Q and A: Stale whole wheat flour, Hopi Pale Grey seeds, and storing dehydrated vegetables

Stale whole wheat flour

What can I do with stale whole wheat flour besides use it for animal feed? I don’t have a freezer, so, as you know, it doesn’t stay (good) very long.

Lee
Gilbert, South Carolina

Sorry but stale whole wheat flour really can’t be saved. This is why we grind our own fresh when I want to make whole wheat baked goods. You might want to invest in a grain mill. Mine is just a cheap ($59) mill which is now called the Victorio hand grain mill in the Emergency Essentials catalog. Some day I’d like to have an electric mill, but for now, my little hand mill turns out great flour in about 10 minutes for a baking of bread or flour. Wheat stays fine for years in an airtight container so you don’t have to worry about it getting stale. — Jackie

Hopi Pale Grey seeds and storing dehydrated vegetables

I am excited to tell you, all the seeds you sent me have started germinating. Thank you very much. My question: my husband and I built growing mats from rope lights, they work great and cheap to make. Do I need to remove from heat mat after they germinate? My basement stays around 65 – 67 degrees. Is this warm enough? Another question: I store all my dehydrated vegetables in canning jars. Am I doing this right or should I be using other jars?

Robin Putman
Coolville, Ohio

I’m glad the seeds are doing well. What a good idea about the rope lights for a gentle heat source under the trays. If you’re using grow lights (or shop lights) just above your plants, they’ll provide enough warmth for your growing seedlings. If not, it won’t hurt to leave the rope lights on for a while longer to get them going well. They will grow at 65-67 degrees, but will be slower.

I store a lot of my dehydrated foods in canning jars. I also use a lot of those miscellaneous jars that canning lids don’t fit on so I don’t waste them. (Yes, I do recycle, but I feel that the more recycling you do at home, the better!) — Jackie