When we look at all the different ways there is to store food for your family, it can sometimes seem overwhelming. At least, that’s what one woman said to me recently. I understand her point. I’ve talked about a lot of different ways to keep your pantry full, even when the grocery store shelves might be empty.
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Have multiple food sources
The trick is to have more than one kind food and nutrition sources in your pantry. You want to store many levels and kinds of food supplies. Each will be different than the other. Some food you store will be ready made, like canned beans, veggies, nuts and all the rest. But not all will be.
Other food sources will be in your garden. These sources are dependent upon the weather cooperating, varmints and pests being kept out and other factors. Fresh fruit and veggie gardens are a very important part of having a self-sustaining food supply. They bring added nutrition and variety to your canned goods food supply.
Another kind of food to store in bulk is flour and grains. Note that flour isn’t like canned food; it’s not like ready made meals in cans or other prepared meal sources. And it’s not like a veggie garden, either. You don’t have to wait for the food source to grow. Flour is an “in between” food source. A little flour or pancake mix is easily turned into food in a matter of minutes. But, it’s also easily stored in bulk.
Today, I’m only gonna talk about storing flour because it’s the simplest and most effective way to store a major food source in bulk that will last years if need be. Of course, there are steps you need to take to make sure that your stored flour will be safe to eat in the long term.
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Store it “off-grid”
Now, for the sake of being realistic, let’s assume that you don’t have the ability to put the flour in the freezer. In other words, let’s assume that the electrical grid is either down or unreliable. That’s a pretty big assumption, but given the times we’re living in – with terrorism and all that – I think it’s wise to “grid-proof” your food supply.
Also, let me say that if you don’t do things right, the flour will spoil or be eaten by critters who either found their way in or were already in when you bought the flour. I know this because I’ve had flour go bad in a matter of months. Keeping it safe and clean isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little bit of care and concentration to do it the right way.
Also, I’m aware that there is always more than one way to do something, and that some folks have methods different than mine. I don’t have a problem with that. If this information just gets you started down the path of food self reliance, then I’ve done my job.
What’s the best flour to store?
So, what kind of flour should you store? This question can be a bit iffy with some folks. That’s because you fall into the whole wheat flour – white flour – rice flour – corn meal argument or other kinds of flour dilemmas. It’s not as complicated as it sounds, though. The thing is, some flour has more nutritional value than others but is more difficult to keep fresh. That’s the basic trade-off.
And of course, some folks can’t eat certain kinds of flour. If you’re in that second group, then the answer is easy. You have no choice but to store the flour that you can eat without bad side affects.
On the other hand, if you have no health issues with any kind of flour that you know of, your best bet from a long term storage perspective is to store white flour. Does this mean you can’t store whole wheat flour? Heck no!
But whole wheat flour is more prone to spoilage due to its high nutrition content and lack of processing. (Yep, the fresher the food, the harder it is to store over long periods.) Plus, whole wheat flour contains trace amounts of fat in it from the wheat germ. Like any other fats, wheat germ fat can go rancid. That’s a factor to consider carefully. Most folks store some of both.
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Bulk flour is cheap & easy to get & store
The good news is that you can get flour in bulk easy enough. A 50-pound bag of white flour can be had for around $20 at Costco or restaurant supply stores, depending upon where you live. You can also get whole grain flour, like rice and cornmeal for similar or slightly higher costs.
One question that folks often ask is, ‘how much flour should I keep on hand?’ Lots of times, indoor storage space is very limited. My answer is simple and practical. Since you can store a lot of flour in a little space, and it goes a long way in terms of food supply, a year’s supply for each family member is pretty easy to manage.
How much is a year’s supply of flour?
But just how much flour is enough to last one person a whole year? Well, there are several ways to figure that out. Thing is, each way gives you a different number. Again, let’s keep it simple and practical. We all know that we’re not gonna just eat flour alone. We’ll need fats, sugars, salts and other ingredients, like eggs (real, powdered, or already in the flour, as in pancake/biscuit mix), milk (real or powdered) and other stuff. Another factor is the age, size and appetite of each person. So to keep it simple, easy and realistic, I always figure 150 pounds of flour per person, as a year’s supply. That’s about $60 per person and won’t take up too much space.
Protect your flour from the top 4 threats
The key to successfully storing any kind grain, flour or meal is to protect it from the top four threats to its integrity as a food source to you. This is a big deal! Your lives may depend upon your food storage remaining edible. You must defend it against the top threats, which are:
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- Heat – Always store your flour in a cool, dry place. Without the benefit of electrical power, this can be a challenge. Depending upon where you live, summer heat can really do a number on stored flour and grains. Your best bet is to keep it in your house. That may be in your pantry, a closet under the stairs, a well- protected basement, or wherever is usually coolest and driest.
- Humidity – Moisture and darkness are the perfect conditions for mold to grow and thrive. Inside your house or barn, or even a well-constructed, water-tight root cellar can serve you well as a granary.
- Insects – Like any food source, stored flour can and will attract insects. As I noted above, in natural, whole wheat flour, it’s not unheard of to have insect larva hatch as the flour is stored. This can be avoided by following proper storage procedures and locations where insects are greatly discouraged or find it difficult to get to or survive.
- Rodents – Like insects, rodents are a big threat to all stored foods. I’ve even heard of rats chewing through canned food containers! Whether that’s true or not, those critters are certainly capable of chewing through plastic food storage buckets, wood, cardboard and the like. Therefore, it’s crucial that no food scent escapes from your storage containers.
Keep it simple, practical and effective
Now, I’ve seen folks keep several 25-pound and even 50-pound bags of flour on hand. They keep in their pantry in the bags it came in as well as smaller amounts in glass jars on their counter tops. Their reasoning is that since they use the flour on almost a daily basis, it’s getting used up steadily. They simply buy more every month or so when they need it.
These folks tend to be the “make it from scratch” kind of people, which I’m all in favor of. Therefore, they don’t see the need for long term storage, since they’re constantly replacing their supplies. I understand their reasoning, but I don’t completely agree with it.
Most people don’t have the time to be making every meal from scratch. You have jobs to get to, and kids to drive around everywhere, and all kinds of other demands on your plate. That’s why I want to make it as easy but effective as possible. Being practical has served me a long time and I don’t see a need to change that.
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Store in airtight containers
My view is that you need to have a fixed amount of stored food, in this case flour, so it’s there when you need it. Therefore, in order to defend your stored flour against these four threats, as well as extending its life for several years, you need to store your flour in airtight containers.
My best recommendations for airtight containers are to use heat sealable, mylar bags along with oxygen absorption packets and airtight 5-gallon buckets, or the larger 20-gallon storage buckets with gamma lids if you can get your hands on them, to protect and store your flour supply.
The process is simple, quick and effective. And, like most of my self reliance strategies, it doesn’t cost much, either. I’ll tell you exactly what you need to do easily and safely store your year’s supply of flour in the DIY section below.
