Large bags of flour

[ruthiechan]

Do they have to be put into cans or can they stay in the bags they come in? If they can stay in their bags does it change the environment they have to be in? I was thinking that maybe bags flour should not be in the garage. . .

[terryk]

food in sealed cans, lasts longer then in the bags, its best to put the flour into large cans, or barrels and seal them,

canned food can last twice as long as bagged, or maybe even longer

[a-train]

Flour is good for ten years, but the wheat can store in cans for 30!

-a-train

[ruthiechan]

Wheat lasts longer than other flour? I didn't know that. That's good to know. I primarily use wheat flour.

Can bagged food go into the garage?

[Guest DeborahC]

I think what is meant is that WHOLE WHEAT (the grain) lasts 30 years.

Once you grind the flour, it begins to break down faster.

You need to keep it in a cool dark place.

The Bishop's Storehouse often has a drypack canner that you can take home to can your food.

[Iggy]

I think what is meant is that WHOLE WHEAT (the grain) lasts 30 years.

Once you grind the flour, it begins to break down faster.

You need to keep it in a cool dark place.

The Bishop's Storehouse often has a dry pack canner that you can take home to can your food.

It also needs to be a dry place. Never store flour or grains directly on a concrete floor. Place the containers on a pallet or shelves. If you have access to a dry pack canner go that route.

If you have 50 or 100 pound cloth bags- definitely do the dry pack canner. Then open the seams of the bags, wash, and make dish towels, aprons or blouses out of the fabric. My mother made all of our underwear, aprons and play blouses out of the 100 pound bags. Mmmm, this is back in the very early 50's, when girl children wore aprons over their clothes when they ate meals and did their cleaning chores.

[NateHowe]

I like to put my flour in the freezer for a few days to kill whatever bugs might be hanging around in there. Then I keep a reasonable amount in a bin for quick use and seal the rest in whatever is at hand. I haven't done the dry-pack canning, but I have stored wheat and flour in large bins and buckets that seal airtight.

[hankpac]

Always re-pack your large bags of flour (I think you mean 25-50 lb sacks)

When you open a sack to get flour out, you open the sack to invasion by weevils, and mice. You also invite contamination, as the bag can tip or spill.

Large bags are not all lined with an inner plastic bag. In fact most are not. These invite moisture, leading to molding and rot.

Canning will last the longest, then vacuum bagging, then plastic buckets,and tupperware-type containers.

Freezing works well on live bugs, although not 100% but it doesn't always kill weevil eggs, and it only takes two to hatch and find each other to have a serious problem.

If you have ever smelled weevil infested grain products (strong ammonia like cat urine!), you wouldn't consider for a second the stupid "it's just extra protein" remark.

Re-packing into smaller containers avoids loss of large amounts from spoilage, moisture, or flooding, and animals. It also lends to ease of use, and sharing.

[dalepres]

Vacuum pack and use oxygen absorbers. Oxygen is the biggest factor in flour turning rancid and in the life of weevils. Whether you vacuum in bags or in cans is your choice but the cans are definitely better if you have that option. For me, the nearest church storehouse is 250 miles so I vacuum bag. I may, one day, buy a canning machine... if the world and economy lasts another couple years.

[ruthiechan]

Thanks everyone. As soon as things settle down financially I'll can this 50 pound bag of bread flour (I bought it just in case, since wheat is so expensive right now).

[Abraham]

Use a 5 gallon or 6 gallon bucket with a Gamma lid. Then moisture, roadents, and weavels won't have so easy of a time getting in. Google Gamma lids - they are way cool.

If you put the flour, if possible in the freexzer for a week it will killl any residual insects -then you can store it as you use it. Some keep it in the freezer but it takes up a lot of room, and you should be roatating it anyway.

Abraham