My grandmother taught me to put a couple of bay leaves in the bottom of the flour jar, oats, rice etc and the buggies will stay away. This works for me
I live in a dry climate. In my home we have a cellar that stays between 50 &60 degrees year round. I have food that was left by the previous owners. I am currently using wheat that was stored there in 1981!, it tastes great!!
That is so cool!!! That's what I'm talking about - wheat berries store forever, and then you mill them fresh and they taste amazing. Thanks for sharing that!
New Grainy here, I love the look of the grains and such in the mason jars. I like that I can vacuum seal them as well. I am still unsure of the length of time that different grains and such will stay viable when stored properly. I did see your video concerning oat groats so I'm good on that one. Love your videos, they have taken me from thinking about milling and baking to actually doing it. The difference in all of our baked goods is amazing!! They taste outstanding and we feel that we aren't just eating "fillers" we are getting the nutrition that God intended us to receive all along! Thank you Felicia!! 🥰
Any dried beans and grains will last indefinitely as long as they are pest free and dry, they found dried beans in a cave that were around 1,500 years old, and they were still able to grow after planting.
I store beans rice grains & all my dehydrated foods in jars -on top of my cabinets-the empty wasted space up there looks so pretty now with all my pretty filled jars!😍. I used to freeze rice grits etc. prior to storing but I’ve recently learned that if you are putting in Mylar with oxygen absorbers-the bugs can’t survive without oxygen-therefore freezing prior to Mylar with oxygen absorbers isn’t necessary.
Thank you so so much for all the information you provide in your videos! They are extremely helpful and answer so many of my questions!! And good point about Joseph - I hadn’t even thought about that!
We started saving food up about 10 years ago, and we just opened up a pail of red wheat berries and ground it up to make bread and it was still just fine. We live up north where it get a couple of feet of snow every winter, and we keep it in a shed. We put it in mylar bags with 2 oxygen absorbers per pail, may be over kill, but it worked just fine. Thanks for this video!
Such a great testimony, thank you! And honestly, when it comes to saving food I don't think you can be TOO careful. Yes, you can go overboard, but if that makes you more comfortable then go for it. Better safe than sorry! I don't think oxygen absorbers are overboard, but the mylar bags I don't think are needed for grains. Dried grains keep their flavor very well :-)
@@GrainsandGrit I am going to try to sprout the grain to see if all we did to preserve it was worth it. In desperate times just eating the berries sprouted would sustain life. Again thanks for your videos, I enjoy them and I am just learning how to make bread (at 70 years old its better than never!).
I had stored some hard white wheatberries in a 5-gal. bucket and it had extra room so I added a big plastic bag of corn. Now I realize from your video that it was the CORN that contaminated that bucket. All the corn (which was less than 3 gal.) was ruined as well as the wheat berries -- which was more like 15 lbs. or more -- with weevils. What a sad sight that was! I poured all the wheat berries onto our small compost pile, and for weeks we had wheatgrass growing there. SO appreciate your explanations that let me know what was going on!@@GrainsandGrit
Another great video. I just pulled my first loaf of bread out of the oven that I made from your Simply Yeast Bread with Freshly Milled Grains recipe. It smells wonderful. Thank you for all the videos you put out there. They have been very helpful.
I didn't freeze my rice but I did seal it up in a mylar bag with oxygen absorbers so I hope that was good enough. I hope I don't get a bad surprise with I open the bag. 🥴
I have those lowes buckets, but they are not food grade and wouldn't use them to store food in them. I got 5 gallon buckets from TrueLeafMarket. I ordered 12 and got free shipping.They are food grade no BPA.
Thanks, Felicia! this was very helpful I knew not to freeze my wheat berries, but I did not know I needed to freeze my rice or corn. I don’t have any corn at the moment, but I will be cycling my rice through the freezer.
I'm really enjoying your videos and learning so very much. The use of the Bible is very much appreciated as well! One of my friends put Bay Leaves in her grain to helps if,, by chance any bugs get in there. Also, found that stacking more than 3 buckets is the limit as one person stacked higher and had a bucket on the bottom broke so it was good that the contents was in mylar with oxegen absorbers. Would you also recommend not staking more than 3? And, thoughts on Bay Leaves in with grains?? Blessings Sister 🥰
I’ve never tried bay leaves but someone else has told me that too. I don’t stack buckets more than three high mainly because I’m 5’2 and anything higher than 3 buckets would be a pain to get down lol
I buy 40 pound bags of wheat berries and put 5 pounds of berries in a 1 gallon mylar bag with 400gr oxygen absorber, grain stays perfectly fresh and no chance of bugs in a zero oxygen environment. I put the mylar bags in plastic totes that will hold about a dozen bags which is 60 pounds. I keep mine in our house at 70 degrees or below. I may buy a few cases of #10 cans (5.5#) from the LDS church, 33# per case of 6 cans all packed with oxygen absorbers and just store those under our house which usually stays about 65-68 degrees year round. Long term storage 30 year just in case the SHTF.
This year I'm going to start milling wheat and I was concerned that the berries have to be frozen first. I know you said in this video that it's not necessary. I am concerned that maybe they could pick up bugs en route. So that doesn't happen?
Do you use oxygen absorbers, or moisture absorbers to store rice? I store the rice in glass jars. Also, can you vacuum seal the glass jars with the wire clamps?
