30 Year Supply Of Survival Food Ruined!

[@chakagomez8129]

i grew up eating weevily flour . we just sifted them out and ate it. my parents grew up during the great depression, so they didnt let a few weevils waste a bag of flour or rice or anything edible

[@debicasey3779]

We did the same. We just considered the weevils as extra protein

[@nathanhale7444]

I remember my grandma doing that too. She didn't waste anything. Every last cheerio or grain of rice on my plate got eaten or I wasn't done. I wonder what the people that wrongfully call me a hoarder will think when they're begging me for food?

[@chakagomez8129]

waste not, want not

[@DrOldhen]

That is why your common sifters were made. Take out the bugs.

[@nathanhale7444]

@@DrOldhen oh wow that makes sence 🤯

[@misterkaos.357]

McDonalds fries are a forever food that can be stored just about anywhere. Underneath furniture, between couch cushions, in the gaps between the car door and the car seat. I have a bunch of McDonalds fries sitting in the bottom of my desk drawer. Some of them have been sitting in there for over 20 years, and they are the exact same color they were the day after I ordered them.

[@laurajones6398]

Makes you wonder. If bugs don't like them what is the fries nutrient density?

[@angelagiambo6925]

That’s siriously funny 😂😂😂

[@shannynwiggins8407]

True!

[@laquicha8159]

Lol that’s so true - they last forever hidden under the floor mats in the car 😂

[@sharkbait6851]

Left a Little Caesar's pizza in my old room when I moved out. No one went in it for a year, apparently. The pizza still looked like it was left out over night.

[@hannetjiedebeer9480]

Put some bay leaves in the containers in which you store grains and spices. Sometimes the products are contaminated with weavel eggs in the store. Bay leaves work like a charm, even if the product is contaminated the eggs and bugs will die. If no contamination is present, they won't even come near your products.

[@justjosie8963]

About how many leaves? I have a bay leaf bush, and would love more usage than in my occasional homemade soup and such. I have thrown a few in drawers and food cabinets.

[@mountainloversoff-grid155]

I agree they work great in cupboards also.

[@gailwendtland5970]

I thought bay leaves.. we're a deterrent. They don't kill bugs...just keeps them away. O2 absorbers in an airtight container will kill bugs..no need to freeze. Nothing survives without Oxygen

[@therealunclassified]

Found a mess of them in my house in the spring. Never seen one before.

[@mrsranmac1737]

Once you get weevils in a bag of flour check all your dried pasta, cocoa mixes, oatmeal, and anything that has flour in it.... I got them a couple years back and I'm still finding them here and there but I'm killing everyone I see... we live in a farm and they are the Dickens to get rid of! I now place all my dried pastas and all flour items in plastic bags in hopes that will contain them if I get them again. Mom had an old Hoosier type cabinet that had an open flour bin in it and you just sifted out from it...had them in it most every year come summer... she'd just sift on....if the flour had too many she'd dump but back in the 60's flour was pretty high like it is now days...if you figure what a dollar bought back then 10 lb bag cost about $1.11 then...so it weren't too cheap....

[@happygardener28]

Several decades ago I'd read that the amount of time needed for the bugs to die in the deep freezer was 20 to 40 days. Probably because IF the center of the large bulk bags doesn't get cold enough for long enough the eggs can survive. You were lucky it was only one bucket. I'd also read that the cold from the CO2 could weaken the bucket, as well as damage some of the grain (think freezer burned meat), so the magazine recommended putting the pieces of dry ice on a coffee filter or paper plate at the top of the bucket. Since CO2 is heavier than air it will sink down into the bucket.

[@cogit8able]

Neat!

[@happygardener28]

@@farmingoffthegrid9647 yes I hear that many people only freeze their items for 3 days now. But freezers are better than they were, they don't always last as long but they get colder.

[@mandrews1245]

@@farmingoffthegrid9647 -- I put all flour and rice in -20 C freezer for 3 - 4 weeks. Open bags and spread out on cookie trays for 24 hours to get rid of any humidity. Then seal in bags and store in buckets. Always rotate using food:- one new in, one old out.

[@ChrisBGramz4u]

Ok,ok. thank you for answering a question I've pondered for decades. "If bread has no nutritional value, how is it people of the past seemed to live off of bread and cheese?" Because their bread did have nutrition. 👍

[@lander1591]

During the modernisation of Egypt they had a serious problem when they moved from traditional fired earth ovens to modern ones, as the Iron in their diet was from cooking the bread on the walls of the earth ovens. To further the problem their strict religious practices forbeyed adding anything to the flour to make up for the deficiency.

[@husher5142]

Wheat today is 12x less nutritious then the wheat grown a few hundred years ago and that's sad.

[@husher5142]

@fredbrandon1645 and yet probably have still grown more food than you and still accurate in that. Just because a Monsanto crop can survive and produce more volume, does not mean it is the same nutritiously dense

[@goatkidmom]

The cheese had more nutrition too.

