How to Store Whole Grain and Make Homemade Flour

How to Store Whole Grain and Make Homemade Flour

Today, I want to share with you why you should be storing whole grain in your Prepper Pantry. And once you have whole grain, you’ll need to be able to grind it into flour. But don’t worry. I have three options for you to make homemade flour!

Whole Grain for the Prepper Pantry

Over the last couple of months, I have shared lots of information with you on how to best stock your Extended Pantry—what we also refer to as the Prepper Pantry. This section of your Four Corners Pantry (which I discuss in detail below) is where you want to store those foods that serve as a backup supply for your Working Pantry, which is the pantry you access on a regular basis.

Now keep in mind, what we store in our Prepper Pantry helps to restock our Working Pantry, but we also want to make sure that we keep foods in our Prepper Pantry that can help us in the event of a dire emergency when food may not be plentiful or readily available. For this purpose, I have put together a video where I discuss the Forever Foods that meet this specific need.

Are Whole Grains a Forever Food?

But where do whole grains fit in? Yes, some may consider them a Forever Food, but practically speaking, whole grains—when stored properly —can last anywhere from 8 years to 25+ years. Why such a broad range? You’ll learn more about the different types of whole grains that you can store in the next section, so read on.

In today’s grinding grain tutorial video, I share a more in-depth discussion as to why you should be storing whole grain in your Prepper Pantry, as opposed to whole grain flour. I also talk about how whole grain can serve both as a source of food to restock your working pantry, as well as a food that is perfect for long term storage.

When compared to whole grain flour, which at best may stay fresh up to no more than one year and is generally only really considered fresh for about six months, whole grain wins as your best long-term storage option.

What Types of Whole Grain Can You Store?

A nice feature about storing whole grain in your Prepper Pantry is that you have an abundance of choices. You can store both soft whole grain and hard whole grain. Your soft whole grains include:

• Barley, Hulled or Pearled
• Oats, Oat Groats, Rolled Oats
• Quinoa
• Rye Berries, and
• Soft White Wheat

These soft whole grains, when stored properly, can stay fresh for at least eight years and often up to 10 years.

Your hard grains include:

• Buckwheat
• Dry Corn
• Flax
• Kamut
• Millet
• Durum Wheat
• Hard Red and Hard White Wheat
• Spelt
• Triticale

These hard whole grains, when stored properly, can stay fresh for up to at least 25 years—maybe longer!

In the following videos, I also talk more about the different wheat berries and Kamut.

How Best to Store Whole Grains

When it comes to how best to store whole grain, you have lots of options. Some of my favorite ways to store whole grain include 5-gallon storage buckets with gamma lids, mylar bags, and glass jars with an airtight seal.

I teach you everything you ever wanted to know about long-term storage options in the following detailed videos. Plus, in each corresponding blog post, I share lots of links to authoritative sources on food storage for more detailed information.

In my Best Food Storage Supplies for Your Prepper Pantry video, I share some clever ideas for using 5-gallon storage buckets in conjunction with mylar bags to rodent-proof—as best as possible—your whole grain.

And when it comes to bugs…don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. I share all the information you need for how to deter bugs, as well as options for how to kill them before they become a problem.

Free 36-Page Pantry List

Have you downloaded my FREE 36-Page Essential Traditional Foods Pantry List yet? If not, be sure to do that right now! You will love this list! It’s an eBook chock full of information about how to stock your Four Corners Pantry, which includes:

• Working Pantry (Your main every day pantry)
• Refrigerator
• Freezer
• Extended Pantry (Also known as your Prepper Pantry)

In this list, I not only share every food you need to stock a Traditional Foods Pantry, I also have links to many videos that show how to prepare these foods and use them in recipes.

Plus, I’ve sprinkled lots of tidbits of Traditional Foods information throughout the 36 pages.

Mockmill

When it comes to grinding grains, I love my Mockmill electric grain mill! It is SO well made but is surprisingly affordable. (And made even more affordable thanks to my marysnest 5% discount on Mockmill Stone Grain Mill products that I have to share with you!)

• Use my affiliate link for a special one-time 5% discount on Mockmill Stone Grain Mill products, including Ancient Grains, like Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt. (The discount will appear when you checkout.)