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I have a few 25 lb. bags of wheat and spelt berries that have been in my freezer for quite a few years. If they are still good, do I have to dry them somehow before putting them in the 5 lb. food safe buckets?
Oh, of course they're still good. I mean, as long as they didn't get water damage. Wheat can store for literally thousands of years in the right conditions. But yeah, you might need to dry them out before putting in a bucket.
I enjoy your videos. I know from experience weevils will also show up in wheat berries unless they have been sprayed with pesticides. I use oxygen absorbers in all of the things you mentioned. The bugs can't survive in an oxygen free environment.
My azure standard order of soft white wheat berries must have a little bug in it because all of a sudden there is a white dust at the bottom of the jar and some of the berries look hollowed out. They went from the bag into a clean glass mason jar. Any suggestions?
No good. Azure grains have been known to have bug problems. I would definitely freeze them next time. Or use oxygen absorbers, etc. from Wallaby: bit.ly/3HQkS7h ($5 off with code: GRAINSANDGRIT5)
Thanks so very much! I want to store debt corn. Do o need an oxygen absorber? Someone else said on a FB thread NOT to put one in because it could cause botulism. Have you ever heard of this before?
Very helpful information. Thanks so much!! If you have frozen beans, (thought I was supposed to and they’re still taking up valuable freezer space) how do you transition them from freezer to jar without the moisture from condensation.
I've never done this with beans. I have only done it with corn and rice and I just take the grains from the freezer and place them in to whatever container I want them in. If your bag was sealed up properly, any condensation would be on the bag the beans are in in the freezer and not the beans themselves. Hope that makes sense :-p
I take my preps that have been in the freezer and place them in large bowl lined with newspaper or paper towels and allow them to sit out until ALL the moisture has evaporated. Then I put it in my buckets with the lid with the seal on it
Can you just store Einhorn in a bucket with a oxygen absorber I been wanting to get Einkorn and I love pearl farro for salads I want to get that in bulk
What about the canning process? I've watched videos that say you have to put the jars in the oven before and after. Is that necessary? I'm not a canner... yet
After cleaning out weevils infiltrating most of a cupboard, this is good info. I heard That weevils lay eggs in wheat berries. Is that not correct? I will say that the nastiest infestation in that cupboard was some grits that had been in that cupboard for years. But ,then they were sprinkled throughout my bags of pasta. I have all of the pasta that was not infested in glass jars or in vacuum sealer bags.
May I ask, after freezing is there a need to get rid of the moisture that results from taking maize out of the freezer or do you just store it as it is?
As an alternative to freezing, would it be as effective to just throw in oxygen absorbers into the long-term storage buckets with things such as oats to prevent weevils hatching?
The short answer is yes. Freezing anything that is already dry, reintroduces moisture into the product. Perhaps the very worst thing you can do for any long-term storage. Also, the idea that freezing kills things like weevils, completely ignores the fact that they return every year after harsh Minnesota winters. For a long answer, look up what you can and what you should not store using O2 absorbers.
Instead of freezing corn, rice, couldn't one just put an oxygen absorber in the mason jar? I think there are also vacuum sealers for mason jars. Wouldn't that suffice?
@@GrainsandGrit this was my question too. If I can skip myler bags and put the grain directly in buckets with oxygen absorber, that would be so much simpler. Just don't want bugs showing up in my bucket like I had with my rice one time
So the rice you get at the store,im dure sometimes seems there for long time without problems, and I'm sure they not freezing it,im just trying to understand the information
In the midst of a disaster, we may not have electric, what mill do you suggest? However, we may not even have a way to bake bread either if there is a disaster… what is your back up plan for that?
Excellent questions! You can do all the above in a grid-down situation. I get into all of that in my complete course, How to Master Prepping with Grains: grainsandgrit.com/prepwithgrains
Question: I froze some bags of wheat berries last year. I froze them for a couple of days in the bag they came in. Then I took the bags out and set them on the countertop for the day. Then put them in mylar bags in a bucket with oxygen absorbers. Now that I've learned more, I'm concerned about moisture that may have gotten into my bags of wheat berries while freezing. How do I know if the wheat berries have gone bad? I'm really hoping I didn't ruin my berries and all of the other things I'vw put into long term storage.
I don’t think they’re labeled food safe. I’ve never had a problem with them, but sometimes I keep the grain in the bag it came in and put it in these buckets as a bit of a liner 😄
I bought hard white and hard red in buckets with gamma seal lids a couple weeks ago but when I went to use the hatd white today, there are weevils in it🤬🤬 So Im freezing all my other grains now. I am in Bradenton FL and was storing vacuum sealed grains/beans out in shed but I noticed several suppliers say they must be kept under 80 degrees. No storage room in my house due to all of my canning goods. Thanks for your videos.
WOW, I've never had issues with weevils in my wheat and I live in Florida too! Well, it never hurts to freeze it to be safe. You're not going to hurt it. :-)
I sealed my grains in my vacuum sealer bags and it sucks out all the oxygen. Is this an appropriate way to store the wheat berries? I bought 25 lbs so that should last us a year.
