Wheat Berries

[BWHLover]

Do I need to freeze Wheat Berries before they are package for LTS ?

[neparose]

For LTS you should do SOMETHING to kill off any nasties that are along for the ride. Freezing will kill them, although I believe removing the oxygen will not. I asked this same question a while back and got no response so I did some internet surfing and came up with diatomatious{sp} earth, so I dusted all my grains with it. Freezing would have been so much more simpler. I think if you search BWH for "freezing wheat" you should find an article that Jackie Clay wrote about putting hers out side in a safe container for a period of time durring a temp drop. I also think she buys it in the winter to do just that. That way your not lugging hundreds of pounds of wheat in and out of a freezer and trying to manage space in there for the stuff. My whole problem was would the wheat pick up condensation from the freezing and there fore have to be dried out before putting it into buckets for storage. The answer was no but I couldnt find out before I dusted. live and learn!

[momma_to_seven_chi]

Most websites say you should freeze them first. I know my MIL always did. But I never have. I just take them out of the bag, put them in half-gallon jars and and put on the lids. I don't keep enough berries to really validate keeping buckets of them, but just keep them in cases of jars. I always toss in bay leaves too. I've never had a bug problem in flour or wheat berries just from using bay leaves, no mylar, no freezing.

[bookwormom]

I heard that about the bay leaves too, but was not sure how well it will work. cinnamon sticks are supposed to have the same effect. diatomaceous earth sounds like a great idea. Our feed store carries it. cheaper than all the other stuff. I am definitely going to try that. With freezing, it really does not stay that cold long enough around here to freeze a five gallon bucket through and through. Jacky Clay lives a lot farther north I believe. The same treatment should work for beans and lentils, too.

[momma_to_seven_chi]

I don't buy the mylar bags or oxygen absorbers or freeze things, etc. I just get the bay leaves by the pound from the local Amish store or the Latino grocery. They are only about two dollars a pound for the leaves, and they work fine.

I did have some oatmeal in the original round box that had some weevils in it, but I hadn't put in bay leaves or anything, just opened the box and used it slowly.

[sbemt456]

We raise our own corn for cornmeal and I do freeze it for a couple weeks prior to grinding then let it come back to room temp to dispell any moisture before grinding. This year I did not have freezer room to put in 2 bushel of corn so after the cornmeal was ground I put it in the freezer to kill any critter eggs in it and in a couple week will vacuum seal it in bags for LTS. In years past I have had wheat and did the same thing with it. But before putting flour, or grains in plastic bags or buckets to store I do let it come to room temp for maybe 2 days to get the moisture out so as to not have it mold in storage. I learned this the hard way many years ago with regular flour, taking it from freezer to canister and didnt use it soon enough and had to toss it due to mold. Just the method to my madness. Hope it helps a lil bit.

Have a great day!

stella

[Rimfire_Red]

Jacky Clay lives a lot farther north I believe.

Yep! And they are forcasting -20F to -35F for her area tonight - actual air temp -NOT wind chill! Hard on equipment, hard on livestock and wildlife (and humans!)- add wind and that is REALLY brutal!

[debbie-bountiful]

I buy mine in those 40 pound buckets. Am I suppose to freeze them? I just use them. I buy from Honeyville and they never mention freezing them.

[MichaelK]

I live in an area where winter temperatures never go much below freezing. Maybe frost on the windshield a few times but that's about it. That precludes leaving a bucket outside to freeze. I have an upright freezer, but it's already full to the point of stuff falling out, so making space for a 5 gallon bucket is out of the question.

The method that works best for me is using chunks of dry ice in the bottom of each bucket. While low oxygen may not kill insect eggs, high carbond dioxide will! It's easy to drop a fist sized chunk of dry ice in the bottom of the bucket, then fill to the top with grain. You have to be careful though to keep the lid on only tight enough to allow excess gas to burp. I feel the side of the bucket and can tell when the ice is gone and I can fully snap a lid down tight. Beans stored this way have lasted a decade!