Storing Flour

[toddzgrrl02]

As I've mentioned previously, my gluten-free stepdaughter will be coming for her summer visit so we are getting the pantry/fridge/kitchen cleaned up and organized etc. She will be here for a month or so. Now, while she is not here, we like to eat our share of homemade bread/pasta so there is no shortage of flour in our home. I keep some in the paper package in the freezer so it stays fresh longer. Other flours I have are in canisters or rubbermaid containers for storage. So, my question is, for the flour I keep in the freezer, should I package it differently (and if so, how would be the best way) for storage in the freezer so it doesn't contaminate other food items. And if anyone thinks there is a problem with how I store the other flour, pls advise me on alternatives. I don't really know of any better way to store it.

Thanks!

[AliB]

As I've mentioned previously, my gluten-free stepdaughter will be coming for her summer visit so we are getting the pantry/fridge/kitchen cleaned up and organized etc. She will be here for a month or so. Now, while she is not here, we like to eat our share of homemade bread/pasta so there is no shortage of flour in our home. I keep some in the paper package in the freezer so it stays fresh longer. Other flours I have are in canisters or rubbermaid containers for storage. So, my question is, for the flour I keep in the freezer, should I package it differently (and if so, how would be the best way) for storage in the freezer so it doesn't contaminate other food items. And if anyone thinks there is a problem with how I store the other flour, pls advise me on alternatives. I don't really know of any better way to store it.

Thanks!

Firstly, I have to say how refreshing it is to see your concern for your SD - so many experience problems, even with family members not taking it seriously. Well done.

As far as the risk of CC is concerned it is difficult as flour dust can permeate all over. I would suggest that it may be advisable for the duration to place any flour and flour products in a large storage box, perhaps a well-sealed coolbox? Thoroughly clean all the surfaces and cupboard doors, handles, utensils, tools etc that the gluten may have come in contact with. Scrub surfaces like wooden chopping boards extremely well - better still if you can, maybe buy a new one and keep it (stored well away from any source) exclusively for when your SD visits. Sometimes it can be silly things like the little crease between the carving knife and the handle where a thin layer of gluten (yes, like glue!) can escape detection!

The problem with the flour in the freezer is that again, the wheat often contaminates the external surface of the packaging and can transfer to other products and areas. It may be advisable for the future to place any flour you wish to freeze into a separate sealable bag before freezing. As I well know from my years of baking, flour gets everywhere. It creates such a fine dust that can lay quietly unnoticed - not a problem for most of course, but a big problem for those who are gluten intolerant.

Perhaps I can suggest that you might consider obtaining some gluten-free flours so that you and your SD can indulge in some gluten-free baking if she is old enough. Who knows, you might enjoy the products so much you might consider going gluten-free yourself! If she has home-made goods at home, can you find out if she has any favorite recipes you can make together? The recipe section on the forum is a good resource for recipes to try. Communication with her about it all prior to her visit may be a good source of information too, or her other parent if communication is not an issue (sorry if I have trodden on any toes - I am obviously floundering in the dark on that subject!).

I hope this helps and that all goes well with the visit.