Tip #2 - The Waste Not Want Not War - Part Two.
More and more people are looking at ways to stretch their budget and still provide wholesome, healthy food for their families. In some of my other tips I've discussed the benefits of using whole grain for the longevity of storage as well as the nutritional benefits. But what about dealing with the mistake of milling too much flour? Do we just toss it out if we don't use it or do we use it 'old' after it has sat there, milled, for days? Or, should I bake cookies right away to avoid wasting it? Actually, I like that one as a choice!!
Because milling and using whole grains was not taught to me as a child, it is by trial and error, I've found that the other way, aside from Tip #4, to win the Waste Not Want Not War with whole grains is the proper storage and use of any surplus flours. If we learn from our mistakes, we become smarter. Judging from the amount of mistakes I have made, I am a genius! Milling far too much flour has created a variety of choices for me to give examples of how someone can make the most of this error.
Let us say, you read the recipe wrong, your glasses were in the other room, you grabbed the wrong measuring cup (because the kids had finger paint in your usual one) or you just didn’t read Tip #4 previous to this one and you have left over flours.
Here are two suggestions:
1. Keep a gallon zip lock bag in the freezer labeled ‘Misc. Flours’ and put all your surplus wheat flours (both hard or soft) in the same bag. When it reaches 2 cups - make muffins. By keeping it in the freezer, you slow the oxidation process and 2 cups is easy to get to in no time. Just remember if it is mixed hard and soft it will NOT make yeast bread.
2. Out of this same bag - thicken sauces and flour cake pans.
I’ve only focused on surplus wheat flours. When we discuss Corn and other grains, I have a few tips for those surpluses too!
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