Christmas is right around the corner. I love this time of year! Cold weather, warm blankets, family, food, laughter and lots of baking!
This is the time of year to stock up on most baking supplies. Flour, sugars, butter and margarine typically all go on sale around Thanksgiving and Christmas.Watch your grocery ads carefully and if possible stock up on those items when they hit rock bottom prices.
5 lb bags of flour were in my local grocery ad this week for $.99. Regular price is almost $3. Cereal was another good stock up item this week. Regular price of this cereal is $3.29 per box. Sale price was $1.88. I also had coupons to stack with this sale to make my cost even lower.
As with any item that you purchase, stock up when the prices are low. Flours and sugars have a very long shelf life. Butter can be stored in the freezer for 6-9 months and margarine for 12 months. Cereal can typically be stored for 12 months. The "best by" dates on products is the manufactures estimated date that the item will remain at peak quality. In most cases if the item is stored properly and not opened, it should be safe well after the "best by" date.
I've always wondered how long one can keep flour before it goes bad. I have some flour I bought 6 months ago and I was thinking about making bread. Do you think it's okay to use?
ReplyDeleteAs long as it is sealed (and you don't see any bugs) it should be fine. I have kept flour that long before. Especially white flour, if stored air tight can be kept for 12 months (or so I have read). I buy in bulk and then put it into 5 gallon sealed buckets. Works great!
DeleteThanks, Sara. I will be making bread this week-end.
ReplyDelete