Weevils are tiny insects which are herbivores and are comprised of thousands of different types. The ones I dealt with are known to me as peskus flourus or "Destroyer of Bread".
The flour was stored in a closed bag inside of a tightly closed plastic bucket (that's a pail to you northerners). Serves me right. Flour can go bad and the weevils came with the deal from the store I am sure of it.
I had two other bags in the same bucket sealed in the same way, regardless, all are outside now in the 30-something degree weather. They all suffered the same demise.
To avoid this same fate for your baked good supplies, freeze the flour for three days in the deep freeze beforehand to kill larva. Better yet, mill your own flour, but weevils can infiltrate wheat too, so don't get all smug you home grinders.
The good news is the other bucket of flour was untouched so this leads me to believe the bugs were in the original bag, were quite content where they were and never made it out into the bucket next door.
In hard times, weevil flour can be sifted and strained of bugs and used (extra protein!). But we still have the grocer opened nearby so I think I will skip that option for now.
Update - I made the two loaves of bread, weevil free, and they came out great. One is gone as of this AM. The other just got sliced.
The weevil flour is outside. Temps hit upper teens (F) last night. Ha ha, take that you pests!
We were quite poor when I was young and even having milk and cereal to eat for breakfast was a treat. I can remember finding bugs in the cereal. So you filled your bowl, added milk and stirred. The bugs that floated to the top you spooned out and eat whatever was left.
ReplyDeleteAdding Bay leaves to flour and then sealing it will also kill any weevils or weevil eggs. Been doing it for years. Bay leaves can be found in the specialty foods aisle.
ReplyDelete