If you think you’re misreading the title, you’re not – cricket flour is a thing! What the heck is it, and how do you store it?!
Cricket flour is made from dried and ground-up crickets (yes, the bugs). It should be stored in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place, and ideally in the fridge or freezer for the longest shelf life.
Why would you choose to eat cricket flour? We’ll explain some of the potential perks and more in this article!
What is cricket flour?
Cricket flour (also called cricket powder) is likely the most interesting type of flour you’ll ever come across. It’s made from ground-up crickets (yep – it’s not vegan) and nothing else!
Other types of cricket flour combine ground crickets and regular flour to make it more “all-purpose” but the type we’ll be referring to is plain 100% ground cricket flour.
Why eat crickets? It turns out they’re rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12 (two tablespoons of dried crickets provide 270% of your daily value of vitamin B12), and essential amino acids.
Cricket flour might not be suitable for certain people with a shellfish allergy since they share a similar protein.
What is the best way to store cricket flour?
You should store cricket flour in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place. You can also refrigerate it if you want it to last a bit longer! (Open cricket flour will last up to a year at room temperature and up to two years in the freezer.)
Factors that influence cricket flour storage
Time
Cricket flour has a long shelf life, but it’ll go bad eventually. While using old cricket flour likely won’t hurt you, the healthy fats have likely degraded enough to make them not as nutritious.
There should be a best-by or use-by date printed on the package of cricket flour, so keep your eye on that date to help assess how long you should store your cricket flour.
Container
Cricket flour is loaded with healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. These types of fats can go rancid if exposed to oxygen over time, which is why it’s important to keep cricket flour in a sealed container.
If the package the cricket flour comes in isn’t resealable, the best container for it is a sealed ziplock bag with the air removed, a vacuum-sealed bag, or a container with a locking lid (glass or plastic).
Temperature & humidity
If you live in a very hot or humid climate, cricket flour might go bad more quickly. Avoid storing cricket flour in hot areas, which can cause the fats and nutrients to degrade more quickly. (And let’s face it – the main reason you’re likely choosing cricket flour is for its nutrients!)
Signs that cricket flour has spoiled
Taste: Cricket flour has been described as “mildly nutty” and “earthy”. Everyone will perceive the taste of cricket flour differently, but if it tastes bad (sour, bitter, etc) then it might be a sign that it’s going bad.
Appearance: What color is cricket flour, anyway?! It should be dark brown when it’s fresh. If you notice the color has changed since you bought it, it could be a sign that it’s on its way out and needs to be replaced.
Smell: Gauging the freshness of cricket flour by its scent isn’t likely going to be helpful since it has a mild fishy scent. If it smells worse than its normal odor when fresh, though, then it might be going rancid!
FAQs:
Crickets are allowed to be used in food products per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the crickets must be raised for consumption and not caught in the wild!
Cricket powder and cricket flour are synonymous and refer to dried and ground-up crickets. Cricket powder can be combined with actual flour to make a cricket baking mix, but the label will specify if real flour has been added.
Cricket flour does indeed include crickets in it. It’s usually 100% ground-up crickets, but some versions of cricket flour include other flavors or additives.
You don’t have to refrigerate cricket flour, but doing so will extend its shelf life. You can store cricket flour at room temperature for up to a year, though!
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