How do I know if flour is old.?!

smell it.
An old aroma is very distinct and if you do not smell anything, you are good to go.
It will last for a very long time in a air tight can or bag or jar.

We cannot tell if flour is old with our naked eyes if there is no bugs in sight unless our sense of smell is much better than a normal person. Contrary to what many people think, flour will turn bad soon after the expiration date unless it's kept in the refrigerator or for a longer time if kept in a freezer. Over time flour will lose its moisture, the oil inside will turn rancid, and its enzymes will break down. As a result, dough using old flour might not rise as well or not at all, the food might become too hard or even have a bad taste. Therefore without expiration date on the package, you could find out the flour is too old only after the dough is not rising, or in your case the texture or taste is different after your bannock is baked.

Look on the bag, it should have a "eat by date"... It usually gets little black bugs in it well before it's "use by date".

Out of interest (maybe) Whenever I first see any signs of these "pesky" little bugs. (And I mean the very first signes) - I pop my bag of flour into the freezer, and take it out the next day. The bugs are nowhere to be seen and the flour is perfectly OK to use.

Chris

As long as it doesn't not have bugs in it. Smell it if is does not have a musty smell it should be ok, taste it on your finger, again if it doesn't taste moldy it is fine. It will last over a yr or more. Better to keep it in a sealed container to keep the bug & weevils out.

Well, if you look inside and there are bugs crawling I would suggest throwing it out. Flour is not expensive so look in the couch cushions for some change if need be.

Flour can last for years and years as long as it was kept dry and no bugs got in it.

Well Flour can last for years if it is kept dry and also if no bugs get into the flour.

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