Buying in bulk question. Baking items

[eliza61]

Happy Sunday Dissers,

My local supermarket is having a really great sale on baking items, I guess folks are revving up for holiday baking and I was thinking of stocking up.

one thing is baking supplies are probably the only thing I don't usually stock up on.

So a couple of questions.
1) how long do these things usually last. sale prices are in ()

5 lb bag of domino sugar (on sale for 0.98c)
5 lb bag of gold medal flour (1.19)
lb of land of lakes butter salted or unsalted (1.25)
12 oz bag of hersey toll house morsels 1(1.68)
Philadelphia cream cheese 8oz (0.99c)

2) if I freeze the butter when it defrost do you notice a difference in taste?
3) Can you freeze cream cheese? and does it mess with the consistency when you defrost?

You can only buy 4 of each item at a time. lol don't really need 20 lbs of sugar but for a buck if it last I'd get one or two.

 

[pjlla]

Everything you mentioned except the sugar is freezable to a degree. I would definitely put the flour into an airtight container (such as a Rubbermaid or Tupperware) and put it in the freezer to keep it fresh and avoid bugs. The butter and morsels can go into the freezer as is (although you could wrap them in plastic wrap or put them in a freezer bag to be double sure). I have frozen cream cheese before, but it does change it just a bit and I probably would only use it for baking afterwards.

Sugar should last a looong time in a well-sealed container (again, a Rubbermaid or Tupperware), as long as it isn't stored where there is excess moisture. It could get a bit lumpy, but you can break up the lumps easily.

Go for it! Just be sure to bring along your coupons!................P

 

[msmama]

I have a bag of sugar that is good until 2014. Flour is good until 2015. Both we're bought within the last couple of weeks so that could give you an idea.

I have only ever used frozen cream cheese and butter to cook or bake and haven't had a problem with taste or texture. Chocolate chips will start to look funny - they'll turn whitefish - but I still use them that way.

If you do buy 10 lbs of flour, I'd keep it in the freezer until ready to use.

Or just start making cookies!

 

[Marionnette]

Happy Sunday Dissers,

My local supermarket is having a really great sale on baking items, I guess folks are revving up for holiday baking and I was thinking of stocking up.

one thing is baking supplies are probably the only thing I don't usually stock up on.

So a couple of questions.
1) how long do these things usually last. sale prices are in ()

5 lb bag of domino sugar (on sale for 0.98c)
5 lb bag of gold medal flour (1.19)
lb of land of lakes butter salted or unsalted (1.25)
12 oz bag of hersey toll house morsels 1(1.68)
Philadelphia cream cheese 8oz (0.99c)

2) if I freeze the butter when it defrost do you notice a difference in taste?
3) Can you freeze cream cheese? and does it mess with the consistency when you defrost?

You can only buy 4 of each item at a time. lol don't really need 20 lbs of sugar but for a buck if it last I'd get one or two.

No need to freeze the sugar, but keep it out of a damp location. Otherwise, it will cake. You also do not need to freeze the chocolate chips. Keep away from heat or else the cocoa butter will "bloom" to the surface. It doesn't change the flavor, just the appearance.

The flour can be frozen but doesn't need to be. It has a "use by" date on the package that is usually a couple of years away.

Butter freezes fine and I've never noticed a change in consistency or flavor as long as it is thawed in the wrapper.

Cream cheese can be frozen and it will not have an effect on the flavor. However, the consistency changes. If you're using it for cooking or baking, that shouldn't be a problem. However, I would not use frozen/thawed cream cheese as a spread. It tends to get a little lumpy.

 

[LJSquishy]

You can freeze the butter & cream cheese without it changing the consistancy of it when you refrigerate it. Well, the cream cheese may change a little but if you use it for baking it won't matter at all.

Are you talking about buying (4) 5lb bags of both sugar and flour? I probably wouldn't buy that much unless you plan to store it in sealed containers. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase (2) 5lb bags of each, though. I don't go through a lot of sugar but it stores just fine in the bag. I do a fair amount of from-scratch baking (pancakes, waffles, muffins, etc to freeze) so having 10lbs of flour doesn't make me bat an eye. I wouldn't worry about storing 10lbs of flour any special way unless you tend to have moth problems.

Those prices are great, but not amazing enough for me to stock up on max quantity for those items. Think about the amount of space you have to store those items...we have a chest freezer in the garage so the butter & cream cheese wouldn't be an issue, but the flour & sugar would be a hassle for me.

 

[Egdisney]

The butter is a great price, the lowest we get is 1.69 or so, and the other prices are good, but you should see them several times throughout the year, usually thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Unless you bake a lot, you probably don't need to buy more than a couple of the flour and sugar, if that. I would buy lots of butter, that's all I use. Everyone else covered everything