[@BigHenFor]

They didn't live off bread and cheese. Mushrooms, beans, foraged fruits and vegetables, and offal. You can't live off bread alone.

[@kdsowen2882]

Kim , you DO need to turn-on your Grinder BEFORE adding seed etc . The seed drops down into the 'mill' and slightly jams it ;that wee-pause before it goes . Over time, this damages the 'brushes' and the armature, commonly called a 'rotor' , this Will halve the life of the motor . Dave NZ

[@HAXMAN]

Thanks for the tip!

[@DavZell]

You mean, like the bright red warning sticker said in the bowl?!!!

[@nathanhale7444]

Exactly what I was thinking. I'm glad you mentioned it and it looks like they got the message.

[@nathanhale7444]

Having a warning label is one thing but knowing why the label is there and what the consequences are of ignoring it are a whole not her level. To quote the old Gi joe cartoons "knowing is half the battle"

[@nadiafarahat9201]

@@nathanhale7444 earplugs lol

[@connie1070]

I spent 23 Years in the Navy. After 4 months at sea it would become a common issue to find Weevils in prepackaged single serve breakfast cereal. You just learn to pour on the milk and wait for the weevils to float to the top, scoop them out and eat your breakfast. Mind you, 4+ months into a deployment you didn’t have fresh milk, you were drinking Magnolia boxed milk with a 99 year shelf life, so regardless of the cereal or the milk, it tasted like crap anyway.

[@HAXMAN]

My Dad had lots of interesting stories about eating while at sea on an aircraft carrier as well. 😄

[@connie1070]

@@HAXMAN tell your Dad happy Veterans Day. I did 2 carriers during my time, USS Midway 1982-86 and USS Independence 1991-94 😄

[@connie1070]

@@redonionsyummy thank you Amy, it was an Honor to serve.

[@HAXMAN]

@@connie1070 Happy Veterans Day to you!

[@Nikki-me4Gd]

Thank you for your service💙

[@veritasjustus8543]

Had weevils in my oats as a middle schooler... my biology teacher totally researched it for me and even asked for a sample...he said it's ok to eat and it just adds a slight protein as long as its fully cooked...he then proceeded to ask my parents why they were making me eat it, he learned that day what it's like to choose when you're poor.So we all learned, but....cook the weevils and you're fine.

[@Section_230]

Bug chitin is actually Poisonous to humans, we're not biologically equipped to process it either. So while you may get a Very Small amount of protein, you also might as well dose a small amount of arsenic with each meal... 🤔🤷‍♂️

[@nehpets216]

@@Section_230 That depends on the bug and Wheevils aren't

[@Section_230]

@@nehpets216 Wrong, all bugs

[@Section_230]

@@nehpets216 Live in the pods and eat the bugs if you want to. I'm not going to. Thanks. I'm also not going to lie to people. Someone can snort cocaine if they want, doesn't mean I need to tell them it's healthy.

[@nehpets216]

@@Section_230 I don't want to eat them and I'll avoid it if possible. I'm just saying that they aren't going to make you sick if you do and claiming that they will means that you'be been misinformed. To be clear the EPA lists bug Chitin as: "Chitin (poly-N-acetyl-glucosamine) is one of the most common polymers found in nature. Structurally, it is related to cellulose, which consists of long chains of glucose molecules linked to each other.", "Chitin is present in the shells of all crustaceans and insects, and in certain other organisms including many fungi, algae, and yeast." and "No risks to humans are expected when products containing chitin" Where you may have gotten the Arsenic information is that Weevils that eat rice that contains Arsenic will carry the Arsenic in them and Bollweevils that eat cotton are killed by having Arsenic left in the storage area with the cotton killing them. They post warnings about not eating those dead weevils as they contain arsenic. Since the Cotton storage posts that someone must have been eating them and had to be warned to stop...

[@jonphebus6720]

Whoever does your editing gets mad props on the intro here - the reflection of "other you" in the refrigerator at the beginning absolutely sells the idea of there being more than one of you. Also, great content! Love your channel!

[@HAXMAN]

Thanks Jon! I edit my own videos. I appreciate that very much!

[@russellpeters21]

I just thought it was a twin brother, lol.

[@sarahtennessee608]

Goodness! This was the first time I watched your channel. Loved all the silliness. Thanks for the entertaining info.

[@VsNorthwoodsHomestead]

I don't freeze my bags of wheat berries because bugs and eggs survive long, cold winters up here in Northern Wisconsin so I figure a few days of freezing won't help. I just use oxygen absorbers and food grade buckets and have not had a problem so far, thankfully!

[@zamira08]

I'm glad you posted. Ive.never frozen any bags and I live in florida. I use mylar and 02 and diomataceous earth. Then I seal mylar and gamma lids. I can only hope all is well when I need it. 🙏

[@VsNorthwoodsHomestead]

@@zamira08 I keep 1 year's worth on hand but I don't just keep it in storage, I rotate through it. Anything with flour that we bake, I grind flour. When we go through 2 buckets worth I buy another 50lb bag and that gets dated to use last. Make sure to prep things you actually use and know how to use your preps. Making bread from freshly ground wheat berries is different from using store-bought flour. It took me about 6-months of loaves like bricks that my family had to endure! Hahaha

[@soonersfan007]

@@zamira08 stupid question but how much Diomataceous earth are you adding to your bags?

