Wheat, part 2

Storing wheat

Here are general rules for food storage:
1. Store in proper containers
2. Protect from insects and rodents
3. Keep cool (40° to 70°F, but the cooler the better)
4. Keep dry
5. Food in clear containers should also be protected from light
5. Rotate food, consuming oldest items first

You’ll be happy (?) to know that wheat will store indefinitely if proper techniques are followed, which leads to -- figuring out how much to store. The following chart gives a basic guideline for the amount of wheat per month. If you store a variety of other grains, these amounts would, of course, decrease.

CHILDREN TEEN Girls TEEN Boys ADULT Women ADULT Men
1-3 4-9 10-12 13-18 13-18
6 lbs 10 lbs 17 lbs 18 lbs 26 lbs 17 lbs 25 lbs

Or, to keep it simpler, providentliving.org just suggests 25 lbs of grain per adult per month.

Here is some additional storage information for wheat:
1. Plastic buckets, PETE bottles, #10 cans, glass bottles, and foil pouches are all appropriate containers. (I also read that grains can be stored in sacks hung from the ceiling, but then it seems to me that providing a barrier against pests becomes an issue.)
2. If possible, use round containers. This keeps air circulation around the cans or buckets and prevents containers from “sweating”.
3. Don’t store more than 120 pounds of wheat in a single container.
4. If using plastic buckets be sure they are food-grade and have not previously been used for non-food items.
5. Do not place containers directly on cement floors. Place them on wood strips to allow air circulation and prevent the wheat from drawing moisture from cement surfaces.
6. Containers should be commercially sealed or treated with dry ice until ready to use (See providentliving.org for instructions on how to treat grains and dry beans stored in buckets.)

You can purchase a case of six #10 cans of hard red winter wheat (33 lbs. total net weight) for $30.50 at lds.org or at Distribution Centers or the Sandy Cannery. Maceys has 45 lb pails of hard red or white wheat for $21.99 through Aug 19 (along with a sale on 5-gallon plastic buckets, water containers, and #10 cans of a variety of emergency storage items – Steve recommends reading the ingredients of the “milk drink” just for fun, then buy milk).

Coming "soon": part 3: Problems with storing wheat!