Ah good question, I should have clarified. No. I just take them out of the freezer and immediately dump them in the container I’m using 😄 I don’t keep them in the bag. If there’s any moisture due to condensation it would be on the bag so I don’t keep it in the bucket. *Note, the corn I am freezing is already dried corn. This is NOT fresh corn. Fresh corn would need to be dried, canned, or frozen 😄
Hi I hope you can reply to my issue, I got some white hard berries and red ones too in August, a friend told me just to store them in the plastic bags they came in, just in a high place so no mice can get to it, cause that's how she does it and they're fine, well well they got WEEVILS now, I found on the internet I can freeze them some days, let them come to room temperature and sort them out to remove the weevils, is this ok? Are they really salvageable?
Sounds like you may have some low-quality berries. You might be able to salvage, but I recommend getting good quality grains like from Pleasant Hill Grain. Theirs come in airtight containers already ready for storage: bit.ly/3sRN0zB
Hi! I am new to your channel and am SO THANKFUL I found you. You have been very helpful in teaching me about grains and their storage. You mentioned in this video about freezing rice prior to long-term storing. I recently purchased some rice in bulk. Unfortunately, I currently don’t have a lot of space in my freezer. If I’m putting oxygen absorbers in my rice prior to sealing, is it still necessary to freeze the rice?
QUESTION: But we don't know if the wheat berries had any bugs in them when they arrive. Oh geez, I froze mine, and they were dewy when I took them out (the bag) but left it to get room temperature for 3 or 4 days before putting them in mylar bags in a 5 gal bucket. Do you think it'll be ok? I have pinto beans in the chest freezer now.Also I've heard nightmares that when people have frozen stuff it kills the bugs, but the larvae is still alive and when its bagged up and bucketed up, they will hatch out when left at room temp. Is this true? Oh wow, GREAT news, I don't have to freeze the berries. wooo hooo, what a pain that was, as I already did it. WHAT ABOUT STORING SUGAR. lol lol thanks so much
When you buy your grains and before you use them do you sort through them to get the bags and parts of the weed plant out? I guess what I’m asking is do you clean your grains before you grind them not getting them wet just picking through them?
If you see a stem or something in the berries while you're pouring them out, feel free to grab it. But if you're buying grains from a quality source like Pleasant Hill Grain, then you shouldn't have to worry about dirty grains.
If I'm storing rice and grains in 5 gallon 65ml buckets with gamma seals do I need mylar bag liners? I've heard that the 65 ml still let oxygen through which can allow bugs to thrive. I'll be opening the bags to refill my pantry jars so oxygen packs won't make sense. I'd have to change them out every time I open the bag.
Also rice that still has the outer lining (so every rice that is not white) can go rancid... I have had brown rice that tasted off after storibg for a while. Maybe good to check on regularly and not just put away and forget about...
Can hard red wheat berries be saved if they get bugs in them? OR is it a total loss?? It had bay leaves in it but still got bugs. Probably came from the source I bought them from. Do I need to toss the whole container?
I know of no simple way of saving it. I recommend getting your grains from a trustworthy, reliable source like Pleasant Hill Grain: www.grainsandgrit.com/phg
I placed my rice in food saver vac bags and stored them in the freezer for 3 days, took out for 1-3 days and then froze again. What I’m hoping I did not do wrong is that I ducked all the air out of the bags first. Should I have just left the rice loosely in the food saver vac bags instead? Also when this technique is done with flours, should I do it with pasta as well before storing it for long term? If it’s good to keep moisture out of the foods, then why are silicone gel packs not used? I know you are not supposed to use Oxygen Absorbers along with the silica gel packs but which ones should be used? Lots of questions and any info will be greatly appreciated 🌹
There's no harm in taking all the air out before freezing the grains. As far as pasta, I have never stored that for long term so I don't have any personal experience with it. However, it is a dried food meant to be shelf stable for awhile. I would have to research further! I don't use silicone gel packs because so long as grains are kept in a good container with a good lid, moisture isn't going to get in. The key is a good container and lid!
Hi Felicia, gaining so much good wisdom from you. So dry pinto or cranberry beans….how do I store? Oxygen bags? Dry can? Or same as wheat? Thank you. Debbie
So with dent corn freeze for 48 hours, take it out of the freezer and put in your storage container with an airtight lid. Then you are good to go forever.
Thank you for this video I bought a 25 pound bag of hard white berries from azure and put them in their jars will they be ok in there .also I have never froze my rice I put it in myler bags with oxygen absorbers do you think they will get bugs in them ?
Yeah, if your jars are stored in a cool dry place, I would think they'd be fine for a while. And freezing is sort of an either-or thing. If you're doing O2 absorbers, that accomplishes the same thing.
To clarify, how do you store your beans, in glass jars? I want to do an Azure standard order of beans in bulk, and I was wondering what you believe the best way is to store them...Looooooove your channel, BTW ❤😮
Your videos are ao helpful. I am just getting started with home milling. Quick question; After you feeze the corn and then transfer to a bucket, do you have to worry about moisture when it thaws?? Thanks!
Hello! I have tried to read your replies to other's comments below but for some reason they are not showing up... SO I have just purchased my first bulk bag of wheat berries! So excited. BUT, when freezing rice or corn, do you need to let it sit out again to "dry" before storing them in airtight buckets? I wasn't sure if there would be too much moisture after freezing them?? If so, do I spread them out to air dry or simply leave them in the bags they came in to dry---or just do nothing and simply put them in the buckets? Thanks for your help! BTW, taking a trip to Bread Beckers tomorrow. Thanks to you I discovered this place and I mentioned to them that I discovered them on line through you. They sounded very pleased :) Have a blessed day!
