How long is wheat good for after the harvest?

 

Wheat is a basic staple and an essential dry good in your survival food supply. Bread, cereal, pasta, muffins, pancakes, tortillas, cookies, cakes, pizza, pastries, and just about everything delicious contains wheat.

Harvest season is just a few weeks per year. The mill will during that time buy the amount of grain they need for one year — from harvest to harvest. The grain gets sorted, tested, dried and cleaned if necessary, and is then put into storage.

During the year, it gets milled. The two factors here are capacity and demand. A mill works year-round, it makes no sense to let the machines stand idle for a long time. So there is a maximum capacity they can process per year — and a good management won’t buy more. Also, there are times of higher demand (think holiday baking) which need more flour to be milled in advance. The grain should rest for a few weeks after harvest for better quality.

A good mill will strive to sell the flour as soon as possible after it is milled, partly for economic, but mostly for quality reasons. While especially white flour won’t spoil for months (recommended: one year), darker or especially whole grain flours get rancid quickly and quality decreases. (E.g. changes in taste and moisture content and enzymatic degradation which influence the baking process and results.) The whole grains on the other hand can easily be stored for well over a year, multiple years in fact.

Which Varieties of Wheat Store Best:

Select Varieties of hard red or white wheat for long-term storage. The moisture level should be less than 10 percent. Moisture is an enemy of stored wheat:

• Moisture levels above 12 percent causes chemical degradation.
• Moisture levels above 15 percent may allow mold to grow.
• Moisture levels at 20 percent may allow bacteria to grow.

Purchase low moisture wheat and be sure to protect it from moisture in storage.

How to Package Wheat for Long Term Storage:

Wheat should be packaged in an airtight container to protect it from moisture and air. It is also a good idea to treat the wheat with a reliable method to protect against insect infestation.

Good Containers for Packaging Wheat for Storage

Optimal shelf life can be obtained when wheat berries are packaged correctly. Some containers are better than others but any of these containers can be used for storing wheat berries:

Cans

In my opinion, cans will provide the best protection for stored wheat. The can creates a time capsule that protects the wheat from oxygen, moisture, rodents, and light. You can expect a shelf life of 30 years (or more) for wheat that is stored in a can in a cool, dry, dark location.

Plastic Bucket with Air-Tight Lid

Plastic buckets allow a slow permeation of oxygen through the walls of the plastic over time. It is best to treat wheat in buckets with the dry ice method.

Polyethylene or Plastic Vacuum Sealed Bags

Wheat can be purchased in 25-pound polyethylene bags. On the bag, it states that it has an 18-month shelf life. Plastic bags are subject to rodent issues, light, and are generally good only for short-term storage. Placing plastic bags of wheat inside a secondary container such as a plastic bucket, plastic tote, or metal garbage can will help to protect it from both rodents and light.

Glass Jars

Glass jars are fragile and do not protect the wheat from light. Other than that, they are the perfect container. The glass creates a true oxygen barrier and protects the wheat from both moisture and oxygen.

Ideal Storage Conditions for Wheat:

Wheat should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark location. The cooler the temperature, the longer the wheat will retain its original quality. Ideally, wheat should be stored between 40–60°F, which is just about the temperature in a good root cellar.

Insect Control for Stored Wheat

Insects can quickly destroy your stored wheat. It is worth the time and effort to make sure that you protect your food from insects. Below are some treatment methods that you may want to consider along with a few that would be best to avoid.

No Treatment

You can choose not to treat wheat before storing it. Make sure that you purchase insect-free wheat. It is hard to know for certain if your wheat is free from eggs.

Oxygen Absorbers

Oxygen absorbers are an effective way to control both insects and eggs in stored wheat. They create an environment where it is not possible for insects to survive.

Dry Ice Treatment

Dry Ice (CO2) is an effective treatment for wheat. Dry ice can be purchased at many grocery stores, but you may need to ask. It will kill adult insects and larvae, but may not take care of eggs.

Freeze/Thaw/Freeze Method

Freezing does not damage grain as heating does. Take care of insects by freezing up to 15 pounds in a moisture-proof container for 2–3 days. Take the package out of the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Refreeze for 2–3 additional days. Allow it to return to room temperature before packaging for long-term storage.

To get any kind of assistance related to wheat and yield its maximum benefits, visit us- US Wheat Association. Before purchasing wheat, know and learn about its costs and pricing, to save some money.