Posted: 8/16/2010 9:57:16 PM EDT
| So I am new to packing wheat and was looking into packing some whole wheat in 5 gal buckets and was wondering how long will wheat last? Also does anyone have a link as to the proper way to store wheat for the max storage life. Any other information would be appreciated. |
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How long will wheat last?
Go here for your wheat and other long term food storage HI - Honolulu Phone (808) 841-6311 Address 1120 Kalihi Street Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 |
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Stored properly, the shelf life is indefinite. Archaeologists have opened urns packed with wheat dating back to the Romans and have been able to bake bread with it (keep in mind the urns were sealed and buried which is the definition of "dark, cool, and dry", otherwise known as ideal storage conditions.) Lots of threads here on proper storage of wheat.
The most common method I've seen being used by The Hive (including myself) is to line the five gallon buckets with Mylar bags and then fill with wheat. Toss in a couple of O2 absorbers and then seal the bags. Sealing the bags requires nothing more than a household iron and a piece of board (provides a hard surface for the iron). I like to suck out some of the excess air with a hand vacuum before sealing. I do this by sealing all but the last couple of inches and then suck the air out with that attachment intended for going between cushions, then sealing the rest. Recently, at the suggestion of a poster here on SF, I have started to line my Mylar bags with a plain old plastic bag. Every so often the wheat berries will puncture the Mylar (sometimes they can have pointy ends), the plastic liner helps to prevent this and keep the Mylar air tight. I just recycle shopping bags for this, and they seem to do the trick. I do this with rice as well. Hope this helps. stasiman |