I have been mulling over storing my grain (wheat,rice,etc)in individual food grade plastic containers. My thinking is that this could minimize problems we might have with insect infestation (might limit it to one container instead of the entire 25 lb bag). I am wondering if it is a good idea to store it in a sealed container? Most places that have bulk sales seem to have things like rice in bags that allow air circulation. (If we use the sealed containers, I would use the dry ice or nitrogen to displace the oxygen)

-- Rick Evans (vrevans@bigfoot.com), September 27, 1998

Answers

Rick - From what I read, dry storing in sealed 5 gal buckets is a good idea, using something added like nitrogen packing, CO2, vaccuum packing. Do you have a hand mill that can grind up some flour or corn meal for you a little at a time also?

-- Melissa (financed@forbin.com), September 27, 1998.

I'm also curious about whether anyone's thought to include some bay leaves in their grain products, even when they use nitrogen; I usually do, and it has some sort of deleterious effect on insects; I hardly ever get bugs when I use bay leaves (if I take the grain product out of it's original packaging first).

-- Karen Cook (browsercat@hotmail.com), September 28, 1998.

someone suggested freezing the grain first -- spread out on a cookie sheet or flat surface for 48 hours -- to kill any bugs there might be in it.

-- Libby Alexander (libbyalex@aol.com), September 28, 1998.

Karen, Using bay leaves is an excellent plan. We've been scattering them all through our cupboards and drawers for a few years and I have not seen a bug in the food. This includes products that have been opened.

-- Dave (dave22@concentric.net), September 28, 1998.

A friend suggest that we divide rice, beans, into ziplock baggies, put in a bay leaf,then into 5 gal. bucket. then if bugs hatch, it may limit the damage. .......Also, haven't done this yet, but am thinking about placing a small patch of Tyvek over a hole in the bucket. Tyvek is a house wrap (white paperlike mat.) It is designed to let moisture thru one side only. Would welcome opinions on this idea.

-- Arthur Rambo (buriedtreasure@webtv.net), September 28, 1998.

This is one of the best places I've seen--

Food Storage FAQ

No need to "re-invent the wheel".

-- Max Dixon (Ogden, UT, USA) (Max.Dixon@gte.net), September 28, 1998.

Y'all might be interested in "oxygen absorbers" too. It's a chemical solid that binds with the oxy in your pail, packaged like a dessicant (also good to throw in there - I wonder about H2O condensation from the dry ice as it evaporates). Put a few in your pail in addition to co2 or nitro flushing, and you increase the viability of your storage dramatically. Do a search to find suppliers.

E.

-- E. Coli (nunayo@beeswax.com), September 28, 1998.

try these guys

http://www.multisorb.com/

5 gallon food grade plastic buckets with the good lid can be found at USA Plastics Corp., sorry but the url escapes me at this moment.

good luck

-- yada (yada@yada.com), September 28, 1998.

US Plastics URL is (are you ready for this?)

http://www.usplastic.com

-- rocky (rknolls@hotmail.com), September 28, 1998.

Freeze your grain for four days, then mix with diatomaceous earth - NOTE BE SURE YOU USE FOOD GRADE! Do not use the kind sold for pools. The proper DE can be purchased at a feed store, suchas brand name, Perma-Guard. Mix 1/2 cup of DE with each 25 lbs. of grain or rice. Store in heavy duty zip lock bag and then be sure to keep in cool and dry place. During summer heat move from storage barrels back to freezer. Lord willing, we should certainly have electric by summer of 2000! Bon Apetit! One last tip, get the cookbook by Jeffrey Alford and his wife, Naomi Duguid, called Flatbreads and other flavors. As a confirmed hater of whole wheat breads they converted me with their wonderful peasant breads and good things to go with them. I use it almost daily!

-- Kathy Bungard (partisan@iomet.com), September 29, 1998.