My main concern would be mice eating through the box and next 2 layers reasonably easy. It's a bit more expensive but we use buckets with a good lid. The buckets can double for water collection later or if food safe then even home made water filters. Thanks for the video.
Being in a rural setting we purchased food grade 44 gal drums for our wheat, flour and grain storage. Mylar bagged the bags then store them in the drums .. being in Australia with humid and hot conditions in summer we purchased insulated fabric and made a cover for each drum ..
I have rice, beans , etc. stored in those used containers such as water, coke, etc that are PETE 1 on the bottom for quite some 8 yrs now. I keep them to show them to unbelievers. No bugs, no discoloration, no nothing! On my GA garage where summer goes up to 105 degrees heat. How is that for a change? 😊
I’ve seen a person purchase cheap dollar tree paper lunch bags and store bulk flour this same way. However place in plastic buckets for longer shelf life.
I left in original bag and vacuum sealed, no freezing. Theoretically speaking. If I bring a bag home, I never freeze before using, so if there is no oxygen in the bag before I open... shouldn’t it last? Or could do freezing method after or before breaking vacuum seal.
I don't doubt your estimate of upping the shelf life to 5 years, but how did you come up with 5 years? Did you open a bag at 5 years and a bag at 6 years and taste a difference? Staleness?
I am not prepping for 20 yrs from now....I'm prepping for about 3 yrs...if I keep prepping constantly and use up stuff as time goes on, I'll always have a 3 yro storage.....as far as flour, I think flour loses a lot of flavor after about two yrs...my method is freeze the bag for about 10 days if you have the freezer space, then vacuum seal in a canning jar with ox absorbers or a larger glass jar with oxygen absorbers.....keep in a darker room....I only use metal lids or canning lids....
You can add oxygen absorbers to vacuum sealed products since they're in plastic, which air will eventually penetrate. The other option is to save your vacuum seal bags and just put the 5lb bag of flour in a 1 gallon mylar bag with a 500 cc oxygen absorber. This will kill any bugs and usually suck the air out after it's sealed.
Last year i made bread with 12 year old flour. It was wrapped in a plastic shopping bag sitting on a shelf all that time. It made fantastic bread. I did freeze @ -5° F. for a few days before storage. People get too wrapped around the axle on this stuff. Protection against vermin is important.
@@tedpeterson1156 I agree. I was just reading what my aunt had always told me…that if you keep the bugs and moisture out, plain flour is fine pretty much indefinitely. The self rising type won’t so much, etc, but I was surprised when he said 5 years.
How long do you thaw flour after putting in freezer...why do this (freeze after you vacuum seal) if you vacuum seal first which takes out all oxygen? Kills anything right?
It does not take long to thaw as there is no moisture, an hour or two. Freezing is for any larva eggs that pass through the flower. Freezing neutralizes them from hatching, hope this helps.
Color me squeamish but I’ve seen bugs, know what they do to our food supply, and really do NOT want, need, or enjoy seeing them in videos. I’ll seek info elsewhere.
I know...no one likes bugs I am one of them! However, those bugs that live in flour and stuff wouldn't even probably make you sick (if you did eat some). The purpose of no bugs is to properly store the food. If one uses oxygen absorbers, or vac seals, or use mylar, those little critters and their eggs are bygones. With no air the little beasts stop producing, period. Larvae and all! Just use a strainer before cooking and then wash your food! The bugs are dead then. By the time you cook it in boiling water there is nothing left that will harm you. It's like washing a small bag of Lentils or Pinto Beans before you cook them to make sure all the dirt, bugs, and rocks are gone! Real life.
@@romainejayne1811 Of course flour bugs (weevils) won’t physically hurt a person… I freeze my flour bags for three days, thaw several days, re-freeze for three days, thaw and re-freeze. Gives anything in them the chance to grow and then die. My Naval Aviator father’s flight surgeon friend taught survival skills. He’d routinely make a point of washing down various insects with gusto. “Pure protein!,” he said. Me? If I don’t have to, not gonna do it!
