Grainlady , couple of storage questions. .

15 years ago

With everything going up like it is I'm trying hard to get some storage done. I did get some chia seeds and was wondering how much you would recommend storing for 3 adults for a years supply.

I know that brown rice and brown sugar are not recommended for storage but surely if you put some brown rice in a bucket with some oxygen absorbers it would keep for a couple of years?

I noticed the "nature's own" bread at the bread store had been downsized to 16 oz. from 20 oz. Same price.

My source for white wheat went from $7.65 to $11.45 for 25 lbs. in a month.

I'm headed to Sam's in the morning. More tp!

Thanks for your help. BTW, DH is loving the homemade bread!

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Comments (3)

grainlady_ks
15 years ago
We've been adding shelves like crazy and putting the tax refund to good use.

1. Chia seeds. I use an awful lot of them and keep 5-10 pounds of chia seeds in storage. That's more then enough for a year.

2. Brown rice. Store it vacuum-sealed in the freezer and keep rotating it in and out of storage. Augason Farms has #10 cans of hermetically sealed Long Grain Brown Rice - http://www.augasonfarms.com/. Not sure about the shelf life (probably 5-10 years). Give Augason Farms a call for that information (1-800-878-0099). I understand you can order it and get it dropped-shipped to your Sam's Club now. I've ordered from Augason Farms (formerly Blue Chip Group) for over 20-years. I've been using their Morning Moo's Whey Based Milk Substitute as our main source of "milk" for over 20-years.

3. Brown sugar is great for home food storage, just don't vacuum-seal it. The potential for botulism growing into a toxin in the oxygen-free storage is the problem. You can opt to make your own with white sugar (which has an indefinite shelf-life) and molasses: 1# granulated sugar + 3-ounces (by weight, not liquid measure) molasses. Process about 1-minute in a food processor.

4. Oklahoma and western Kansas are both in drought conditions, so I only see wheat prices going up. I'm paying $12.68/25# for Wheat Montana Prairie Gold at Wal-Mart. I added 75-pounds more last week.

BTW - You can use that same dough for making cinnamon rolls, sandwich buns, hamburger or hot dog buns and dinner rolls..... When I make sticky pecan rolls I put about 1 T. agave nectar (just enough to barely cover the bottom of the muffin tin cup). You could also use honey. Just don't get too generous or it will spill out of the muffin cup and mess your oven up during baking. Cover the agave nectar (or honey) with chopped pecans. Put your cut cinnamon rolls on top, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise. Bake as usual. When you take them out of the oven, flip the muffin pan/s out onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

-Grainlady
ilovetn
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you. Do you store your chia seeds any special way? I thought the same about wheat prices. I had intended to add 50#, but went ahead and added 100#. Our Walmarts in TN do not sell things like wheat.

I THINK I am ready for what I perceive as a summer of escalating prices, but who knows. I know my budget needs to take a break! :-)

Maybe we need to revive the "Who is serious about home storage" thread. Our local supermarket had store brand canned tomatoes (all varieties) for .59 a can. If you bought 10, you got an extra 3.00 off, making them .29 a can. I figured even if they are not the greatest they are worth that, so I stocked up.
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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
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grainlady_ks
15 years ago
I store chia seeds in an air-tight container (1/2-gallon jars with the plastic lids on them - nothing special. The oils in chia seeds are very stable and don't go rancid, so oxygen-free storage isn't necessary (but an option if you'd like).

Perceived escalating prices??? According to a list I read today, the LDS canneries have seen an increase in many food staples by more than 20% since January 3rd.

Beans, black 13.69%
Beans, pinto 12.13%
Beans, white 11.88%
Milk, non-fat dry 25%
Rice 38.99%
Sugar 33.81%
Wheat, Red/White 44.54%
Macaroni 40.25%
Oats, Quick 48.90%
Oats, Regular 49.90%
Spaghetti 38.99%
Flour 29.70%

Great buy on those tomatoes. High-acid foods don't store as long as some canned goods, so be sure to rotate them out fairly quickly.

We had Kroger brand sliced peaches, pears and fruit cocktail on sale for 98-cents a can, and that's the least I've seen it for a l-o-n-g time. My self-imposed $125/month food budget means I only purchase food at rock-bottom prices. Chocolate chips have been $1.88/12-oz. bag, so I have a bunch of those vacuum-sealed in canning jars in storage. With chocolate going up in price (unrest in the Ivory Coast), these are prices we'll not see anytime soon.

Food storage? Most people don't have enough food to last them 2-weeks and consider those of us who are serious about it "freaks". With gas going up 10-cents a gallon last week and 10-cents this week, I'm so glad we have as much food in storage as we do. I can stay within my food budget as long as I concentrate on buying simple INGREDIENTS with which to make a plethora of foods, avoid snack foods, junk food, and convenience foods.

-Grainlady

Grainlady , couple of storage questions. .

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grainlady_ks

ilovetn
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Grainlady , couple of storage questions. .

Comments (3)

grainlady_ks

ilovetnOriginal Author

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ilovetn
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