[@In_fluss]

Same here withe bucket and oxygen absorber

[@nated5355]

+1 for South Florida also. For grains, I use food grade buckets and excess oxygen absorbers for the volume. ie: For 5-gallons you should use 5-7 300cc oxygen absorbers, I use 10+. For non-grains, 200cc for a quart, I use 2-3x 300cc packets. It might be a waste but better safe than sorry. I've heard about freezing, but I don't currently have freezer space for this.

[@David-kd5mf]

Thanks for educating people on the nutrition chasm between fresh milled whole flour and store bought carb dust

[@beebob1279]

That's a great term. Carb dust.

[@rach_just_rach]

BTW my dad said in Vietnam rations we're so tight and supply ships couldn't get in....Flour with Bow Wheevels was reground and became cinnamon rolls, extra protein and a pastry delight. 👀 I guess if your starving you aren't so picky.

[@shanewilliams4603]

Yeah, you can eat the weevils, just add something to hide the flavour is all. To kill all bugs you have too freeze for 6 months(and somehow keep the grain dry so maybe vacuum seal with moisture absorbers and then freeze) OR you can heat at 220F in oven for..I can't remember if it's 20m or 2hrs. That only works if you're planning on just eating. If you want to grow them later then the 6 month freeze is the way to go.

[@thecelticprince4949]

Yeah it's a lot like cockroaches back in the day any that were running above the fireplace were encouraged into the stewpot to add to the flavour of the stew.

[@nathanhale7444]

I wonder if you can just rince out the fras (weavel poo) before you grind it up. I'm not gonna be told by Claus schwab that I have to eat bugs because it's not true aside from the crisis they are creating but I wouldn't worry about something like a few weavel ground up in my flour as long as I can get rid of the fras.

[@nathanhale7444]

@@thecelticprince4949 roaches just have to much ammonia. I guess it would mostly cook off but I'd rather feed them to my chickens. They can't get enough of the little buggers.

[@billtuqoise1343]

My dad said they had to ladle the weevils out of cold breakfast cereal on his ship during WW2. 😆

[@lisawanderess]

I lived in Sri Lanka as a kid and having cooked weevils in your bread and any bakery goods was just normal so I’m living proof that they won’t kill you! 😂

[@calid.]

Its not about death its disgusting and can cause sickness

[@salauerman7082]

If you boil the weevils at least five minutes (magic number for sterilizing other substances), they get sterilized? …and if the government wants us to eat bugs, I guess weevils are another source of protein?!

[@goombapizza6335]

@@calid. There is no evidence that weevils "cause sickness". They are harmless to eat.

[@reymagea1]

meat is meat. 'nuff said. :)

[@Anonymous-km5pj]

eat zee bugz trying to make a takeover i hear....

[@Misack8]

This video came just after I discovered that 4 of my 5kg rice bags were lost to pests while stored for over a year (I wonder why they pack rice on perforated bags...). The same day I checked the vacuum sealed ones and they where fine and didn't lost vacuum at all. Your video is packed with everything I should have done before and I will.

[@angelduncan9147]

The perforated bags are for transport elevation changes and stacking. Think about the bag of chips that explodes or looks like it's about to explode when you go camping on the mountain.

[@Misack8]

@@angelduncan9147 That makes sense.

[@dhawthorne1634]

Weevils are completely edible. I've had them in bulk rice before. You just freeze them or let them use up the oxygen then submerge the grain before use. The weevils, eggs and any heavily eaten grain will float to the top and can be poured off. Weevils were also a problem in hard tac stores on ships. The squimish sailors would just make sure to eat below deck where they couldn't see if they has an infested piece or not.

[@dhawthorne1634]

You probably just transfered eggs to the good buckets

[@ZMS777]

good information

[@anim8torfiddler871]

Pretty sure that's where the joke came from, with the punch line *_"Always Chews the lesser of two Weevils..."_*

[@woodstream6137]

Might have to adjust your recipe. .. 😆

[@seekingthelight6401]

Thanks for that info 👍🏻

[@ChadFranzen]

There's a reason why they want you to turn it on BEFORE you fill it. Your milling machine is working WAY too hard to get started because you fill it before you turn it on. By doing that your going to burn out the motor a lot faster than normal.

[@dc345601]

Just keep in mind that HDPE plastic is not airtight. It will seem like it at first but it will slowly allow air back into the bucket. So even with your CO2 purge, you’re eventually going to need to do it again. That’s why the Mylar bags are a superior solution. They coat the plastic with a very thin layer of aluminum to fill in all the little holes in the plastic. Polyolefins are gas permeable without a metal coating.

