what does gone off flour taste like?

[Urban Ayisha]

have i just found out?! not my day today lol. just made a macaroni cheese, and my macaroni cheese is usually delicious, if i may say so myself, but all i can describe this one as is 'fusty' (in the words of my MIL!). the flour is only gone off since april (i stole it from the huge stash of flour in my mums larder!) but is that enough? the pasta was gross, really, well disappointed as i had my little sister over for dinner!!

[Shirley]

smell the flour (if you've got any left) - I had some that smelt bad like that and didn't use it (partly because I didn't like the smell and partly because of a house move) - I've used flour that has been over a year past it's sell by date so more likely it was stored somewhere damp rather than having 'gone off'

[grannymags]

If stored properly flour will keep for years, but it can smell musty if it hasn't been stored well.. I ignore sell by dates. As Shirley said, your nose is the best indicator of something being useable!

If it smells musty it could have been a bit damp. I always store mine in an airtight container.

It is a shame that your food was spoiled by this. Could it have been the butter, or whatever fat you used to make the sauce, which caused it? I say this because I have made the mistake of using some butter which had been in my fridge for a while which had absorbed the smells of everything! Spoiled the cake I made! I always smell the butter or margarine before I use it now!

Maggie x

[MKG]

I, like your MIL, know exactly what fusty means. The flour has definitely not been stored correctly (or was damp when you stored it) and needs to be chucked. It wouldn't harm you particularly at this point, but everything you make with it will taste ... errrrm ... fusty. One good thing comes out of this - you'll never forget what fusty means . Oh - and remember never again to eat your sister for dinner.

Mike

[Millymollymandy]

By the time it's gone off it may well have weevils in too! Yum!

[Shirley]

Oh - and remember never again to eat your sister for dinner.

Mike

Weevils just add a little crunch to the end product LOL

[Gem]

This reminds me of some slightly ancient self raising flour I have, it still tastes/smells fine but without baking powder my sponge cakes come out looking very sad indeed!

[MuddyWitch]

Don't 'chuck' the fusty flour; stick it in your shed & put it around your plants next year, to keep slugs at bay. It'll only work till it gets wet but t'is better than sending it to land fill.

MW