Ah so jealous you're going to Bread Beckers! I have yet to be there. Every time I'm going around Atlanta I'm on the opposite side. As far as rice and corn, I take them out of the freezer and dump them in buckets. I've never had problems with moisture or anything. I think with them being in well sealed bags while freezing keeps out any moisture.
After freezing corn wouldn't it have moisture in it? How would that be good to put in buckets? Wouldn't you have to wait for them to dry out first? That would take forever with 25 plus pds. Would it not? How do you do it?
Quick question. You didn’t mention if your buckets were food grade.? Can one use just the regular buckets- for grains? I bought food grade and gamma lids (4 four total) and it cost a fortune so regular buckets would be great. Thanks!
@@GrainsandGrit oh thank you! Many say you must stir everything in food safe and I see why, especially when it long term food. I just wasn’t sure about grains. I just started my adventure on grains so I’m taking in a lot of u tubes and reading as I love baking bread but have never done with fresh ground flour and I knew there was a difference. I’ve made Ezekiel bread with 100% sprouted grains that turned out ok but didn’t rise much and was very solid! I seen u have a video out that I’m gonna watch when I get home today. Just subscribed to your channel as I can see you’ve got a lot of experience, especially for us newbies. God Bless
My grandmother taught me to put a couple of bay leaves in the bottom of the flour jar, oats, rice etc and the buggies will stay away. This works for me
Does dry bay leaves work? Or it has to be fresh leaves?
@@DragonZelda I always use dry I put a couple in the bottom of the container and if there is a package I place a couple in there.
@@maureenhargrave3568 Thanks!
@@maureenhargrave3568 I always LOVE nature’s way of handling problems!
How helpful! Thank you so much!
The real beauty of these grains and beans is that you can plant them and get a whole lot more when you start to run low!
It only takes 6 months to reap the benefits…
@@Prosecute-fauci lol
I live in a dry climate. In my home we have a cellar that stays between 50 &60 degrees year round. I have food that was left by the previous owners. I am currently using wheat that was stored there in 1981!, it tastes great!!
That is so cool!!! That's what I'm talking about - wheat berries store forever, and then you mill them fresh and they taste amazing. Thanks for sharing that!
New Grainy here, I love the look of the grains and such in the mason jars. I like that I can vacuum seal them as well. I am still unsure of the length of time that different grains and such will stay viable when stored properly. I did see your video concerning oat groats so I'm good on that one. Love your videos, they have taken me from thinking about milling and baking to actually doing it. The difference in all of our baked goods is amazing!! They taste outstanding and we feel that we aren't just eating "fillers" we are getting the nutrition that God intended us to receive all along! Thank you Felicia!! 🥰
Welcome! Grain stores indefinitely. Don't overthink it.
Grains found in Egyptian pyramids were viable and were planted.
Any dried beans and grains will last indefinitely as long as they are pest free and dry, they found dried beans in a cave that were around 1,500 years old, and they were still able to grow after planting.
Love the Biblical Wisdom applied to real life.
Awesome
Okey ❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😊😊😊😊
This was super helpful! Thank you! Also I absolutely love how you bring the up the Bible! God bless you!
I store beans rice grains & all my dehydrated foods in jars -on top of my cabinets-the empty wasted space up there looks so pretty now with all my pretty filled jars!😍. I used to freeze rice grits etc. prior to storing but I’ve recently learned that if you are putting in Mylar with oxygen absorbers-the bugs can’t survive without oxygen-therefore freezing prior to Mylar with oxygen absorbers isn’t necessary.
We dry canned 50 lbs. of rice in 2015 and I’m still using it! It’s put up in 1/2 gal. jars!
Thank you so much, Felicia! I am getting some wheat berries soon and was concerned about how to store them. This really put my mind at ease!
You are so welcome!
Thank you so so much for all the information you provide in your videos! They are extremely helpful and answer so many of my questions!! And good point about Joseph - I hadn’t even thought about that!
We started saving food up about 10 years ago, and we just opened up a pail of red wheat berries and ground it up to make bread and it was still just fine. We live up north where it get a couple of feet of snow every winter, and we keep it in a shed. We put it in mylar bags with 2 oxygen absorbers per pail, may be over kill, but it worked just fine. Thanks for this video!
Such a great testimony, thank you! And honestly, when it comes to saving food I don't think you can be TOO careful. Yes, you can go overboard, but if that makes you more comfortable then go for it. Better safe than sorry! I don't think oxygen absorbers are overboard, but the mylar bags I don't think are needed for grains. Dried grains keep their flavor very well :-)
@@GrainsandGrit I am going to try to sprout the grain to see if all we did to preserve it was worth it. In desperate times just eating the berries sprouted would sustain life. Again thanks for your videos, I enjoy them and I am just learning how to make bread (at 70 years old its better than never!).
@@earlschultz7880 Yes sprouting would definitely show if the seed is still alive!
I had stored some hard white wheatberries in a 5-gal. bucket and it had extra room so I added a big plastic bag of corn. Now I realize from your video that it was the CORN that contaminated that bucket. All the corn (which was less than 3 gal.) was ruined as well as the wheat berries -- which was more like 15 lbs. or more -- with weevils. What a sad sight that was! I poured all the wheat berries onto our small compost pile, and for weeks we had wheatgrass growing there. SO appreciate your explanations that let me know what was going on!@@GrainsandGrit
@earlschultz7880 my dad sprouted oats to feed his mama rabbits for extra nutrition. He and I ate them too😊
You are a gem here on TH-cam. Losts of good information and love how you answered the questions.
