The one thing I would be concerned with is mold (aflatoxin), and that can be dangerous if ingested. So if your wheat smells moldy or has black mold spores on it, then I'd be sure to destroy it. You may also want to contact your County Extension Ag Agent for further information. The fact that it is 12-years old isn't a concern. I'm using wheat that was purchased and placed in storage in 2007, and most wheat sold for commercial or home milling is generally 2-3 years old before it's sold. Wheat has already been stored in temperature extremes, so that isn't an issue with me either. Because it was in oxygen-free storage, it is possible that a lower percentage of them will sprout than normal. You can find more information at the link below in the article by Rita Bingham (my food storage guru). -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Sprout Seeds for Cheap Nutrition

I'll have to disagree with Linda on this one - but she's at a bit of a disadvantage not having the entire recipe. The recipe is designed for dry wheat berries and the amount of hydration is designed for that in order to give the kernels of wheat a chance to absorb water during the 24-hour rest in the refrigerator. What you could do instead is to sprout, then completely dry the wheat before adding it to the recipe. I don't think sprouting will be necessary or will contribute all that much because the fermentation during the 24-hour rest in the refrigerator will accomplish much the same thing. Be sure to let us know how this recipe works out. I may need to flake some rye and give it a try myself. Ironically, I just stirred up a 1/2 recipe of "Whole Grain Rye" from the same book and I added a little whey from my homemade kefir. The lactic acid and lactobacilli from the whey will help break down complex starches, irritating tannins and difficult-to-digest proteins found in whole grain and whole grain flour. PLUS, the soaking (during refrigeration) increases vitamin content and makes all the nutrients in the whole grains and whole grain flours more available. About adding apricots.... Vollkornbrot traditionally doesn't include dried fruit, not saying it couldn't be added.... A recipe for Hutzelbrot would be a better choice for that. -Grainlady

I mainly make homemade kefir and use it in breads these days instead of buttermilk, but in the past I've also used powdered buttermilk - with a twist. BUT, most bread recipes that call for milk or milk powder in a recipe, you can also use buttermilk - either powder or reconstituted. My twist... I use a small amount of reconstituted buttermilk to make a version of "homemade buttermilk" that is thick, rich, and tangy - more like the commercial version. Plain old reconstituted buttermilk is rather insipid and completely UN-like commercial buttermilk. How to: (source: Natural Meals in Minutes - by Rita Bingham) You can make "homemade buttermilk" with reconstituted powdered milk or regular milk - your choice. Place 1/2 c. buttermilk (commercial or reconstituted powdered buttermilk) into a quart canning jar. Fill the quart with milk (of choice) and stir well. Let stand (WITHOUT a lid) in a warm place (about 80-degrees F) until clabbered, about 12-18 hours. [Grainlady note: I place the jar in my oven with the light on - as far from the light as possible - which is usually around 80-degrees F.] When clabbered, stir and refrigerate. Bonus: You can use "homemade buttermilk" as a starter culture for your next batch. It's best if you use it within two weeks after it was made for best results. This recipe works great for even smaller amounts of buttermilk than a quart. I've included the link for SACO powdered buttermilk recipes below. They have a lot of good recipes that might help you out. I keep #10 cans of powdered buttermilk in storage and I've used some of these recipe. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: SACO powdered buttermilk

I'll dry any kind of tomato I happen to be growing, but I generally only grow small varieties of tomatoes. The more "meaty" varieties of tomatoes are preferred for drying. You can dry both ripe or green tomatoes. Rehydrate those green tomato slices in boiling water, dredge them and fry in melted butter in skillet. Fried Green Tomatoes for New Year's Day along with those Black-eyed Peas. ;-) It's amazing how many dried tomatoes you can stuff into a quart jar. You can also remove the skin and seeds and blend the tomatoes in a blender, add a little Fruit Fresh, and dry it on the Fruit Leather Sheets. Cut the sheets into squares and you'll find they add a lot of flavor to soups and stews as they incorporate into the liquid. You can also make tomato paste or tomato sauce by adding the tomato leather to hot water. Make a quick pasta sauce. How to: Peel tomatoes by dipping in boiling water for 1-minute, then in cold water for 1 minute. Slip off skins and cut out cores, or just the stem end - your choice. Cut into 1/8-inch slices, the seeds will generally fall out during drying. I also cut them into 1/4-inch cubes to dry. Drain them well before drying. It will help cut drying time down. I'll give the tomato cubes a gentle spin in my salad spinner to extract both moisture and seeds. I dry tomatoes in a dehydrator. It gets too humid here for good drying outdoors. Make sure your "old window screen" ISN'T galvanized, which is coated with cadmium or zinc. These metals can oxidize and leave harmful residue on the food. Also avoid copper and aluminum screening. Copper destroys vitamin C and increases oxidation. Aluminum tends to discolor and corrode. Use stainless steel, teflon-coated fiberglass and plastic screening. Sun drying isn't recommended for vegetables (other than vine-dried beans). Vegetables are low in sugar and acid, which increases the risks for food spoilage. Favorable conditions for drying outdoors - minimum temperature of 85-degrees F (with higher temperatures being better) and humidity below 60%. Be sure to bring them in overnight. The cooler night temperatures can cause condensation and add moisture back into the food and slow the drying process. This can contribute to bacteria growth (Salmonella and E. Coli). Raise the screens off the ground (saw horses) and place them over concrete when possible (or over a sheet of aluminum - the reflection of the sun on the metal increases the drying temperature). Screens placed close to the ground can actually cause the food to absorb moisture from the grass and ground. Add a fan if possible. This will help keep insects off the food, and air circulation is as important as the temperature. Food dried outdoors also has an increased chance for insects. All food dried outdoors needs to be pasteurized and cooled to room temperature before placing it into storage. To pasteurize the food, place it in a preheated 160-degree F oven for 30-minutes. An alternative is to freeze the food for 48-hours to kill any eggs from possible insect contamination. TWO screens are suggested for drying food outdoors. One screen holds the food and the other one to protect the food from "critters". Home dehydrated foods are not considered "long-storage" foods. You can extend the storage time by placing it in canning jars and vacuum-sealing the jars with a FoodSaver, or adding an oxygen absorber. You can also freeze the dehydrated food for longer storage. Recommended storage times for home dehydrated foods range from 4-months to 1-year. The food quality is affected by heat, light and storage temperature. Most dried fruits can be stored for one year at 60-degrees F, six months at 80-degrees F. Vegetables have about half the shelf-life of fruits. Vacuum-seal fruits or vegetables and keep it in the dark in a cool storage temperature and you can double the shelf-life. Remember to package your dehydrated food in small containers. Each time you open a container of food, it will draw moisture in from the air and that can cause the food to rehydrate and even mold. I package slices of dried apples in small snack-size storage bags, then place them in a 1/2-gallon jar and vacuum-seal it for storage. When it's moved from storage to the pantry, I replace the canning lid with a Universal Lid (which is easy to open and re-close). Now when I want sliced apples for a snack or for adding to muffins, I can quickly get one or two packets without the moisture getting to the entire contents of the jar. Not all foods dry properly at one temperature, that's why an electric dehydrator with a thermostat and a fan is a better choice for home dehydrating. You'll have a safer product than using the sun. The link below has a LOT of great information. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: New Home Drying Recommendations