Thanks. Was needing this information. Getting flower tomorrow and more bags
Thank you for sharing this tip.
You are so welcome!
My main concern would be mice eating through the box and next 2 layers reasonably easy.
It's a bit more expensive but we use buckets with a good lid. The buckets can double for water collection later or if food safe then even home made water filters. Thanks for the video.
Bugs also eat through thin plastic which might be true for these vacuum bags. I second this bucket idea.
Being in a rural setting we purchased food grade 44 gal drums for our wheat, flour and grain storage. Mylar bagged the bags then store them in the drums .. being in Australia with humid and hot conditions in summer we purchased insulated fabric and made a cover for each drum ..
I think they are just going for food preservation not survival in the wilderness... lol
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful information
I saw another channel freeze then let it go to room temperature before vacuum sealing. Avoid condensation
The point of this method is to kill weevils. It’s very important.
I think I would seal it first, after all the air is removed. Then there's no chance of condensation if it's air tight.
Actually you freeze 3 days, thaw 1, refreeze 3 to kill both cycles of insects then store in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers.
Great idea!
Thank you for sharing! Your video is straight to the point 👏👏🙏🙏
Good tip about freezing it for 48 hours!
Excellent video and tip. Thank you.
Nope. Mylar bags and O2 absorbers. 10+ years easy. If you want to go longer than that, store whole grains and grind your own as needed.
Have you ever repurposed containers for long term storage? For example 2 liters of rice and beans?
@@JohnWayne-qx3je not a good idea. Same goes for water storage. A purpose built, dedicated container is the only way to go imho.
I have rice, beans , etc. stored in those used containers such as water, coke, etc that are PETE 1 on the bottom for quite some 8 yrs now. I keep them to show them to unbelievers. No bugs, no discoloration, no nothing! On my GA garage where summer goes up to 105 degrees heat. How is that for a change? 😊
Thanks for sharing 👍
Great tip, thank you.
You don't need to freeze the flour if all the oxygen is gone. bugs can't survive where there's no oxygen.
I am looking at that exact machine!
I’ve seen a person purchase cheap dollar tree paper lunch bags and store bulk flour this same way. However place in plastic buckets for longer shelf life.
not in a box rats and mice can get it use a food grade bucket
I left in original bag and vacuum sealed, no freezing. Theoretically speaking. If I bring a bag home, I never freeze before using, so if there is no oxygen in the bag before I open... shouldn’t it last? Or could do freezing method after or before breaking vacuum seal.
I don't doubt your estimate of upping the shelf life to 5 years, but how did you come up with 5 years? Did you open a bag at 5 years and a bag at 6 years and taste a difference? Staleness?
Right?
I am not prepping for 20 yrs from now....I'm prepping for about 3 yrs...if I keep prepping constantly and use up stuff as time goes on, I'll always have a 3 yro storage.....as far as flour, I think flour loses a lot of flavor after about two yrs...my method is freeze the bag for about 10 days if you have the freezer space, then vacuum seal in a canning jar with ox absorbers or a larger glass jar with oxygen absorbers.....keep in a darker room....I only use metal lids or canning lids....
Would you care to share where you purchase your whole grains? TIA, Marcy
Hi there are some things that can not be sealed (mylar bags) if they have oil like brown rice, does that apply to this too??
Is there any risk of condensation after freezing? Can/should you use desiccant packs?
I have not had any issues, but I live in a very arid climate
I’m guessing if it’s vacuumed sealed it’s hard for moisture to get in😁
I store bags of flour, oats, rice, etc in freezer and it never draws moisture
Thanks for sharing
Can you add 02 absorbers to a vacuum sealed product? Or only for Mylar and bucket style
You can add oxygen absorbers to vacuum sealed products since they're in plastic, which air will eventually penetrate. The other option is to save your vacuum seal bags and just put the 5lb bag of flour in a 1 gallon mylar bag with a 500 cc oxygen absorber. This will kill any bugs and usually suck the air out after it's sealed.