[@lyndarina9839]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I am a big believer in Mylar bags for the reason you stated in your comment. I am seeing KZbin channels who demonstrate how to seal food in clear plastic bags and then heat seal the bag. And many preppers seem to be dumping food directly into 5 gallon tubs without first sealing the food in Mylar bags which is also risky. Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers are expensive but are so worth it in the long run. Great post Doug C.

[@shaventalz3092]

But the weevils (and their eggs) also have a shelf life. As long as it's full of CO2 for the life span of any existing bugs and whatever hatches from the included eggs, you're good. It's not like more weevils are going to magically appear inside the bug-proof bucket just because there's now oxygen in there.

[@husher5142]

and the 5 gallon mylars are extra large so you can reuse them

[@AnneluvsKatz]

Good to know. Thanks

[@jeremiahbullfrog9288]

Hear me out.. mylar coated bucket. Mind blown! ...srsly though, why don't they make this.

[@laurievoelker9005]

Just found your channel and enjoy it. Especially your sense of humor. Much needed these days. Blessings to the family.

[@wendybutler1681]

If you find weevils in a grain product in your pantry or cabinet you need to check everything. They tend to spread.

[@eagledove9]

Ooh! This is an 'eat the bugs' moment! I remember one time, when I was a kid, we had our Raisin Bran cereal stored out in the garage for a long time. Granddaddy came over for a visit, and he was eating the Raisin Bran the whole time he was visiting. Mom looked at the box later on, after he had left, and she saw that boll weevils were all in it, and Granddaddy hadn't noticed and he had been eating it the whole time. I forgot all about that till just now.

[@vinlago]

It is recommended to freeze grain 3 days, thaw 1 day, refreeze 3 more days, thaw, then add whatever you choose to replace the oxygen. Vacuum seal if you can. This helps catch additional weevil eggs that may have made it through the first freeze cycle that coupd sprouts after thawing. One thing we did before we had a freezer large enough to process our berries was to leave purchased berries in their separate bags then store those in a bucket. Or we would repackage a bulk package (10+ lbs) in 2 to 5 pound portions in mylar or food saver bags. Then load up the bucket with several bags. We sprinkle bay leaves and diatomaceous earth (food grade) in and around food buckets. We also toss in a moisture absorber. Sorghum is great! 2 crops in one. You collect the seed heads for saving seed and eating and collect the cane to extract juice and boil into a syrup. We started with a packet of sorghum seed. Grew 2 patches and collected more seed so now we can plant a large patch next year.

[@dancinginabundance]

Be very careful about repackaging grains that have been in the freezer. They need to be spread out for several hours to thaw, otherwise you will get mold from the condensation.

[@vinlago]

@@dancinginabundance exactly. 1 day that meaning, the whole day. People forget there is moisture in dried grains as well as the air around them. It might not be a lot but it's there or else the grain would be dust or paste (depending on oil content).

[@NacnudTheGreat]

I appreciate showing your failures, really helps hammer the importance of following the process

[@HAXMAN]

Hopefully people can learn from my mistakes so they don't make them. Thanks!

[@igitahimsa5871]

@@HAXMAN Yep. Well Done, Haxman!

[@brendaannelovesjesus]

I just found this channel and I’m so glad i did! I love your humor that you put into your shows! You’re so knowledgeable and I’m learning so much! Thank you and keep those videos coming! 🤗

[@agentp6621]

I have a buddy who stores his food in Mylar bags and puts in about 5 oxygen absorbers. He has ones that were duds. So he opted to bump it up and be certain. The bags shrink down tight and dense. He stores them in 5 gallon buckets. I like his setup because they’re 1 gallon bags. So if something goes wrong. It hopefully isolates it. I like that he uses Mylar because it blocks out light. Which can destroy vitamins. Even some forms invisible radiation. It removes oxygen which is reactive to a lot of things. It causes vitamins to break down and oils to go rancid. It does what CO2 did for you. Also 1 gallon bags make it easier to portion and to carry in a hurry. There was an extinct date tree variety found in an abandoned Israeli fort. It was at the top of a hill or Mesa I think? It was under siege when the Romans invaded. They finally surrendered but the storehouses were full of food. Among them were seeds to the extinct date tree. Some archeologists thought they would try to see if they would sprout. Out of 15 seeds. One sprouted. They’ve been trying to restart the tree species again. I honestly can’t remember if it was date or some kind of fruit bearing desert palm. So it is possible for seeds to last the rest of time.

[@donaldatkinson7937]

It was a newly discovered variety of date. Two women grew them out.saw a program on PBS.

[@richardfetzer4933]

it was a date. There is a project devoted to it and now they have a whole grove of those date trees. I've seen videos on KZbin about it.

[@terrycohen4448]

You are likely referring to the elevated site known as Masada in Israel.

[@dwwolf4636]

CO2 flushing is of no use. The bucket itself is gas permeable. Within a couple of months O2 levels will be up again.

