Advice on long-term flour storage

Discussion in 'Back to Basics' started by Bandit99, Aug 26, 2015.


  1. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    I recently received my Mylar bags and got a bunch of food grade buckets. I would like to put up some stables like flour, yeast, kidney beans, rice... I want to start with flour. Yes, I know that wheat would store better, taste better and healthier but I plan on rotating my storage on a constant basis so...so I want try storing some all-purpose white flour with the thought of using it within 2-years, take a bag out, put a bag in.

    My question is that I heard one should always freeze the flour for 3-5 days first to kill bugs then thaw it out to let eggs hatch (which first freezing doesn't kill) and then freeze it again.

    Question: how long do I need to let it sit out for the eggs to hatch before freezing it for a second time. Or, perhaps this is not really necessary? Anyone have some first hand knowledge on this?

    Rick
     
  2. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    If you store in air tight containers you don't need to freeze. If the bugs cant breath they cant breed. Having said that, even if you get a few weevils that extra protein they provide wont hurt you or you can sift them out. Trust me the commercial flour and wheat has way more insect body parts in it that you know , =)

    I don't get too hung up on the bug thing if the containers are air tight and when you open them you make sure you close again and remove as much air as possible.

    Extra steps of freezing only necessary if you are preserver a lot longer than one year. But it sounds like you are going to be using and rotating your stock.

    Welcome to the Monkey ! This branch of the ape family is a little crazy but alot of fun ;)
     
    kellory, Tracy, Dunerunner and 6 others like this.
  3. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    You can ALWAYS flood the Mylar Bags with Nitrogen Gas, or CO2 Gas before you seal them. That displaces all the Oxygen, and then the bugs have nothing to breath and just die off, all by themselves. Extra Protein in the flour. Our Longterm Storage of Wheat, Rye, Flour, Rice, and Powdered Milk, is ALL stored in Flooded Nitrogen #10 Cans, that were Sealed up decades ago. We break out one Can each December, to test it's contents, and so far Not ONE Issue has occurred. Our oldest is now close to two decades Old...
     
  4. ditch witch

    ditch witch I do stupid crap, so you don't have to

    I have several 5 gallon buckets full of white flour that are anywhere from 2 to 6 years old and stored most improperly. I threw the bags in the deep freezer for 2 weeks, then dumped into the buckets and slapped a gamma lid on them. No mylar, no gas, no bugs. We almost never use flour now so they just sit there getting older. I did make some bread the other day for a friend, and it was just fine.
     
    Dunerunner, Ganado and chelloveck like this.
  5. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    So...it seems you're all pretty much agreeing is that since I will be rotating it on a regular basis (definitely within 2 years) that I shouldn't have to worry too much about the bugs. And, I do have a great space to store them, my crawl-space is so large one can almost stand up in, cool in summer and warm in winter. It's perfect!

    Oh! About the bugs, yeah, they honestly don't bother me so much either but think the wife would throw a fit if she went to use it and it was buggy :):) Unless of course it was a real emergency and then she probably would be glad to have them. :):) Okay, I am not going to worry so much about them...I'll just get it done. I want to get flour, sugar and yeast put up this weekend. And, Ganado, I will invest in a couple of gamma lids also, they're inexpensive in the scheme of things.

    Thanks folks! - Rick
     
    kellory, Dunerunner, Brokor and 2 others like this.
  6. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    The only thing to consider with long term storage of flour, if it's been sealed properly, is nutritional value degradation over time. Within a few years, or even a decade, I would just shrug. After 10 years, it will taste fine if it was stored well, but won't give you the nutrition you might expect. But, it's flour anyway...pop in some berries and powdered egg, a dash of salt and water, maybe a little of this and that, make yourself something good to eat.
     
    kellory, Ganado, Dont and 4 others like this.
  7. oldawg

    oldawg Monkey+++

    If you are doing preps then use one put back two.
     
  8. azrancher

    azrancher Monkey +++

    Yes commercial flour has "bug parts", I raise birds, chickens, ducks, quail, partridge, you get the picture. The birds will NOT eat the buggy feed, it tastes like bug shit..., I will have an exhaustive series on how to use "feed store" feed for prepping, to kill the bugs, larva, eggs, and package using an oxygen absorber.

    Soon I promise, I have part of the sifter already re-built.

    I prefer Argon,over Nitrogen... I can weld with it.

    Yes and No. Rotate, how else do you know if your storage is good. Bugs, are good, bug shit, well... you decide.

    Sugar and yeast is pretty easy, sugar gets hard, sometimes, no problem, not sure about yeast, I have a vac bag of it somewhere, but I can harvest it off the grapes, or just about anything else.
    Gamma Lids are cool, but you only need on per type of food, i.e. beans, rice, wheat... you got it.

    Rancher
     
    chelloveck likes this.
  9. T. Riley

    T. Riley Monkey+++

    Yeast is cheap and compact. I buy it every year at Sams date it and store in the freezer.
     
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