Yeast

Keep your yeast in the fridge - this way it will stay active for longer. If you have had the yeast open for 3 months or longer test for efficacy by putting 1 tsp of yeast and 1 tsp of sugar in a bowl together with tepid water. Put your timer on for 10 min and if you have a lot of foam activity evident in the glass the yeast is active, if not it is probably past its peak and you won't get the same results from your bread.

STORING YOUR FLOUR

Flour is best stored in cool, dry ventilated place free from strong odours and pests .  Aerating your flours is a good routine to get into, a Flour Mill once told me that they give their flour a shake up from time to time as bugs like still conditions to breed so giving them the shake deters the attraction of the flour.  You can also put your flours in the freezer for 48hrs after purchasing it to kill any potential free loaders!  I would do this especially for the wholegrain flours and organics and especially during the warmer months.

Flours tend to absorb strong odours and it wouldn't be pleasant using your favourite flour and after you have gone to all the effort to make the bread etc the flavour has been altered.  Try and use the flour before the  best before date for it to function at its best.    Most of the flours will perform perfectly well for a long time beyond this date but like many things, with age you may see a few changes although the flour is still perfectly usable.  It is best to keep your flours at lower temperatures below 23degC.  Flours that have a higher oil content tend to go rancid and weevils and moths tend to enjoy the warmer temperatures.

Be mindful though that the best before date does not mean that you will not get any moths or weevils. They can penetrate anything at any time,  but did you know that the weevils actually lay their eggs in the grain whilst still in the fields on the plant and then they can still hatch in your flour you take home.    What you can do,  is when you get your flour home you may wish to put it in the freezer for about 48 hours to kill any insect eggs that might be lurking.

The bugs you get in your flour that look like weevils are actually not wheevils but Confused Flour Beetles https://g.co/kgs/i5vbrg.

Refined flours have the bran and germ removed, this process results in a fine light or white flour. These flours don’t contain much oil (which is what causes the flour to spoil when it oxidises). Refined flours are more shelf stable than wholegrain flours and other varieties, so it is suggested that wholegrain flours be kept in really cool places, even in the fridge if possible.