Thank you!
Thank you for this video, I love the glass Mason jars look too and hope to incorporate into my kitchen.
I’m getting into storing grains and this info is godsend. Thanks!
Wonderful! So glad you found my channel! Please subscribe!
I love learning from you! My mill and grains are supposed to be delivered today (Saturday, October 12, 2024) So excited! Great tutorial. All the best.
YAY!!
Clearly, you're a mind reader, too!! Does coffee store well in a vacuumed glass jar in the pantry? Thanks!
Thank you for the tips. I live in the south and was hesitant about storing in the garage.
Totally understandable. The bugs and humidity are no joke! Glad the tips are helpful!
Thank you so much for sharing your long-learned experience! You're a lifesaver!
You are so welcome!
One good thing about living in the north (zone 3) is that it’s easy to freeze everything during winter, so that’s when I store things up. 🥰
Saludos from Texas. Thank you for information. Time is critical for storing.
Another great video. I just pulled my first loaf of bread out of the oven that I made from your Simply Yeast Bread with Freshly Milled Grains recipe. It smells wonderful. Thank you for all the videos you put out there. They have been very helpful.
So glad these videos are helping you! Let me know how the bread turned out!
Thanks for sharing and making it plain and simple... Shalom!!!!!
You are so welcome!!
I didn't freeze my rice but I did seal it up in a mylar bag with oxygen absorbers so I hope that was good enough. I hope I don't get a bad surprise with I open the bag. 🥴
I have never had any issues with rice or corn, never frozen any either, however i live quite far north so that might have something to do with it.
Love how you broke it down easily! Thank you for sharing your experience with us all!
Glad it was helpful!
I have those lowes buckets, but they are not food grade and wouldn't use them to store food in them. I got 5 gallon buckets from TrueLeafMarket. I ordered 12 and got free shipping.They are food grade no BPA.
Thanks, Felicia! this was very helpful I knew not to freeze my wheat berries, but I did not know I needed to freeze my rice or corn. I don’t have any corn at the moment, but I will be cycling my rice through the freezer.
Glad it was helpful!
I'm really enjoying your videos and learning so very much. The use of the Bible is very much appreciated as well! One of my friends put Bay Leaves in her grain to helps if,, by chance any bugs get in there. Also, found that stacking more than 3 buckets is the limit as one person stacked higher and had a bucket on the bottom broke so it was good that the contents was in mylar with oxegen absorbers. Would you also recommend not staking more than 3? And, thoughts on Bay Leaves in with grains?? Blessings Sister 🥰
I’ve never tried bay leaves but someone else has told me that too.
I don’t stack buckets more than three high mainly because I’m 5’2 and anything higher than 3 buckets would be a pain to get down lol
I have stored my beans in half gallon jars for years. As I don't have counter space to display I just store them in my pantry...
I buy 40 pound bags of wheat berries and put 5 pounds of berries in a 1 gallon mylar bag with 400gr oxygen absorber, grain stays perfectly fresh and no chance of bugs in a zero oxygen environment. I put the mylar bags in plastic totes that will hold about a dozen bags which is 60 pounds. I keep mine in our house at 70 degrees or below.
I may buy a few cases of #10 cans (5.5#) from the LDS church, 33# per case of 6 cans all packed with oxygen absorbers and just store those under our house which usually stays about 65-68 degrees year round. Long term storage 30 year just in case the SHTF.
This year I'm going to start milling wheat and I was concerned that the berries have to be frozen first. I know you said in this video that it's not necessary. I am concerned that maybe they could pick up bugs en route. So that doesn't happen?
Starting to Prepp. What size Mylar bags would you recommend for a 3 gallon bucket? I have around 50, 3 gallon size buckets.
New subscriber. Just found your channel. Looking forward to your ideas and tips. Thank you
Welcome aboard!
Thanks for your input. It was very helpful.
Grains and Grit, you mentioned freezing corn before storing in bucket…is this also apply to the corn coming from pleasant hill? The 42lbs super Pail?
Nope, they do all of the prep for you. Their grains are all ready to store the moment they arrive.
Do you use oxygen absorbers, or moisture absorbers to store rice? I store the rice in glass jars. Also, can you vacuum seal the glass jars with the wire clamps?
Would vacuum sealing in mason jar be better?
Sure, if you need to store your grains for more than 20 years. But aren't you rotating through them faster than that?
I can we put our wheat grains in a large non food grade plastic tote as long as they are still in the paper bags they came in?
I don't always use food grade buckets if I'm leaving them in the bags. Same concept I suppose.
I'm not able to get the grain calculator for some reason.
Thank you.
You signed up for the mailing list? Please email me at felicia@grainsandgrit.com to verify that you were successfully added and get your free grains calculator.
I have a few 25 lb. bags of wheat and spelt berries that have been in my freezer for quite a few years. If they are still good, do I have to dry them somehow before putting them in the 5 lb. food safe buckets?
Oh, of course they're still good. I mean, as long as they didn't get water damage. Wheat can store for literally thousands of years in the right conditions. But yeah, you might need to dry them out before putting in a bucket.
