How Do You Store Your gluten-free Baking Supplies?

[maddycat]

So after being gluten-free for just over a year, I have started branching out and doing some baking of my own now.

What was once a small cupboard that housed a tin of white flour, baking soda and baking powder has been replaced with over a dozen assorted flours and various other "gums" and baking supplies. It is a chaotic mess now- and way too small for all the baking supplies I have now.

So my question is- what is the best way to keep gluten-free flours organized and fresh? Should I put them in the freezer (I do have a chest freezer) or in the fridge (I don't have a lot of room in there)?

Thanks,

Marcia

[Motorboater]

So after being gluten-free for just over a year, I have started branching out and doing some baking of my own now.

What was once a small cupboard that housed a tin of white flour, baking soda and baking powder has been replaced with over a dozen assorted flours and various other "gums" and baking supplies. It is a chaotic mess now- and way too small for all the baking supplies I have now.

So my question is- what is the best way to keep gluten-free flours organized and fresh? Should I put them in the freezer (I do have a chest freezer) or in the fridge (I don't have a lot of room in there)?

Thanks,

Marcia

I keep mine in a cabinet, what I did is once opened I put the rest of the flour in a baggie and labeled it, I keep a glass container with a pre-mix of "all purpose" baking flours so when I'm ready to try something my flour is pre mixed. I've heard of some people freezing their stuff just make sure you bring it to room temp. before baking. I don't have the frig or freezer space to keep mine in.

Pam

[missy'smom]

One of my support group members puts the flours in stackable containers of a similar size and shape and writes a "T" for tapioca or "P" for potato starch etc. on the front side.

I don't buy in really large quantity and use them up quickly enough that I don't find it necessary to freeze or refrigerate them. I do freeze or refrigerate nuts and seeds, including flax as the oils in them deteriorate quickly.

[kbtoyssni]

I have a few large square clear tupperware from Target that I store my flours in. I can fit 3-4 Bob's Red Mill-sized bags in each container. I can see exactly what's in each one and bugs can't get in. I also have two tupperware containers that I keep my pre-mixed flour in (I use a gluten-free and bean flour mix). I've never frozen my flour.

[Juliebove]

I know what you mean. I don't have room in the fridge or freezer for much either. Some things do need to be refrigerated. I refrigerate my yeast and flax. The rest goes in the cupboard but I have had to try to cut waaaay back on what I buy. Rather than buying assorted flours, I buy one package of four flour mix. This works for most things. I also have a small package of white rice flour, sweet rice flour (use it for gravy) and more recently, sticky rice flour purchased for a recipe. I also have cornstarch, cornmeal, corn flour (for gorditas) and a few other things I bought for specific recipes like tapioca starch and potato starch. Actually I guess there are more things like arrowroot powder, xanthan gum and probably several others I'm forgetting. Plus a few mixes for things.

But it's better than it was. When my daughter was first diagnosed, I ran out and bought every gluten free thing I could get my hands on. Then I realized that I never used some of them before they expired. So I had to do what I could to pare back.

My kitchen is such that it looks big on first glance. But the cupboards are actually small and there is little room for food in there. I have two corner turntable thingies. One has my canned goods and the other has my baking supplies. Prior to the food allergies, I had plenty of room. I have diabetes and don't eat much in the way of sweets or carb laden foods. So I only bought flour or sugar if I was making something special. Now I find I need to keep those things around all the time and often I have to mail order them because I can't find them locally.

Then there's all the other food for my daughter. I have to keep it separate because it's just easier that way. My husband doesn't seem to have a clue what she can and can't eat and I worry about what might happen if she had to have a baby sitter one day. So I bought a shelving unit and put all of her food on it like cereal, bread, etc. It's easy for her to get a meal or a snack for herself if she needs to and easy for others to see what is safe for her to eat.

[kirbymom]

You can just do airtight containers if there are not too many large quantities. Abasic rule would be to freeze anything with high fat content. Basically, to do it for the longest storage, I would freeze all flours (brown rice, soy, garfava, sorghum, buckwheat, chickpea, millet, quinoa, amaranth, other bean flours), but white rice flour and I would dry store the starches (tapioca, corn, potato). I would keep yeast and flax meal in the freezer (I keep a small amount of yeast out, but the rest in the freezer).

[Guest j_mommy]

I do teh baggie thing too!!! I don't have cupboard space either so I bought one of those three drawer plastic "dressers" on wheels. That way I can put it away or roll it to where ever I need it!