Do this mean I have throw out my dough? Throw out my flour? Throw out the starter I was feeding with the flour??? Also how do I make sure this doesnt happen again? I was storing my flour in the bag it came in so that might be my fault
by Mental_Basis1783
49 Comments
If that was mine, I would reluctantly start over because I just couldn’t. Also, I store my flour in an airtight container.
That’s protein, keep it
Sometimes pests/eggs are just in the flour (or other grains) when you buy them from the store. After I had an incident, I freeze every grain for a few days and then store in an air-tight container.
I think whether or not you throw things out depends on your “ick” tolerance.
If it’s wheat flour i store it in the freezer
It’s a weevil, they are common in flour actually. That’s why a lot of people keep their flour in the fridge cuz the cold kills them and proper storage prevents them from getting in and laying their larvae lol. I would just toss the flour and get a new one and store it in the fridge and toss the dough you made with it just in case
Weevil! Throw away your flour, clean your cupboards, check all your flours and spices, they can get out of control ðŸ˜
Protein
You can just take a pin head size sample of your starter and start in a new container, it will take maybe 2-3 days at room temp to come back fully.
It wouldn’t bother me but I know if my wife knew I used it, I’d have to move. I won’t buy 25 lb bags of flour cause I have no place to store it.
New starter is not difficult to make…. Forever eating worm bread ..eh
How many are in the dough and flour that you haven’t found? I would toss everything but 20 grams of carefully examined starter.
I would use a small amount of starter that has peaked and is hungry so thinner, use just 5g or so, put in the fresh jar with 5-10g water, enough to dilute and spread out.
Because of these little buggers, when I buy more flour than I’m going to use in a month or so, I freeze it for a few days before I put it in the pantry.
If you saw it in a restaurant would you eat at that restaurant agai? If yes keep it. If no toss it.
No big deal, remove and continue. Put your flour in the freezer and sift portions before using it
Probably a lot worse in the flour from the grinding process.
It adds a rustic flavor
I have always kept my flour in different jars (1 per type and about 15ish alltogether) but would keep the bags in the cupboard prior to refilling.
I found  the same in one of my jars recently so binned that jar and chucked all the bags I had in my cupboard. Now when new flour arrives I quarantine it in groups – 3 or 4 to a ziplock bag, that was I can more easily be sure of where the pest came from (which flour, which supplier) and I can be sure that it won’t spread between them.
OP I am sorry. That’s no fun. When I buy my flour (5lb or 10lb bags) I put it directly into the deep freezer. I only take it out of the freezer when my container I store it in is empty or low. The containers I use are from Walmart and they are about $5 per plastic container with a screw lid. I hate bugs so if it were my starter I would probably start over because even if I only used 5oz of the bug starter I would always think of the bug. That is just me though.
r/eatityoucoward
You asked for high protein, right!?
If you ever end up having to leave left over in a paper bag just stick it in the freezer. Any unsealed bag that is ever left out is at risk. You could leave it out just make sure to sift it before using. Some even sift from the store because the bags don’t sit on the shelf airtight
Muad’Dib!!
When I buy flour it goes right into the freezer for a few days when I bring it home. It kills any eggs that might be present.
Weevils come with the flour. I’ve learned to live with it – my bags are bought in bulk! In the end, I’ve never seen a whole bug in the final dough 💀
Yeah, I would.
Is this common thing in the US? I’ve never heard of anyone finding anything in their flour in the UK. I only sieve for cakes and such, to keep things fluffy and light, not to stop them being surprisingly crunchy… 🫣
New fear unlocked.
Adds protein :shrug:
Just coming in to say I would eat it and toss the worm. So many worse things happen to food. Enjoy your bread.
Why do you think sifting flour became common? Do you really think it was to aerate?
Flour can have eggs in it. Weevils worms (which this looks like to me) are not resistant to freezing, so I tend to freeze every bag for 2-3 days when they arrive (I buy it in 16kg bags when I’m baking). Do the same with your sourdough starter now if it’s fully matured and just freeze and sift your flour.
Do you want to eat worms? Cause that’s how you eat worms.
Eh, I’d still eat it. It’s not gonna hurt you if the flour gets fully cooked. But you probably have flour weevils
Free protein source! Where are you keeping your starter?
Protein.
No
Store your newly purchased flour in the freezer for at least 24 hours. It will kill any larvae that may be in it.
Start over and store your flour in an airtight container
Nah, they don’t eat much!
Are u fr questioning keeping it? Throw the whole thing out… It had a worm in it fermenting if it was dead or even if it was alive it’s still disgusting and its residue is now a part of your culture. You’re gross
Just add some fennel seeds and bake it. You’ll never know upside down 🙃
If it’s me I’m Starting way over
Yes
It’s a grain/flour moth larvae. I’d start over myself. And while I started over, I’d clean and go through every grain, flour, cake mix in my house including pet food, to make sure no infestation. If you have those moths flying you have a problem. I have taken everything out of cupboards and vacuumed and scrubbed every corner because just a few crumbs is enough to grow a moth on. Everything is in clear acryllic or glass with airtight seals. They can hide in the bottom of cake mix boxes even – on just a small bit of flour, and reinfest your pantry so be thorough or you will do it again. once you have things clean and moth larvae free, be careful what you bring in. These are closely releated to the moths that eat wool and silk but not the same. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianmeal_moth
I’m guessing now is not the time to mention as humans we eat plenty of bugs without realizing it? They’re harmless. Once baked it’s nothing more than tiny protein. Not to say I wouldn’t take it out and sift the rest of my flour then freeze it because I don’t want to willingly eat bugs. But I sure wouldn’t toss a whole batch because of one or two. Just seems like a waste of the ingredients and effort. Unless you’re vegetarian of course, then you probably don’t want any. Before modern processes it was very normal to sift weevils out of your flour.
Do what makes you comfortable, but it wont hurt anything.
I sift flour every time i use it, and transfer to clear airtight containers right when I open a bag. Never have found bugs, thankfully.. but I have found grains and stuff. Maybe once a year something will sift out and I remember why I do it.
Oh, also sifting the flour over the water makes it loose and super easy to mix.
If you really like yoir starter it will probably survive a few days of freezing to kill the larvae and crack the eggs. Just make sure to freeze the flour you’re using also if you don’t plan on throwing that out either, and sift it before use to feel less icky. Clean the areas the flour was at to remove any leftover pests in the meantime.
Is there another one that’s bigger? If so, make sure to pick the smaller one…
….looks around expectantly for Patrick O’Brian fans