List #17: How to Store Wheat and Other Grains

I'm writing this list because it's been so much part of my life recently. I am on the Emergency Preparedness Committee in my ward, and we decided to do hands-on training for people who have no clue what to do. It's one thing to hear a lecture. It's another to get on your knees and pour wheat into a bucket. When you do it, you know it. We've been putting our 2400+ pounds of wheat into permanent storage. The kids are helping and loving it, and I'm so glad they're involved.

1. Buy buckets. We bought ours used for $1/each from a lady who had hundreds. They had to be washed, as they had previously contained sugared egg whites (though they had been pretty well rinsed out before we bought them). They are 4-gallon buckets and they are sqaure. You can also buy new 5-gallon buckets that are round for about $5/each. Buy two or three of those handy screw-top lids as well as the regular lids. Then you don't have to lever that nail-breaking lid off each time you need to fill your pantry container with grain.

2. You can also buy cans and lids from the LDS Cannery. Each stake usually has a canner you can borrow to put the lids on, or you can borrow one from the cannery for free. There are advantages and disadvantages to both buckets and cans, but it's probably good to have some of both.

3. Choose your method of keeping out the bugs. We have used two methods: diatomaceous earth and bay leaves. My parents have used bay leaves effectively for years and years with nary a problem; however, if you live in a very hot, humid environment (such as the southern US), you may want to go with the diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth will actually kill insects by absorbing the "lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate." [from Widipedia, Diatomaceous Earth]. There is food-grade as well as industrial-grade diatomaceous earth, so be sure you're ordering food-grade. It isn't that expensive, and a little goes a long way. You can buy bulk bay leaves from places like San Francisco Herb Company for a very good price. As you only need 9 - 12 per bucket, depending on size, a little goes a long way again.

You can also buy oxygen absorbers if you want, or try the dry-ice method of canning or bucketing grain. Dry-ice is a little too much work for me. I like the bay leaves and diatomaceous earth.

4. Time to bucket the grain. Find the string on the top of the grain bag and pull. If you get the right end, it should just unravel all the way across, leaving you with a perfectly open bag.

5. To use the Diatomaceous Earth (DE): You only need 1/4 cup of DE per 50-pound bag of grain (a 5-gallon bucket will hold almost 50 pounds; you'll need 1 1/2 4-gallon buckets per 50-pound bag of grain, and 1 TBSP of DE per 4-gallon bucket). Using a bowl or container, scoop in grain to fill 1/4 to 1/3 of the bucket or can. Spinkle a little DE onto the wheat and mix it around with your hands. You might want to wear a dust mask for this.

Add more grain and sprinkle on more DE, mixing it thoroughly. Continue until the bucket is full and the DE is all used up. Put a lid on it.

6. To use bay leaves: You'll need 9 bay leaves for a 4-gallon bucket and 12 bay leaves for a 5-gallon bucket. For the 4-gallon bucket, pour in grain to 1/3 full, lay on 3 bay leaves. Repeat twice more. Put on a lid.

For a 5-gallon bucket, pour in grain to 1/4 full and lay on 3 bay leaves. Repeat three more times. Put on a lid.

For #10 cans, you need 4 - 6 bay leaves.

7. Make sure you label your buckets and cans clearly. Store buckets off a cement floor by putting them on a pallet or laying down several boards so the bottom of the buckets are not touching the cement. Cans are really easy to locate and move when they are in cases. You can buy the boxes fairly inexpesively from the cannery.

Happy bucketing and canning! I'd love to hear your comments and/or questions. If I don't have the answer, I know people who do.