Flour in the freezer, this very simple gesture saves your life in 1 minute: try it and you will see…This is why keeping flour in the freezer will prevent you from throwing it away because of the little butterflies that nest inside.
Flour is a food product obtained by grinding cereals or other products. In particular, there are two types of flour widely used in Italy: soft wheat flour and durum wheat flour.
While the first is native to the central north, the second is native to southern Italy and is where semolina comes from.
Wheat grains are composed of bran, germ and endosperm. The bran is the external part and is what contains the vitamins. Germ that is eliminated industrially because it reduces the preservation capacity of the flour. It is the endosperm that contains the protein part and the starch.
There are several types of flour: 00, 0, type 1 and type 2 as well as whole wheat flour . The latter is the most complete from a nutritional point of view. Rich in fiber and mineral salts, it contains a lot of vitamin B, antioxidants, iron and essential fats.
How to store flour? The trick to prevent it from spoiling
Flour is never lacking in Italian homes and is essential for the preparation of many dishes, just think of homemade pasta or pizza dough. But it can also be used as a thickener in sauces or dessert creams. In short, it is an ingredient that is always present in the kitchen.
But storing flour is not always easy since many times just looking at the expiration date is not enough. In fact, sometimes insects or mold can form inside the flour that accelerate the deterioration process. In fact, if stored in the wrong place, flour is the ideal place for butterflies to nest and then you will just have to throw away the entire package.
For flour to last over time, it must be stored in appropriate climatic conditions, and the appropriate place is the freezer. Yes, that’s right, the flour can be put in the freezer, just put it in a closed jar . In this way the organoleptic qualities of the flour will not be altered.
In fact, this ingredient does not tolerate very hot or too dry environments, nor cold and humid ones. However, freezer temperatures prevent the presence of butterflies or other bacteria thanks to the low temperatures. In addition , it is not necessary to defrost it before use, it can be used immediately once taken out of the freezer.
Otherwise, you can place it near aromatic herb plants such as basil or lavender. This is because these plants repel parasites thanks to their intrinsic properties.
Now that you know this new trick, you too can save your flour from the butterflies that continually nest in packages and jars. The use of flour remains unchanged and placing it in the freezer does not pose any health risk.
Remedies to prevent the presence of parasites in the pantry
There are various remedies to prevent the presence of parasites in the pantry, which increasingly increases during the summer with the heat . To avoid unnecessary waste, a few precautions are enough to ensure that the pantry is always clean and free of butterflies and other insects.
It is very important to clean furniture and cupboards frequently with a cloth moistened with water and vinegar. You can then use pheromone-based traps that are commonly found on the market and are ready to use. The important thing is to place only one, otherwise too many traps could confuse the insects.
Or you can prepare a mixture of corn flour and boric acid (1:3 ratio) and put it inside containers that you can later place inside the pantries. You can also use bay leaves and the fresher and more fragrant they are, the more they will repel insects.