Expert shares how to correctly store flour after woman makes terrifying discovery

A home baker was left horrified after making an unsettling discovery in her flour.

Flour might be one of the most staple or all staple foods, and a dry food at that, but doesn't mean that you don't need to have a care when you're storing it.

But paediatrician Dr Niamh found that out to her shock when she opened up a sealed jar or flour to find that the flour was not the only thing in the jar.

Dr Niamh, who goes by tiktokkiddydoc on TikTok, shared a video of herself opening the lid to reveal lots of brown specks on the flour.

What's more, the brown specks were moving.

And we're not just talking one or two here either, we're talking a complete infestation.

In the video the doctor says: "So I was getting ready to do some Christmas baking and I noticed a few brown flecks in the flour and when I lifted the lid, these things were crawling all over the flour.

TikTok / tiktokkiddydoc

"What. The. Hell. Are these?! What is going on? I'm never baking again, obviously. This is an airtight container! How did these things get in here?"

Things getting into food happens to us all at some point, but the fact that they were in an airtight container does make it significantly more unnerving.

It turns out that the things in the flour were flour mites or weevils, and had been in there from the very beginning.

Pest Defence explained in the comments: "Flour mites and weevils are common kitchen pests that are often found in pantries and dry food cupboards.

"They thrive in dark and humid conditions, making your kitchen cupboard the perfect breeding ground."

People reacted with a mixture of horror and advice.

One wrote: "Flour mites, pretty common for long standing flour, they are in the flour they don't get in."

TikTok / @tiktokkiddydoc

Another offered some helpful tips to stop the pests from hatching in your flour.

They wrote: "In Trinidad and Tobago we call them 'weevils' to prevent them place a few bayleaves in the flour."

Another warned: "Be glad they’re confined to the jar! Once they’re in the cabinets roaming free you’ll never get rid of them."

Others joked about the discovery, with one writing: "That's just high protein flour. Think of the gainz."

That's certainly one way to look at it.

Another solution was provided by AllRecipes, who suggested: "If you have room in your freezer, it can be the best place to store flour, since it will prevent any rancidity and a mere four days in the freezer will also kill any possible pests.

"If you normally don't do a lot of baking, or if you have access to a large chest freezer, this is a great way to go."