[@apexalpha4947]

Yep, WE KETO people are like...no thanks, BUT will store bedrooms full of these Wheat Berries to sell during the famine...cause these will be worth their weight in GOLD and we'll Only take Silver and Gold for payment. GREAT Video...Info that can save the rest of My Family. Thanks Haxman & Hotwoman !

[@FrankieDiazabraxas]

Thank goodness it was just ONE bucket. I would have cried from here had the entire supply gone bad. Keep 'em coming! You know how to teach.

[@creativegirlhomestead]

Oh my YUCK!!! 🤢 I am totally checking for these little monsters in my backup grain! Thank you so much for sharing this info. Now Following! 😊🌱

[@marybethmilby6193]

You make some of the most helpful videos I have ever seen, and I started many years ago. Thank you for the information and the entertainment.

[@AgOG47]

Mylar bags are the way. The buckets just protect the bags, and make stacking and moving easier.

[@TheSecondParadigm]

Appreciate you showing what can go wrong. It’s always good to know the why behind freezing the bag for a few days and using oxygen absorbers, not just doing it because it’s “the thing to do.” Glad you at least got a good video from that bucket!

[@HAXMAN]

Thanks! Yeah, I told Kim at least it made for a better video. 😂

[@wishingb5859]

@@HAXMAN I have to tell you that I recently heard someone say not to freeze these things and to just use the oxygen absorbers. Because freezing can add moisture and that can lead to botulism when there are moist products are stored in packaging that reduces oxygen. To use oxygen absorbers the foods need to have about 10 percent or less moisture content. Most sites do say to freeze the grains or use dry ice. But there are a few sites that say that the process needs to be done in a way that doesn't increase the moisture content. So far, I only buy things that come in pails with mylar bags already sealed because I don't really understand it well enough.

[@iridescentsea3730]

@@wishingb5859 He already said in this video at 12:25 how to deal with condensation.

[@egobrain6826]

@@wishingb5859 You have to leave it out for a few days, after freezing, to ensure it is dried. Then store it.

[@igitahimsa5871]

@@wishingb5859 A Wise decision!

[@HAXMAN]

Like Kim said, be ready for "poop hits the van". 😂

[@gogogo1064]

PHTF is why we're here 💪💪

[@Vuntermonkey]

Did you check her for signs of a stroke?

[@mariecameau097]

I think u suppose to put plastic bag Inside the bucket with oxygen absorber and bay leaves

[@bernardmacarius2635]

Thank goodness we live in farming community. All too busy taking care of our own business to get involved in others. Pray that some assemblance of civility survives. Need to garage my van just in case. Don't want poop to hit it!

[@ijcarroll]

It's pronounced "sore gum" "soregum" but spelled sorghum. YW in advance. (I can't believe I just corrected somebody on their pronunciation. SMH)

[@sabrinamodzelewski7906]

Ive been reading the comments of others and just want to say "Thank you!" to them. I am learning so much by watching your videos. Ya'll are awesome!!!!

[@zebeart8808]

Many, many centuries ago, flour would not be accepted if it didn't have weevils. It was considered poor, poisoned, or old.

[@davidblood9882]

I just found your channel and WOW I’m super impressed. Well scripted, presented, videography, humor, etc, etc. I’m hooked! I know what I can watch over the long winter. Thank you!

[@drewtronics7406]

I grow sorghum in central Texas this year. It loved the heat and is very productive even during our terrible drought this year. It was impressive.

[@johnrhodes3350]

That makes sense.. When i think of the documentaries about sub Saharan Africa they grow things like Sorghum, Millet, Teff,

[@guytech7310]

Important: 5 Gallon pails are oxygen and moisture permeable. Even if you add CO2 and/or oxygen absorbers it can still go bad. You need a mylar, since the metalized layer is inpermeable to oxygen & moisture.

[@melissawillard6600]

I've stored wheat berries in food grade buckets for 10 years...flour and such for 2 years.

[@MPRiley-rb6lj]

@guytech7310 ? Assuming that the mylar is resealable if bag is larger than the fill, how often would it be advisable to open, check and reprocess with dry ice, fresh desiccant, bay leaves and reseal? Would using multiple single use mylar bags be beneficial and increase odds of non failure?

[@guytech7310]

@@MPRiley-rb6lj You should need to. If you have vaccuum sealed, or added an oxygen Absorber, the bag should hold a vacuum. As long as the bag shows a vacuum inside, there is no need to mess with it. I would not recommend double bagging.

[@emagneticfield]

Grandma used to say that’s why people have flour sifters. Plenty of time I have bought Jiffy mix and found weevils in it. Heaven knows how long it sat at the grocery store or warehouse.

[@boogheatherriordan1381]

Just found your channel. Made it 1:11 into it, made me laugh, you talking to yourself. I was having a horrible day until your video. Just subscribed. Great information. I originally started looking to distract myself from my trying day and get some good info. Well, your presentation is awesome. Thank you.

