Nothing beats home-baked bread made from fresh grain. If necessary, you can harvest the ingredients from your own cultivation or buy the grains from the supermarket or, at best, from the organic market. But you don't always use the full amount. With correct storage, however, this is not a problem at all, because grain can be kept for years under the right conditions.
Grain should be stored dry and dark
Storage location requirements
A good place to store grain is the basement. This one should
- dark
- dry
- and odor free
being. Temperatures around 12°C are ideal. Under no circumstances should you store your cereal in the refrigerator.
The right packaging
Grain from the organic market is often offered in plastic packaging. Since the grains are usually already dried and cleaned, they can remain in the packaging without hesitation. After opening, however, you should close them tightly to prevent animals from entering. Fresh grain from your own harvest must be dried to a maximum moisture content of 14% before packaging. To do this, spread the grains out on a piece of wood and turn them over every two days. After about two to three weeks, the residual moisture is completely removed. Plastic is then less recommended. It is best to use linen or cotton bags. Under no circumstances should the container be airtight, otherwise mold will quickly form. Shake up the grain regularly.
Shelf life of different types of grain
- Wheat: up to 20 years
- Spelled: up to 20 years
- Rye: six years
- Barley: over ten years
- Oats: three to five years
- Rice: up to twelve years (whole grain rice does not keep quite as long)
The flour moth
The flour moth is a pest that likes to nest in grain. Cobweb-like threads in the packaging are the first signs of an infestation. The grain sticks together and has a bitter taste. If these signs are found in your food, you should dispose of it carefully and clean the storage area extensively. Attention: The flour moth can also eat through packaging.
The garden journal freshness ABC
How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?
The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:
- as a free PDF file to print out yourself