I want to start storing flour but realized that the date on the bags of flour I purchased recently are only good for up to 6 months. Does anyone have experience storing flour for long periods of time without it affecting the taste of it? I will be storing it in a food grade containers with gamma lids.
Mountaineer's Wife
Flour does not store long term, it will go rancid.
If you MUST, consider transferring to plastic bags and put in your freezer. Rotate!
Grinding is really the only viable way to store long term.... decades even.
whole grain, mylar bags, 02 absorbers (like in packs of beef jerky). when needed, take it out and use a grinder. 20+ years from what I understand.
See you all after.
Where does one get grain? Now that the wheat pool has finally lost its monopoly can I just ask a farmer?
Depending where you are, the mormans are a great resource.
Locations,
http://providentliving.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations?lang=eng
Order form,
http://providentliving.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-order-form?lang=eng
Other than that, Bulk Barn, and hey , if you know any farmers ask them!
I've purchased trailer loads of wheat berries from New West Milling in Bassano in the past.
Cleaned but I re-cleaned and dried before putting into plastic 55 gallon drums.
Cheap
Btw, no mylar or absorbers required.
To just store wheat berries in a tub will not have the shelf life as those that are packed in mylar with absorbers. Oxygen, for food is the great destroyer. If you want to keep the grain for long periods, pack it right.
"We 'Prep.' to live after a downfall, Not just to survive."
A couple years ago I received a call from a women to remove about two-three tons of wheat berries that were stored in "tubs" in her grand parents dry crawlspace.
Her grand parents were mormons before they died and to her mothers knowledge the wheat had been stored down there since 1962.
Guess what?
I found no "fancy" mylar or absorbers and the wheat was just as good as the day it was put down there.
If the space you are storing your "clean" wheat is dry and rodent protected, it will store for decades.
Prepping has become fancy and folks are 'rolling in some big dough' with all this fanciness.
Ps, I'm eating toast this morning made from the wheat of 1962. Delich!
As my dad use to say, keep it simple stupid.
I agree with the no mylar thing when wheat is concerned, in fact I did not do it to my rice either. It seemed like someone said people needed it and then it became mainstream in the community. If you do you do, if you don't you don't. I would be more inclined to keep it dry than O free. What did a truckload cost and are we talking 53' trailers? If so, that is pretty crazy and impressive at the same time.
TheCrier, what did you use to grind the wheat berries? I'm looking for an affordable, long-lasting grinder for that purpose........
thanks
Submitted by trigollc@yahoo.com on December 12, 2009 - 10:54am. Wheat Storage
These comments are all good but i would like to add a few.
Our business cleans and sells Hard White Wheat and Hard Red Spring Wheat in 50# bags and 45# buckets. I tell my customers that if they plan to use their wheat in a short period of time, then the bag is more economical; however, if they plan to store for long periods and not use the wheat, then the buckets are the way to go.
The cleaning process removes chaff, weed seeds, shrunken and broken kernels and any live insects. If you are storing in an airtight container, you will want to remove most of the oxygen from the container. This is to prevent weevil eggs from surviving on the wheat kernel. There are three equally effective methods to remove the oxygen.
1-Oxygen absorbers. These are the small packets found in more and more food packages. The packet contains iron filings that react with the water vapor in the air and rust. The chemical reaction requires oxygen and uses the oxygen in the nearby environment. the downside to using Oxygen absorbers is that they can only be used once and once they are exposed to the atmosphere, they are effective for about 15 minutes.
2-Dry Ice. Dry Ice is frozen carbon dioxide. A small piece (4 oz) placed on the top of the wheat in a full, open bucket will evaporate and fill the bucket with CO2. Be careful and handle dry ice with gloves as it can burn the skin.
3-Nitrogen. For our commercial operation we have found that injecting Nitrogen into the bucket and sealing the lid to be the least expensive. However, we can spread the cost of the bottles, valves and regulators over several thousand buckets.
The key to long term storage is to keep the wheat dry, cool, and in an airtight container.
"We 'Prep.' to live after a downfall, Not just to survive."
A couple years ago I received a call from a women to remove about two-three tons of wheat berries that were stored in "tubs" in her grand parents dry crawlspace.
Her grand parents were mormons before they died and to her mothers knowledge the wheat had been stored down there since 1962.
Guess what?
I found no "fancy" mylar or absorbers and the wheat was just as good as the day it was put down there.
If the space you are storing your "clean" wheat is dry and rodent protected, it will store for decades.
Prepping has become fancy and folks are 'rolling in some big dough' with all this fanciness.
Ps, I'm eating toast this morning made from the wheat of 1962. Delich!
As my dad use to say, keep it simple stupid.
You are very fortunate to have gotten your hands on this from that period of time. I'm not so sure I'd store things that way today due to all the GMO'd that has taken place over the past 50 years along with how much chemicals have used to grow the crops. Count your blessings!
Submitted by trigollc@yahoo.com on December 12, 2009 - 10:54am. Wheat Storage
These comments are all good but i would like to add a few.
Our business cleans and sells Hard White Wheat and Hard Red Spring Wheat in 50# bags and 45# buckets. I tell my customers that if they plan to use their wheat in a short period of time, then the bag is more economical; however, if they plan to store for long periods and not use the wheat, then the buckets are the way to go.
The cleaning process removes chaff, weed seeds, shrunken and broken kernels and any live insects. If you are storing in an airtight container, you will want to remove most of the oxygen from the container. This is to prevent weevil eggs from surviving on the wheat kernel. There are three equally effective methods to remove the oxygen.
1-Oxygen absorbers. These are the small packets found in more and more food packages. The packet contains iron filings that react with the water vapor in the air and rust. The chemical reaction requires oxygen and uses the oxygen in the nearby environment. the downside to using Oxygen absorbers is that they can only be used once and once they are exposed to the atmosphere, they are effective for about 15 minutes.
2-Dry Ice. Dry Ice is frozen carbon dioxide. A small piece (4 oz) placed on the top of the wheat in a full, open bucket will evaporate and fill the bucket with CO2. Be careful and handle dry ice with gloves as it can burn the skin.
3-Nitrogen. For our commercial operation we have found that injecting Nitrogen into the bucket and sealing the lid to be the least expensive. However, we can spread the cost of the bottles, valves and regulators over several thousand buckets.
The key to long term storage is to keep the wheat dry, cool, and in an airtight container.
What about putting in one of those Hot Pocket hand warmers we shake or break to activate and put into our mitts in the winter? (I used them in the 70's walking to school and Costco sells them by the box for a resonable price)
Depending where you are, the mormans are a great resource.
Locations,
http://providentliving.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations?lang=eng
Order form,
http://providentliving.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-order-form?lang=eng
Other than that, Bulk Barn, and hey , if you know any farmers ask them!
It would be great to find-out what stuff they have available to them.