If you are sealing it in this manner why freeze it. I have never had problems with bugs specially if you are taking all the air out of it.
If you vac seal or use oxygen absorbers, you don't need the freezing/thaw cycle.
@@geod3589 thank you already did just to be on the safe side
Dear Sir does it work with whole wheat flour?
Can gluten free flour be stored long term?
👍👍👍👍👍👍
Have you opened an old bag to see the actual durability?
we could just freeze it in freezer bags leave in freezer till needed that would work
I've stored flour 1 year ago this way, and I'm concerned that other preppers are just giving 2 years .
I purchased some flour about a year ago how would I can it or should I can it or get rid of it.
You could make bread with it, is very popular
For how long can it be store this way?
Thanks
@@geoffc376 i forgot to delete my message after I watched the video lol 😂 thank you though
Last year i made bread with 12 year old flour. It was wrapped in a plastic shopping bag sitting on a shelf all that time. It made fantastic bread. I did freeze @ -5° F. for a few days before storage. People get too wrapped around the axle on this stuff. Protection against vermin is important.
@@tedpeterson1156 I agree. I was just reading what my aunt had always told me…that if you keep the bugs and moisture out, plain flour is fine pretty much indefinitely. The self rising type won’t so much, etc, but I was surprised when he said 5 years.
Instead of a box to hold the vacuum sealed bags of flour in a cool dark place, wouldn't a heavy duty dark tote in an air conditioned room work?
Add food grade diatomaceous earth
After freezing. Doubly safe!!!!
You’re supposed to freeze 3 days, de thaw 1 day then refreeze 3 more days, THEN seal the Mylar bag with oxygen absorbers.
How long do you thaw flour after putting in freezer...why do this (freeze after you vacuum seal) if you vacuum seal first which takes out all oxygen? Kills anything right?
It does not take long to thaw as there is no moisture, an hour or two. Freezing is for any larva eggs that pass through the flower. Freezing neutralizes them from hatching, hope this helps.
Anyone know if adding O2 absorbers to scavenge any remaining O2 would be of any use? maybe silica packets for absorbing moisture?
I always use O2 absorbers when storing grains and flours and rice
@@helenh20mo Thank you i thought so but they are pricey where i live and wanted to be sure.
i freeze my flour for about 4 days to a week right when i buy it but i dont see a problem with freezing after sealing so..i guess either way is great
Bake it 175 for one hr. No eggs or bugs
Will do it for sure! Thank you.
The bags need to be stored in the lockable, food grade plastic containers meant for emergency storage.
I cannot go out buy a vaccumn sealer
I'd store it in buckets so the mice dont get into it. vacuum sealing takes all the air out so the bugs can't survive.
Plastic leaks air.. get mylar bags
Color me squeamish but I’ve seen bugs, know what they do to our food supply, and really do NOT want, need, or enjoy seeing them in videos. I’ll seek info elsewhere.
I know...no one likes bugs I am one of them! However, those bugs that live in flour and stuff wouldn't even probably make you sick (if you did eat some). The purpose of no bugs is to properly store the food. If one uses oxygen absorbers, or vac seals, or use mylar, those little critters and their eggs are bygones. With no air the little beasts stop producing, period. Larvae and all! Just use a strainer before cooking and then wash your food! The bugs are dead then. By the time you cook it in boiling water there is nothing left that will harm you. It's like washing a small bag of Lentils or Pinto Beans before you cook them to make sure all the dirt, bugs, and rocks are gone! Real life.
@@romainejayne1811 Of course flour bugs (weevils) won’t physically hurt a person… I freeze my flour bags for three days, thaw several days, re-freeze for three days, thaw and re-freeze. Gives anything in them the chance to grow and then die.
My Naval Aviator father’s flight surgeon friend taught survival skills. He’d routinely make a point of washing down various insects with gusto. “Pure protein!,” he said.
Me? If I don’t have to, not gonna do it!
Sorry it is not good you need something kill the future bugs