Freezing The Lily

I had been lamenting the absence of White Lily flour for my biscuits and piecrusts. My friend's mother, graciously brought me two 5 pound bags of White Lily flour on a northern excursion. Even with my prodigious consumption of biscuits and gravy, it may take me awhile to work my way through 10 pounds of this Southern gold. How can one best preserve flour for an extended period of time (I am thinking nine months maximum, probably closer to six)? Any benefits in refrigerating or freezing it? – Flour Power

In the era of globalization, flour is anachronistic; a product of local growing conditions. Here in the Pacific Northwest we grow, mill and use lower protein soft wheat. Across the mountains, in the Inland Empire, high protein winter wheat is the norm. Which is also true in most of the US and Canada. The notable exception is the southern US, where soft varieties of wheat are grown and used. Local cooks have turned the deficit of low protein flour (less gluten = less structure, less chew) into an asset - tender biscuits, soft cakes and dreamy piecrust all of which are exalted in literature and promulgated in tales.

White Lily All-Purpose flour contains 8.6% protein – it is more akin to cake flour (6-9%) than true AP flour (11-12%). White Lily is better suited for recipes where tenderness is desired: biscuits, cakes, pancakes, crepes, piecrusts and decidedly good cookies. The lack of protein and oils in soft flours extends the shelf life of the product. Alton Brown recommends storing most flours in a sealed container that is kept out of direct light.

The exception is the whole wheat flour. Bran, germ, endosperm are milled together to make whole wheat flour – the result is a protein-rich flour full of natural oils. Oils that will go rancid when exposed to oxygen and light. Which is pretty much true of any kind of fat left at room temperature over time – which is why shelf-stable trans fats are so popular in mass-manufactured foods, but that is a different post.

In your case, with 10 pounds of flour, there is a benefit to freezing the excess. Keep in mind freezing itself doesn’t preserve anything; the low temperatures only slow down the spoiling process. With careful storage – double-bag (protect the porous flour from absorbing off scents); pulling the bag out, measuring what you need and quickly restoring the remaining flour back in the freezer; you will be able to get about 12 months of life out of your precious flour. Meaning if it lasts, this year’s White Lily could be next summer’s blueberry shortcake.