Storing flour, sugar etc.

[gto]

I freeze my flour for 2 weeks. Then I store it in glass (never plastic!!) hermetically sealed jars. The freezing kills any nasties in it. Dividing it up into smaller containers means that you have access to it without exposing it to oxygen (what really causes degradation).

Some people who do TEOTWAEKI prepping store their whole wheat berries in mylar bags, inside food-grade 5/6 gallon sealable tubs.

I believe 72 hours is all you need to kill all the pests.

I talked to a Mormon once about their food storage program and spoke at great lengths regarding the advantage of storing hard red and white wheat instead of flour. Basically, if you place your wheat berries in the freezer for 72 hours before putting into mylar bags all the bugs and eggs will be dead. Once you place in the mylar bag you are suppose to throw in o2 absorbers and vaccum out the excess air before you seal the bag. I am told the hard red and white wheat berries will store for upto 15 years like that with out trouble. You wont even come close to that with flour.

 

[MexicoKaren]

I can attest to the fact that flour goes "sour". Humidity and air are the enemy here, so I store my flour and sugar in air-tight gallon-size glass jars on a kitchen shelf for immediate use. What I can't get in the jars is packed in plastic, vacuumed and put in a closed plastic bin in the pantry. Yes, I am competing with alot of critters here and I intend to win!