@@GrainsandGrit Should I use my dehydrator?
@@GrainsandGrit I did some research. I will use my dehydrator and dehydrate to 10% then I can put them in my buckets.
Very helpful thanks.First time viewer to your channel.Amherst Nova Scotia.❤
Welcome! Do you mill your own grains?
@@GrainsandGrit Not yet.That is not something accessible to us.But it will be.
I enjoy your videos. I know from experience weevils will also show up in wheat berries unless they have been sprayed with pesticides. I use oxygen absorbers in all of the things you mentioned. The bugs can't survive in an oxygen free environment.
Palouse says that oxygen absorbers can introduce bacteria and not to use them. They grow wheat. This adds to my confusion.
My azure standard order of soft white wheat berries must have a little bug in it because all of a sudden there is a white dust at the bottom of the jar and some of the berries look hollowed out. They went from the bag into a clean glass mason jar. Any suggestions?
No good. Azure grains have been known to have bug problems. I would definitely freeze them next time. Or use oxygen absorbers, etc. from Wallaby: bit.ly/3HQkS7h ($5 off with code: GRAINSANDGRIT5)
Thanks! I’ll try that. Maybe I’ll start buying from 4Generations instead!
Thanks so very much! I want to store debt corn. Do o need an oxygen absorber? Someone else said on a FB thread NOT to put one in because it could cause botulism. Have you ever heard of this before?
I don't know about this. I've never had a problem.
Botulism?? In dry goods?? Why though??!
Very helpful! I had no idea about a lot of this. Thank you!
Very helpful information. Thanks so much!! If you have frozen beans, (thought I was supposed to and they’re still taking up valuable freezer space) how do you transition them from freezer to jar without the moisture from condensation.
I've never done this with beans. I have only done it with corn and rice and I just take the grains from the freezer and place them in to whatever container I want them in. If your bag was sealed up properly, any condensation would be on the bag the beans are in in the freezer and not the beans themselves. Hope that makes sense :-p
I take my preps that have been in the freezer and place them in large bowl lined with newspaper or paper towels and allow them to sit out until ALL the moisture has evaporated. Then I put it in my buckets with the lid with the seal on it
@@coolpop19 Thank you. I will definitely try that.
Felicia is a root cellar ok with these food grade buckets? Typically 50 degrees but can have some moisture
Can you just store Einhorn in a bucket with a oxygen absorber I been wanting to get Einkorn and I love pearl farro for salads I want to get that in bulk
I don't even use oxygen absorbers.
What about the canning process? I've watched videos that say you have to put the jars in the oven before and after. Is that necessary? I'm not a canner... yet
After cleaning out weevils infiltrating most of a cupboard, this is good info. I heard That weevils lay eggs in wheat berries. Is that not correct? I will say that the nastiest infestation in that cupboard was some grits that had been in that cupboard for years. But ,then they were sprinkled throughout my bags of pasta. I have all of the pasta that was not infested in glass jars or in vacuum sealer bags.
They prefer high-starch grains like corn and rice. But it's always possible.
May I ask, after freezing is there a need to get rid of the moisture that results from taking maize out of the freezer or do you just store it as it is?
As an alternative to freezing, would it be as effective to just throw in oxygen absorbers into the long-term storage buckets with things such as oats to prevent weevils hatching?
I don't use them, but I've heard of people doing that as an alternative.
The short answer is yes. Freezing anything that is already dry, reintroduces moisture into the product. Perhaps the very worst thing you can do for any long-term storage. Also, the idea that freezing kills things like weevils, completely ignores the fact that they return every year after harsh Minnesota winters.
For a long answer, look up what you can and what you should not store using O2 absorbers.
When you buy a large sealed bucket of wheat berries, do you need to open it to add oxygen absorbers?
I don't.
Instead of freezing corn, rice, couldn't one just put an oxygen absorber in the mason jar? I think there are also vacuum sealers for mason jars. Wouldn't that suffice?
Yep, I recommend Wallaby: bit.ly/3HQkS7h -And you can use my code to get $5 off: GRAINSANDGRIT5
Thanks!
Would adding diatomaceous earth be a useful idea? Would you still need to freeze any corn or rice when using it?
Thank you!! So, the grains will still last the 30 years in an uncontrolled environment in a 5 gallon bucket with a gamma lid and oxygen absorber?
Well, it lasted thousands of years in Egyptian tombs and still fresh!
@@GrainsandGrit this was my question too. If I can skip myler bags and put the grain directly in buckets with oxygen absorber, that would be so much simpler. Just don't want bugs showing up in my bucket like I had with my rice one time
What about using dry ice? The cold and CO2 will kill the bugs and eggs without the moisture issue
Do you have dry ice lying about?
@@GrainsandGrit I have no idea what you’re asking
So, You Never did say what size container will hold 25 Lbs. of Grain, or Wheat Berries. Thanks!!
Standard 5-gal bucket will hold it with room to spare.
So the rice you get at the store,im dure sometimes seems there for long time without problems, and I'm sure they not freezing it,im just trying to understand the information
In the midst of a disaster, we may not have electric, what mill do you suggest? However, we may not even have a way to bake bread either if there is a disaster… what is your back up plan for that?
