A Frugal Ewww

amandajane · 01-02-2008, 09:07 PM

I was so frustrated the other day. I had a stash of organic spices and flour that I brought fairly recently.

Unfortunately I didn't put them in plastic or glass jars, I just left them in the plastic bags.

It appears I ended up with 'store beetles' in them. These are Little 2mm long beetles that can eat their way through plastic bags quite easily! They aren't dangerous and don't carry any harmful diseases or anything but I had to chuck the whole lot out, the eww factor was too much, lol.

Consquently I now have a super organised spice and flour cupboard with glass and plastic containers galore, the glass jars I've been saving finally came in handy. I think I've learned a valuable lesson, should have used them before :0)

jhanseth · 01-03-2008, 04:22 AM

Eww is right. That's happened to me too.

Whenever I buy grains or spices in bulk like that, I always chuck the bags in the freezer for a few days before putting them in the airtight containers they'll eventually wind up in. So many grains and spices have little bug eggs in them, and as much as I hate to admit that they're there, it's better to freeze them dead and eat them than wait until they've hatched into full-grown nasties.

Good luck, and may your next bulk-buying experience not be as gross.

amandajane · 01-03-2008, 04:27 PM

Thanks jhanseth :0)

I didn't know about putting them in the freezer, that's a great tip, I'll be doing that next time.

Eww it still makes me cringe thinking about it, lol.

01-02-2008, 09:07 PM	#1
amandajane Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 376 Reputation: (146)	A Frugal Ewww I was so frustrated the other day. I had a stash of organic spices and flour that I brought fairly recently. Unfortunately I didn't put them in plastic or glass jars, I just left them in the plastic bags. It appears I ended up with 'store beetles' in them. These are Little 2mm long beetles that can eat their way through plastic bags quite easily! They aren't dangerous and don't carry any harmful diseases or anything but I had to chuck the whole lot out, the eww factor was too much, lol. Consquently I now have a super organised spice and flour cupboard with glass and plastic containers galore, the glass jars I've been saving finally came in handy. I think I've learned a valuable lesson, should have used them before :0)

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01-03-2008, 04:22 AM	#2
jhanseth Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, ME Posts: 18 Reputation: (10)	Eww is right. That's happened to me too. Whenever I buy grains or spices in bulk like that, I always chuck the bags in the freezer for a few days before putting them in the airtight containers they'll eventually wind up in. So many grains and spices have little bug eggs in them, and as much as I hate to admit that they're there, it's better to freeze them dead and eat them than wait until they've hatched into full-grown nasties. Good luck, and may your next bulk-buying experience not be as gross.

01-03-2008, 04:27 PM	#3
amandajane Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 376 Reputation: (146)	Thanks jhanseth :0) I didn't know about putting them in the freezer, that's a great tip, I'll be doing that next time. Eww it still makes me cringe thinking about it, lol.