Weevils in expensive flour!

[Lurkingforawhile]

Last night, mid lemon pudding bake, I discovered my expensive organic self raising flour had weevils in it. I bought it when flour was hard to come by, and hadn't used more than a third, so very annoyed. I find I use plain flour much more often so am planning to just buy plain instead and add baking powder as required. Is there any problem with this? I've heard that weevils come in the flour already so the only thing you can do to prevent it is put it in the freezer (ours is a bit small for this).

[MJMG2015]

How big was the bag of flour 😳

[Lurkingforawhile]

Not massive - just a standard size bag. Maybe 1kg? I'm probably silly to be annoyed but I don't like the waste!

[BubbleBoy12]

I've not come across them before 😬

[Llamapolice]

This happened to me a few years ago, they're so revolting. Re converting plain flour, I use nigella's measurements - you need bicarbonate of soda as well as baking powder but it works for me.

[Anordinarymum]

If you have got weevils (flour beetles) in your flour it will be because it is old. They are harmless but if left they get into everything

[Lurkingforawhile]

@Anordinarymum it was only about four months old. Is that too long to keep flour? I know that because I bought it in lockdown when it was in shirt supply!

[Lurkingforawhile]

@Llamapolice thanks for the tip - I'll look up Nigella's conversation formula and keep it somewhere handy

[Lurkingforawhile]

@bubbleboy12 small, black, wriggly little things. Grim.

[beargryllshasabigrope]

For future reference, you can freeze flour to prevent weevils. Just use it straight from the freezer, it stays floury rather than freezing solid.

[Hardbackwriter]

This happened to me a few years ok - I vividly remember it because DS was about 10 days old, I was so proud of myself for getting it together to make a cake before people came round which felt like a gargantuan task at the time, I'd nearly finished and just needed to add the flour, the last ingredient, then took the lid off and there were all these horrible little creatures running about in it. I burst into tears! It's never happened to me before or since and that definitely wasn't the oldest flour we've had so I think it is partially bad luck rather than an inherent problem with how you're storing it. You do need to make sure the whole cupboard is emptied and thoroughly cleaned, though.

My sympathies - they're so horrible and also feel somehow a bit like a medieval problem that shouldn't still happen!

[Hardbackwriter]

*few years ago

[Lurchermom]

I keep all my flour in kilner jars now because I had flour mites a few times. I just decant the bag as soon as I get it. Seems to have stopped the problem! Could be worth a try for the future, don't have to be glass kilner, just some form of sealed container should do the trick.

[Hardbackwriter]

I also don't know whether warm weather is a factor? It was a heat wave when it happened to me and there's been lots of hot days in the last few months.

[Lurkingforawhile]

@hardbackwriter That’s a great point about hot weather - it’s been very warm for that period! Thanks @lurchermom, good idea and easy to do (also less chance of spilt flour everywhere)

[MegaClutterSlut]

I had this recently, had to throw the lot. I now freeze all my flour for a few days to kill any eggs that may be in there

[Shmithecat2]

I had them once. I wanted to burn the whole kitchen down tbh, but instead, I threw out everything in the cupboards that was open and not in a sealed container. Now, everything 'dry' gets stored in a airtight container after opening.

[Perching]

Always happens to me with organic flour, it doesn’t even have to be that old! I keep it in a clip-lock container as not to spread them in the kitchen and/or freeze, depending on space.