off, old, or stale.

For those who have been getting mixed results with their baked goods, freezing your flour might be the way to fix those delicious dishes.