Excellent questions! You can do all the above in a grid-down situation. I get into all of that in my complete course, How to Master Prepping with Grains: grainsandgrit.com/prepwithgrains
What do you think about the dry ice in the buckets idea?
I want to store hard white berries safely. Long term. I have a room size pantry. I have room for buckets.
Question: I froze some bags of wheat berries last year. I froze them for a couple of days in the bag they came in. Then I took the bags out and set them on the countertop for the day. Then put them in mylar bags in a bucket with oxygen absorbers. Now that I've learned more, I'm concerned about moisture that may have gotten into my bags of wheat berries while freezing. How do I know if the wheat berries have gone bad? I'm really hoping I didn't ruin my berries and all of the other things I'vw put into long term storage.
I've never had a problem with moisture as long as I keep them in their original packaging when freezing and storing.
I've seen the blue ones at lowe's but didn't realize they were food safe.
I don’t think they’re labeled food safe. I’ve never had a problem with them, but sometimes I keep the grain in the bag it came in and put it in these buckets as a bit of a liner 😄
I bought hard white and hard red in buckets with gamma seal lids a couple weeks ago but when I went to use the hatd white today, there are weevils in it🤬🤬 So Im freezing all my other grains now. I am in Bradenton FL and was storing vacuum sealed grains/beans out in shed but I noticed several suppliers say they must be kept under 80 degrees. No storage room in my house due to all of my canning goods. Thanks for your videos.
WOW, I've never had issues with weevils in my wheat and I live in Florida too! Well, it never hurts to freeze it to be safe. You're not going to hurt it. :-)
Excellent video / info.
I sealed my grains in my vacuum sealer bags and it sucks out all the oxygen. Is this an appropriate way to store the wheat berries? I bought 25 lbs so that should last us a year.
If you want to store long term. As you can see, I don't use bags or O2 absorbers.
Do I need to dry my corn after freezing before I store them? Thanks
Ah good question, I should have clarified. No. I just take them out of the freezer and immediately dump them in the container I’m using 😄 I don’t keep them in the bag. If there’s any moisture due to condensation it would be on the bag so I don’t keep it in the bucket.
*Note, the corn I am freezing is already dried corn. This is NOT fresh corn. Fresh corn would need to be dried, canned, or frozen 😄
Hi I hope you can reply to my issue, I got some white hard berries and red ones too in August, a friend told me just to store them in the plastic bags they came in, just in a high place so no mice can get to it, cause that's how she does it and they're fine, well well they got WEEVILS now, I found on the internet I can freeze them some days, let them come to room temperature and sort them out to remove the weevils, is this ok? Are they really salvageable?
Sounds like you may have some low-quality berries. You might be able to salvage, but I recommend getting good quality grains like from Pleasant Hill Grain. Theirs come in airtight containers already ready for storage: bit.ly/3sRN0zB
Thank you this was very useful for a beginner like myself.
Hi! I am new to your channel and am SO THANKFUL I found you. You have been very helpful in teaching me about grains and their storage. You mentioned in this video about freezing rice prior to long-term storing. I recently purchased some rice in bulk. Unfortunately, I currently don’t have a lot of space in my freezer. If I’m putting oxygen absorbers in my rice prior to sealing, is it still necessary to freeze the rice?
Oxygen absorbers do the same job as freezing :-) So you're good!
Are you supposed to rinse grains before cooking whole/grinding/cracking/storing?
I rinse stuff before cooking. I soak grains and rinse afterwards, right before cooking.
Not before baking etc., not before storing...
What about wheat bran? Does it have to stay in the freezer to keep from getting grain mites?
You mean separated from the kernel? I don't know. I don't store supplements like that. I deal in whole grains.
I've seen weevils in wheat berries..
It can happen - that's why it's important to choose a quality source.
QUESTION: But we don't know if the wheat berries had any bugs in them when they arrive. Oh geez, I froze mine, and they were dewy when I took them out (the bag) but left it to get room temperature for 3 or 4 days before putting them in mylar bags in a 5 gal bucket. Do you think it'll be ok? I have pinto beans in the chest freezer now.Also I've heard nightmares that when people have frozen stuff it kills the bugs, but the larvae is still alive and when its bagged up and bucketed up, they will hatch out when left at room temp. Is this true? Oh wow, GREAT news, I don't have to freeze the berries. wooo hooo, what a pain that was, as I already did it. WHAT ABOUT STORING SUGAR. lol lol thanks so much
Freezing should kill any larva.
When you buy your grains and before you use them do you sort through them to get the bags and parts of the weed plant out? I guess what I’m asking is do you clean your grains before you grind them not getting them wet just picking through them?
If you see a stem or something in the berries while you're pouring them out, feel free to grab it. But if you're buying grains from a quality source like Pleasant Hill Grain, then you shouldn't have to worry about dirty grains.
If I'm storing rice and grains in 5 gallon 65ml buckets with gamma seals do I need mylar bag liners? I've heard that the 65 ml still let oxygen through which can allow bugs to thrive. I'll be opening the bags to refill my pantry jars so oxygen packs won't make sense. I'd have to change them out every time I open the bag.
I don't use them, myself.
Can you store wild rice this way long term?
I recommend freezing first. High starch grains are less stable.
Also rice that still has the outer lining (so every rice that is not white) can go rancid... I have had brown rice that tasted off after storibg for a while. Maybe good to check on regularly and not just put away and forget about...
