What is the shelf life of bean and grain flours?
A. Beans and grains have a protective, full-of-fiber outer shell. Once that is broken (by cracking or grinding), nutrients decrease and deterioration begins. Fresh flours should be used within 1-2 weeks, or refrigerated. (Zip-loc freezer bags or wide mouth quart jars filled with bean flours freeze well and are easy to use.) Ideally, flours should be ground just before using, especially wheat flour for making breads. As a test, I kept bean flours on the shelf for more than a year. While no flavor change was detected, I know that nutrients were lost. Fresh, refrigerated or frozen is best!