[@HAXMAN]

Thank you! So glad to hear that. Hope your day gets better!

[@woodstream6137]

Newer sub, enjoy the format of the videos. I probably can't do long term storage. Taking care of octogenarian parent that takes a sharpie and writes the dates on all the groceries and is super fussy about anything that might be close to the date. She also has a habit of throwing away stuff if it's almost empty and i have a refill (condiments, bread, fruit etc). I was looking up the weevil situation and found an interesting point: if you have live weevils your grain probably doesn't have insecticides.

[@TUKByV1]

Good point!

[@trulylynn9941]

I load my buckets into my freezer. I know some people don't have that kind of room so freezing bags full works fine. I have honey bees and freeze my frames to get rid of the nasty mites and moth worms so I have it on hand. Thank you for the video family!👍🏼😘

[@tarabooartarmy3654]

I don't even have room for a mini frozen pizza in my freezer 😂

[@lynnreed6587]

I now always stick purchased dry goods in the chest freezer for a week before putting them into long term storage. Went back and freeze-treated some older stuff I had in buckets, luckily no buggers! I bought some fresh organic flour from a local mill a few years ago, and one kind lasted several months with no issues, the other had bugs that became obvious after just 3 months and the rest had to be tossed. That was before I learned about freeze-treating though. From now on I will do that even if I am not going to store long term! This is good info!

[@Karen-up8xo]

Do you still sift out the dead ones that were killed by freezing . . . before using in cooking? I think that may be a safe thing to do. Otherwise, it would be cooking up the dead bugs and their poop.

[@Tammy10018]

We freeze everything for 2 weeks before storing

[@smitavora2861]

Wonderful to prepare for the days to come, as you so aptly remind us ! In India, many people store wheat, rice, etc, for a year, as a regular practice. A little bit of castor oil is taken on the palms of one's hand, and rubbed onto the seeds /berries/wheat/rice. This will keep them fresh for years.

[@pineychristian]

I've been storing dry goods in #10 cans with oxygen absorbers for over 10 years. We are eating 9 year old rice now. Which is perfect like the day it was sealed. I've been wanting to try something different like vacuuming food down in food buckets with vacuum pump with oxygen absorbers than purging any additional oxygen out with nitrogen. Seal up and see what it looks like 2 years from now. I think a lot of what has to do with food longevity is the conditions we store them in also. Like cool, dark and low humidity environment..😉👍

[@blueskellington]

I have a homebrew setup for easy beer. I'm thinking I can do a similar technique with the CO2 bottle I use for kegging/carbonation. The gas probably being heavy enough to displace the "air" in the 5 gal buckets I use. With fine materials like rice, it may take a little time and patience.

[@dchadman]

I stored some after your original video. I did put them in the freezer, but I didn’t add any absorbers. I’ll have to check them. Thank you for the information and another great video!

[@HAXMAN]

I'm pretty sure I skipped the freezer by accident. You should be good. Thanks!

[@steph6337]

Let us know!

[@matthewjames3177]

Good news is you can still feed the wheat berries to the chickens

[@debilonginetti3676]

Thank you so much for this video. I just received a bag of wheat berries today and I was getting ready to vacuum seal it until I saw your video. My husband just put it in the freezer. Again, thank you for making this video.

[@MrJasonwoodrow]

I packed my beans and rice into smaller mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and then packed those into the 5 gallon buckets with omega seals. Oxygen absorbers accomplish the same thing as the dry ice, but perhaps more reliably. The bugs can't live without oxygen, and there is no oxidation of the contents. The mylar bags let me take out a smaller portion of the grains without opening a whole 5 gallon container.

[@elsiegundo7266]

Man, two things I love are learning and laughing. This channel is a gold mine for me. Thanks for all your erudition & persiflage Haxman.

[@HAXMAN]

So glad to hear it. 😁

[@charlesfoster575]

I wonder how many Google searches you incited? Bravo

[@thzzzt]

I'm 62, well-read, and baffled how I've never encountered "persiflage" before.

[@laquicha8159]

Love your comment Elsie!

[@igitahimsa5871]

@@thzzzt You have to be reading some of the very old-school Brit prose, IIRC :-).

[@arioskaguzman]

I believe the freezing process is 2 weeks, not 3 days. I could be wrong but I do 2 weeks on mine and all have been well. I do this for beans, rice, oats, flours, corn, wheat, etc

[@kimmyseegmiller985]

I have used DE Earth for 30 years and have some stored grain that is 30+ years old. still looks fresh and edible as I open to use it up. I use mylar and oxygen absorbers as well but in my big half gallon ball jars I use bay leaves as I can just toss those aside when I open them. Also the pump-n-seal is a great thing and can seal the ball jars with ease!

[@shortperson781]

How do you use the DE to store food?

[@kimmyseegmiller985]

@@shortperson781 you put a teaspoon in half gallon jars of dry goods to keep it clear of bugs.

[@stuntmanbillyslots]

Lesser of 2 weevils. Is that a "Master and Commander" reference??? I love that movie.