Can hard red wheat berries be saved if they get bugs in them? OR is it a total loss?? It had bay leaves in it but still got bugs. Probably came from the source I bought them from.
Do I need to toss the whole container?
I know of no simple way of saving it. I recommend getting your grains from a trustworthy, reliable source like Pleasant Hill Grain: www.grainsandgrit.com/phg
What area of Florida do you live? I live on the Panhandle and wanted to check if your recipes would be the same for me
Cool, I'm in the North-Central region. But the first several years I was in Santa Rosa county.
I placed my rice in food saver vac bags and stored them in the freezer for 3 days, took out for 1-3 days and then froze again. What I’m hoping I did not do wrong is that I ducked all the air out of the bags first. Should I have just left the rice loosely in the food saver vac bags instead? Also when this technique is done with flours, should I do it with pasta as well before storing it for long term? If it’s good to keep moisture out of the foods, then why are silicone gel packs not used? I know you are not supposed to use Oxygen Absorbers along with the silica gel packs but which ones should be used? Lots of questions and any info will be greatly appreciated 🌹
There's no harm in taking all the air out before freezing the grains.
As far as pasta, I have never stored that for long term so I don't have any personal experience with it. However, it is a dried food meant to be shelf stable for awhile. I would have to research further!
I don't use silicone gel packs because so long as grains are kept in a good container with a good lid, moisture isn't going to get in. The key is a good container and lid!
Hi Felicia, gaining so much good wisdom from you. So dry pinto or cranberry beans….how do I store? Oxygen bags? Dry can?
Or same as wheat? Thank you. Debbie
So with dent corn freeze for 48 hours, take it out of the freezer and put in your storage container with an airtight lid. Then you are good to go forever.
In my personal experience, yes that has worked for me. If you want to be extra, throw in oxygen absorbers too 😀
Thank you for this video I bought a 25 pound bag of hard white berries from azure and put them in their jars will they be ok in there .also I have never froze my rice I put it in myler bags with oxygen absorbers do you think they will get bugs in them ?
Yeah, if your jars are stored in a cool dry place, I would think they'd be fine for a while. And freezing is sort of an either-or thing. If you're doing O2 absorbers, that accomplishes the same thing.
Thank you 😇🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
To clarify, how do you store your beans, in glass jars? I want to do an Azure standard order of beans in bulk, and I was wondering what you believe the best way is to store them...Looooooove your channel, BTW ❤😮
Do you need to freeze corn/rice if you use oxygen absorbers?
I don't.
I put my wheat berries in a bucket with oxygen absorbers. I keep hearing you need to freeze them.
What grains did in the Bible Joseph of Egypt store for 7 years of famine?
Thank you kindly,
John
No one knows for sure, but Kamut is a strong possibility.
Thanks for your infos...
Your videos are ao helpful. I am just getting started with home milling. Quick question; After you feeze the corn and then transfer to a bucket, do you have to worry about moisture when it thaws?? Thanks!
Thanks - not if you keep it in the original packaging through the whole process.
When you speak about corn are you talking about dried or fresh?
Dried, definitely
Could oxegen obsorbers be put in the bottom of 5 gallon buckets would that keep out the wevils?
It couldn't hurt. But I don't use them.
Thank you! So helpful 😊
Do you leave your grains in there bags in the buckets?
Hello! I have tried to read your replies to other's comments below but for some reason they are not showing up... SO I have just purchased my first bulk bag of wheat berries! So excited. BUT, when freezing rice or corn, do you need to let it sit out again to "dry" before storing them in airtight buckets? I wasn't sure if there would be too much moisture after freezing them?? If so, do I spread them out to air dry or simply leave them in the bags they came in to dry---or just do nothing and simply put them in the buckets? Thanks for your help! BTW, taking a trip to Bread Beckers tomorrow. Thanks to you I discovered this place and I mentioned to them that I discovered them on line through you. They sounded very pleased :) Have a blessed day!
Ah so jealous you're going to Bread Beckers! I have yet to be there. Every time I'm going around Atlanta I'm on the opposite side.
As far as rice and corn, I take them out of the freezer and dump them in buckets. I've never had problems with moisture or anything. I think with them being in well sealed bags while freezing keeps out any moisture.
After freezing corn wouldn't it have moisture in it? How would that be good to put in buckets? Wouldn't you have to wait for them to dry out first? That would take forever with 25 plus pds. Would it not? How do you do it?
I've never had a moisture problem.
Question: how long can you store dried corn, rye, and barley?
Under proper conditions, indefinitely
Does dry canning make your beans tough?
Quick question. You didn’t mention if your buckets were food grade.? Can one use just the regular buckets- for grains? I bought food grade and gamma lids (4 four total) and it cost a fortune so regular buckets would be great. Thanks!
Yes I have many buckets that are straight from Lowes. Work just fine!
@@GrainsandGrit oh thank you! Many say you must stir everything in food safe and I see why, especially when it long term food. I just wasn’t sure about grains. I just started my adventure on grains so I’m taking in a lot of u tubes and reading as I love baking bread but have never done with fresh ground flour and I knew there was a difference. I’ve made Ezekiel bread with 100% sprouted grains that turned out ok but didn’t rise much and was very solid! I seen u have a video out that I’m gonna watch when I get home today. Just subscribed to your channel as I can see you’ve got a lot of experience, especially for us newbies. God Bless