Whole grain flour has a shorter life than refined flour, and sprouted whole grain flour shorter still. This is not a defect. The germ is still in there, and the germ contains oil, and oil goes rancid. Refining removes it — which is precisely why refined flour keeps for a year on a shelf and tastes of very little.
Store it properly and none of this is a problem.
The short version
- Airtight, always. Transfer out of the pouch once you open it, or clip it firmly shut.
- Add a bay leaf or a few cloves. An old practice and a sound one — both deter the pantry moths and weevils that find whole grain long before they bother with maida.
- Refrigerate after opening. This is the single biggest thing you can do. Our sprouted flours hold for around a month in a sealed container at room temperature, and roughly two months refrigerated.
- Keep it away from the stove. The cabinet above the hob is the warmest, most humid spot in the kitchen and the worst place for flour.
How long things actually last
Our sprouted flours are best before ten months from packaging — that is the unopened figure. Rava, being coarser and roasted, is more stable. Noodles and pasta run six to eight months. Vermicelli varies by grain, from four to nine months; the figure is printed on each product page.
How to tell if flour has turned
Smell it. Fresh sprouted millet flour smells faintly sweet and nutty. Rancid flour smells sharp, a little like old oil paint or crayons. It is unmistakable once you have encountered it, and it will carry straight through into whatever you cook, so trust your nose over the date.
Monsoon
Humidity is the real adversary in most of India. Through the monsoon, refrigerate everything you have opened, buy in smaller quantities, and dry-roast rava briefly before use to drive off moisture — it improves the texture of the upma regardless.
Pasta and noodles
Less demanding, because they are extruded and dried to a low moisture content. Keep them sealed and dry and they will see out their date. The one thing to avoid is decanting them into a jar that is not properly airtight, which lets them slowly take on moisture and turn brittle.