Southern bakers: say goodbye to White Lily flour.

[Ogre]

I have a related Pit thread here (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=472870). The gist is that White Lily Flour, milled since 1883 in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, is soon to be no more. It is the ultimate flour for biscuits, cakes, and pies, and has been relied upon by generations of Southern cooks. It is an absolute institution here, being so highly prized that, once upon a time, it was saved strictly for use in family Sunday dinners.

Smuckers (who bought the mill) have issued statements that, even though they are moving production of the flour to a Midwestern facility, it will be exactly the same. This has thus far proven to be false, since in several blind tests, bakers have been able to identify the differences by sight alone, as well as taste.

Read the rest here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/dining/18flour.html?ex=1214452800&en=c7fed15309132e12&ei=5070&emc=eta1

[Baldwin]

A lot of people swear by White Lily; just won't be the same.

[Spoke]

Time to switch to Martha White.

I've always preferred Martha White flour for biscuits, anyway. Plus, Martha White has a kick-ass bluegrass jingle. (And it's got Hot-Rize!)

On the other hand, White Lily makes (made) the very best cornmeal.

ETA - Hmm. Upon further investigation, it looks like Martha White has been a subsidiary of Smuckers for some time now. Sentimental attachment to all things Southern aside, their flour is just fine.

[Spoke]

Upon even further investigation, Martha White is apparently still milled at Jackson Tennessee. If Smuckers is trying to consolidate milling operations, why not move the White Lily operations to Jackson? (Or Martha White operations to Knoxville?)

Odd.

[KneadToKnow]

With a name like Smuckers, it's bound to piss somebody off.

[cainxinth]

I only purchase flour endorsed by the Pappy O'Daniel Flour Hour.

[RiverRunner]

On the other hand, White Lily makes (made) the very best cornmeal.



This is much truth.


RR

[Zsofia]

Well, that sucks. Oddly enough, they make Adluh right here but there aren't many places you can find it for sale.

[Spoke]

With a name like Smuckers, it's bound to piss somebody off.

With a name like Smuckers, it ought to be easy to compose a limerick appropriate to the situation.

;)

[Two and a Half Inches of Fun]

Smuckers (who bought the mill) have issued statements that, even though they are moving production of the flour to a Midwestern facility, it will be exactly the same. This has thus far proven to be false, since in several blind tests, bakers have been able to identify the differences by sight alone, as well as taste.

Read the rest here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/dining/18flour.html?ex=1214452800&en=c7fed15309132e12&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Have there been several taste tests? The only thing is the article is that two bakers could tell the difference in a blind test. But the article did not even go into whether there were bakers who could not tell the difference or how many bakers were involved.

[Larry Borgia]

This seems like a problem the free market is eminently suited to solve. If there's a demand for this type of flour, I'm sure someone else will produce it.