[@sambo5103]

We been prepping 25yrs & I always use thick mylar bags with oxygen absorbers in the bags. Then I store bags inside the 5 gallon buckets. We've never had any spoilage.. And when covid came along everybody was fighting over toilet paper of all things, yet we still have 2 year supply! 😅GL

[@erikhawkes2169]

I love the direction you have taken this channel. It's nice to have content that is actually useful.

[@HAXMAN]

I appreciate that!

[@debmalouin9880]

Im glad you didn't lose your whole store. I just hope you didn't cross contaminate & spread the eggs by not cleaning your hands between buckets while checking them

[@Sqeaket]

That's what I was thinking too.

[@boznobel]

I wondered about that as well

[@Luckyslevens]

I remember doing this with my parents back when I was a kid. They used the dry ice technique and it worked amazing! Those buckets of wheat, rice and oats always came out with no issues. The only thing different was the buckets we used were push on lock bucket lids that seemed to seal the air completely out, where you had a big metal tool you would use to pry the top off when you were ready to use it, instead of screw on lids so not sure if the screw on lids allow more air in or not. Sorry to see you lost some food.

[@rachelrodgers9171]

I LOVE your humor; it makes these informative videos all the more delightful. 😊

[@aztec8888]

Yikes! I had saved two 5 gallon buckets with wheat berries 6 months ago. Did not know about freezing anything! I will go check today and add food grade diatomaceous earth and bay leaves! I live in the tropics and we have lots of bugs! 😮 Thanks for this video!

[@chris_harshbarger]

I stumbled onto your first video and it got me and my family to rethink a lot! You have been such a huge help in me being more self sufficient. Thank you. Now I can’t stop thinking about my buckets…. I’m going to go check to see if they are ok.

[@HAXMAN]

Thank you so much!

[@FreeFinca]

Same here, we spent a small fortune on buckets and grains. I'm dreading checking them in the morning!

[@chris_harshbarger]

@@HAXMAN no no. I was saying thank you. You’re helping us with preparing and laughing. Appreciate it.

[@chris_harshbarger]

@@FreeFinca I checked mine. All good for now. I think I’m going to try the dry ice method. The local big box store has dry ice. If nothing else it will be fun to play with. How did yours turn out?

[@XskiXedgeX]

Glad it was only one. We bought and stored wheat berries because of your first video. Hoping ours are fine since I would have to open the Mylar bags to find out. Dry Ice trick is cool! We just did oxygen absorber packs per bag.

[@HAXMAN]

You should be good with the bags. I'm pretty sure I forgot to freeze the bag originally.

[@Stevefor1776]

We did the dry ice in the bucket for 48 hours about 12 years back - salt, sugar, g.f. flour, rolled oats, basmati, jasmine, regular short and long grain rice (NOT brown) and black, pink, chili and navy (white) beans. No wheat, as my wife has celiac disease. This spring, for obvious reasons, we decided to add to our stash. Took a look at all our previously stored food and found it all to be fine (it gave us an excuse to make meals of each food item). We did not use oxygen absorbers, though they would be the plan for other items. We re-treated with dry ice and vacuum sealed it all in the plastic bags, not mylar. Things I've learned from the internet - things that make sense but you wouldn't necessarily think of: Do not store your food in an area with large or frequent temperature fluctuations, in sunlight, on concrete (i.e., ground level) or against an outside wall. Try to keep storage conditions as stable as possible. We are in our 70's. With luck, our kid's will enjoy our stash. Bear in mind that the 25-30 storage window refers to best nutrition/edibility, not "My God, you can't eat that!"

[@madgrammarbaby]

Absolutely entertaining and informative! You guys rock!❤️

[@annemarie7919]

Just watched your 2 yr old wheat berry video and nearly freaked because you didnt use the dry ice. Worried me about the wheat berries I have stored for many years with dry ice and thought I did it wrong! Since seeing this one I m much more comfortable that those containers are still good.

[@blondek767]

I do indoor gardening because I like fresh veggies. It took a couple years to master, and found I could only grow cold weather veggies like green onions, green beans, peas, strawberries, and Romain lettuce. I dehydrated garden veggies from my outside garden over summer, but don’t expect them to last more than one year, or until I do another outside garden. I’m ordering more organic seeds for next year while I still can. Gardening takes planning and upfront costs for potting soil and equipment is the hard part. It takes 70 days, and daily care to grow green beans, 110 days to grow a pumpkin, 250 days to grow a strawberry.

[@suzz1776]

Funny story: when my mom was a kid, she and her sister made some pancakes and they thought the black dots in the flour were just part of it. So they made and ate the food. Well the next day she heard a small scream from their mom and ran to the kitchen. Well my mom and her sister found out that, no, the black dots were not supposed to be part of it... Lol... They were weevils... But they didn't get sick so I guess it was just extra protein. 😁

[@northgeorgiamom8956]

Been using that grain mill for 25 years, and still going strong. My daughter that is sensitive to gluten can handle Spelt just fine!! It’s more costly, but a WONDERFUL grain. ☺️

[@puntabachata]

How is she with real sourdough bread?

