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Storing Grain and Dealing With Weevils
STORAGE:
The Egyptians stored grain in the pyramids that will still sprout today! That is where we get Kamut. As long as it does not get wet or infested with pests, that will bore holes in the grain and cause it to lose its nutritional value and go rancid, it will last indefinitely. You can check the quality of your grain by sprouting it. If most of the kernels sprout, the grain is nutritious.
New Pails - New pails of grain are triple cleaned and heat treated. They can be stored 8-10 years without problems. There is an oxygen absorber in the unopened pails that absorbs the oxygen so that weevils cannot hatch. I have seen grain still in good condition for 23 years. The oxygen absorber does not keep the grain from sprouting.
Opened Pails – Once oxygen has reached the grain, it can get an infestation. Store whole grain in opened pails, with bay leaves on top to detour weevils. The laundry room is the worst place to store it because of the higher humidity.
Refrigerator or Freezer –The refrigerator or freezer is even better when space is available. I have used the 1 gallon zip lock freezer bags which will hold about 5 lbs. of grain. Be sure that you let it come to room temperature before grinding so that there will not be condensation which will cause moisture in your grain mill. If I open a pail of 7-Grain, I will put a couple of ziplock bags in my freezer, because I know I will not use it all quickly enough.
Ground Grain (Flour) – After grinding you want to keep the flour in the freezer to slow down the process of loss of nutrition. It is best to grind the grain as needed. I keep my grain mill on the counter and use it like a canister to grind grain, corn, or beans as needed.
Remember :Vitamins oxidize out of the flour in 72 hours and the oils go rancid in 7 days.
WEEVILS:
There several kinds that we see in. Some look like a large black boll weevil with a long nose. They eat through your grain the most quickly, and must be dealt with soon to save your grain. We also see a tiny brown weevil that is very slow in damaging the grain. They sometimes go unnoticed and are not a problem. The third pest I have seen inare the moths. These moths start as larva and make webs on the top of the grain. They will turn into the moth that many find in their pantries. A weevil will hatch in grain given the warm weather and moisture in. The 3rdand an important condition is that it must be stationary for 2 weeks. If you use your grain often, pests are usually not a problem. Wheat is a harder grain and will not get an infestation of weevils as soon as the softer grains such as barley, corn, and oats.
Getting Rid of Pests – I have found the best method to get rid of pests inis to put it in a pail or other container on my patio or sidewalk in the hot sun. The sun is a natural purifier and the pests will crawl or fly out. Then you can freeze it for 72 hours or put the grain in the oven for 30 minutes at 140 degrees to kill the pests and microscopic eggs in all grain. If you skip the sun to purify your grain, you must deal with the dead bodies. (A sifter will work) If you do not deal with the dead bodies, why not just grind them. They will be dead anyway.
The larva and moths do not damage the grain. I usually find them on the top 2 inches of an opened pail and just skim off the top. This grain is great for sprouting, because you can wash it and the grain is not damaged.
Eating - The critters are fine to grind and eat actually. FDA allows so many bug parts, rat hairs, and rat droppings per square inch! You eat that stuff all the time in processed foods. A few weevils are just a little extra protein. You do not want an infestation to be so bad that the grain has holes in it. Then it will lose its nutritional value and go rancid. If I throw it out, I will feed it to our livestock, sprout it, or throw it in the grass to grow or feed the wild birds.
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