With your Mockmill, you can set the grind anywhere from 1 to 10. This adjustment allows you to grind grain to your liking for either a coarse ground flour or a fine ground flour. I often grind my grain on setting number 5 for what works out to be the perfect “all-purpose” grind for my baking needs.

Plus, once your grain is ground—and this applies to no matter what equipment you use to grind your grain—you can sift out some of the bran and the germ to create a lighter flour. And never feel bad about sifting out some of the bran and germ. This common practice goes back to the Middle Ages and earlier. The flour is still incredibly nutritious, but now it is a bit more digestible and palatable, especially for those new to whole grain baking!

You can learn more about the Mockmill in today’s video, as well as see the Mockmill 100 product that I purchased in my Mockmill unboxing video.

Vitamix

When you watch today’s tutorial video that corresponds with this blog post, you will get to see my 30-year-old Vitamix in action. Yes, I purchased it 30 years ago, and it’s still going strong. Although I can grind grain in it, I defer to my Mockmill since it is a stone ground grain mill, which is best for keeping the naturally occurring oils in whole grains fresh.

However, if you are interested in using a modern-day Vitamix to grind your whole grain, be sure to watch my tutorial video because I share a few tips on how to use your Vitamix. For example, I discuss how to keep your grain cool and protect those natural oils when grinding grain in a Vitamix. You’ll also learn when you may need to make the jump and invest in the Vitamix Dry Grains Container accessory.

WonderMill

Oh, the WonderMill! It is a wonder! The WonderMill Junior, which is what I purchased, is a manual grain mill. And although it does take a bit of elbow grease to use, you never have to worry when the power is out. You can still grind your grain. I love mine and am very happy I have this is a backup to my electric Mockmill.

If you add the flywheel attachment in place of the standard handle, it makes it easier to grind your grain. And if you have kids, they’ll love helping you with this chore. Many a boy has been known to pretend he is driving a race car!

UPDATE: As of the writing of this blog post, the WonderMill Junior is out of stock. Lehman’s also carries their own brand of manual grain mill, but that too right now is out of stock! Be sure to check back often as to see when these manual grain mills are back in stock. Other options for manual grain mills that are available are the Country Living Grain Mill and the Quaker City Grain Mill. (Both are in currently stock at Lehman’s and both are USA made.)

More Prepper Pantry videos

In case you have not seen my previous Prepper Pantry videos, you can catch-up now with the videos below. These detailed videos will have you well on your way to stocking your Prepper Pantry, and you’ll never be unprepared again!

Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest

1. Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
2. Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
3. Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy (Optional Paid) - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
4. Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook (Optional Paid) - Get a printed book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.

I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!

Shop for items used in this blog post or video

Favorite Mockmill Products

When ordering from the Mockmill site, be sure to use my links below for a 5% discount. (The discount will appear when you checkout.)

• Mockmill 100 Stone Grain Mill
• Mockmill 200 Stone Grain Mill
• Mockmill Stone Grain Mill Attachment For Stand Mixers

Learn more about Mockmill electric grain mills for making fresh flour and their Flake Lover's Flaker that flakes whole grain in minutes.

Favorite Vitamix Products

• VITAMIX
• VITAMIX Dry Grains Container

Favorite Manual Grain Grinders

• Country Living Grain Mill
• Quaker City Grain Mill

Favorite Whole Grains and Supplies

• Fine Mesh Strainer
• Einkorn Berries
• Spelt Berries
• Whole Wheat Berries
• White Whole Wheat Berries
• Rye Berries
• Oat Groats

Favorite Food Storage Supplies

• 5 Gallon Bucket w/ Lid
• Gamma Lid
• 5 Gallon Mylar Bag
• 500CC Oxygen Absorbers
• 10g Silica Gel Packs
• Bay Leaves

More Favorite Kitchen Supplies

• Favorite Aprons
• Whisk
• Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• 8-Quart Slow-Cooker
• Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
• Flour Sack Towels
• Masontops Fermentation Kit (promo code below)

Use promo code MARYSNST for a one-time 15% off Masontops and Breadsmart products on Amazon.com.

Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide

• Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
• Visit my Shopping Guide page
  Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Lehman's, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, Plan to Eat, and More!

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