Check for Weevils in Stored Food

By

kimsukie

Another thing to prevent/kill any weevils that may be in just purchased foods is as soon as you get home with the dry goods, store the dry good in the freezer for 2-3 days. This will kill any buggies (like the first frost does in the winter) that may be there while they are too small to even see. Then the dry goods can be stored indefinitely. No weevils.

By

T&T Grandma

I transfer all groceries from store box to tupperware or clear jars with lids. I most often buy in bulk at the food coop and must store in my own containers. These are grain weevils and can be on anything from your rice cakes, baby food, cake mixes, puddings, pasta/rice, cereal, etc. By transferring upon purchase, it then allows me to examine the packaging more carefully, and then know/date when my purchase was made. I have done this at least the last 25 years.

By

Raeb22

This happened to me this past summer with my box of dry pancake mix. I learned my lesson from now on to always check rice/grains/pancake mix by sifting it into a bowl and check and double check for these ugly bugs. Thank you for this reminder.

By

Yodergoat

This is great advice, but such a hard-learned lesson! I remember my mother doing this when I was a child... especially with pasta. It was often my job to do the "bug check." I was glad to do it, and I usually remember the lessons learned at her side (and Dad's) in the kitchen. But alas, just recently I didn't check an old taco sauce seasoning packet that I found lingering in the far reaches of the cabinet. Just didn't think about it, you know? Pasta, yes, and rice and flour and the like, certainly, but seasoning packets? There was no telling how long that packet had been there, and I should have checked. Sure enough, it was buggy! Thankfully it poured out in a clump and I was able to just scrape out the contaminated part of the ground beef. If it had been poured into soup, it would have been a total loss like yours. Just a reminder that we should check all pantry goods, just as I crack EVERY egg into an individual bowl before adding to my recipe.

By

KLJohn

I saw a guest almost pour soured milk into a dish on Rachael Ray the other day, she had to mention it to Rachael who hadn't realized it, so I guess it happens to all of us!

By

cookwie

Think of it as extra protein.
Just kidding.

Best thing to do is to freeze it for 3 days the moment it comes home from the grocery store to kill the bugs.

By

Deeli

Ditto on thanks for the heads up, Sandi :-)

Hey, here's what happened to me a couple weeks ago:

Poured a pound of pasta spirals in the boling water and after a couple minutes I freaked out and thought it was weevils but it turned out part of the teflon had come loose from the bottom of the pan and separated in to little balls so that's another one to keep an eye on :-( Needless to say I didn't risk eating it and the pan will now be used to soak my feet for pedicures!

By

rasta

Sandi, in the years of all my cooking I have done the same type goofs. Just two months ago I was making the most delicious breakfast and grabbed the fat free half and half to make my gravy a little creamier and it was spoiled. Like you I didn't check it before I poured. I almost cried. We ate dry cereal that day. This won't be your last goof nor will it be mine.

By

DottieRN

Thanks for the heads up. I will always check my dry stuff like rice before using. You have probably saved someone a bit of real frustration. Thank You!