[@doracotterell2863]

I am gluten intolerant and can handle Buckwheat (it’s only ‘wheat’ but name - look it up) flour as well as Spelt flour.

[@igitahimsa5871]

I have trouble with Wheat gluten also, but have no trouble with Spelt flour, even if it is unsprouted. I use only sprouted Spelt flour now, it's even better. In case it helps your Daughter.

[@melkel2010]

While other folks here are saying you can just pick the weevils out, I have to weigh in: it looks like those bugs have had 2 years to eat the inside of every one of those berries and left none for you but the husk. Not the nutritious food you were banking on anymore. And I'm sure when PHTF, there will still be plenty of yummy bugs available in nature if you're deparate enough for forage for them. I vote toss it. We're having a really hard year with pantry moths and I'm arguing with my mother over throwing out $20 worth of flour in the sifting bin. Oh... it's going out if she likes it or not. I can stay up hours later than her and still get up earlier. Thing is, pantry moth larva are big fat wet maggots and not the same at all as weevils. Moth larva get the flour wet and you know you can't eat flour that's got wet and has been sitting out any more than you should let cooked pasta or rice sit at room temperature and still eat it. There's a bacteria that inhabits grains and cooking doesn't kill it or the toxins it excretes. We can handle the small amount that's inherent with safe food storage and handling, but this stuff rapidly explodes in poplulation under moist and warm conditions. Re-heating and cooking doesn't remove the toxins this bacteria excretes. So, even though foods getting 'some' weevils is ok to pick them out, please everyone please, consider the rule is pest specific and food specific; and also evaluate your stored grain or flour did it also get wet from the bugs' wastes? Is just lousy with bugs? Is it still flour or is it now pure bug poop and they've eaten all the nutrient out of it and left behind an empty powder that only looks like flour. A few weevils are ok in stores that have long shelf life if the infestation hasn't been going on very long. Remember, that the reason long-term storage of whole wheat berries works is because they are still viable as seed. Once the seed is damaged and killed, whether we do it by grinding it or a bug does it by chewing through it, that seed is going to go rancid in a few days. You should be just as ok about discarding that as you would tossing a bag of ground wheat berries past the expiry date. That's my .02 plus a few nickles. Now I must go back to my conspiratorial job of throwing out our pantry behind my mother's back tonight.

[@sheilal3172]

Feed the pantry moths to your chickens!

[@melkel2010]

@@sheilal3172 I think we're the only town in all of the US that's not allowed to keep chickens. I would have let them in the house on this one. The moths cacooned all through the cupboards and down in the cracks and I have a frozen shoulder. I made my daughter and my mom clean that out, and now we're putting all our food dry into jars. Those things ate through plastic packages! And we emptied the cupboards and stank it up with moth pucks. I don't know if it kills that kind of moth, but I think that stuff will kill anything. We all went choking dry mouth everytime we used the kitchen. The moths are finally all gone, at least until spring. We've always had some moths fluttering about and used traps or the cats got them and they were gone by thanksgiving, but this fall they just exploded. Someone left the flour bin lid open. Argh.They even ate into my dry beans!

[@desireelaliberte8821]

Your points are valid; pest-specific is correct. And yes, once the food has been consumed, it's useless. They burned it, and we would also. But in flour, if it's just weevils, sift and go. Cereals the same. Yes, grubs of any kind in a dry good: toss it all. (Moth larvae are grubs) Details definitely matter!

[@desireelaliberte8821]

@@melkel2010 I'm sorry for all of this; that was a big pain and a loss. Grandma kept all her dry goods in containers with snap-lids. Never saw her food infested, but prevention is the best cure! I hope you are clear of them for a long time.

[@ChristineKing-i5c]

I had pantry moths once and put cedar balls in my pantry and haven’t had them since

[@thomasnaas2813]

Good info in your video. Had some stored provisions get infested. Cut our losses by making chicken feed with it, they loved the bugs- Never feed moldy grain, etc. to your birds, compost it.

[@Faithful_Watchman]

You should win an Academy Award for the most entertaining prep video.

[@vickieadams6648]

That's a lot of work and money. I hope you guys didn't lose a lot. I learned to freeze and then use the absorbers. In the future, I will add some bay leaves as well.

[@ms.s3215]

Yes. I freeze it. And add both oxygen absorbers and bay leaves. It has worked for me for over 30 years.

[@shantelbryan3660]

I have used bay leaves also with great success. Now you have plenty of chicken food

[@chrisellison8574]

we drop the bag in the chest freezer for a couple days then use co2, oxygen absorbers and silica to reduce humidity. the weevil's eggs are already in the grain. the right temp and humidity and they will hatch. love your content.

[@paulreinmund2038]

Silica should not be combined with oxygen absorbers, except a very few applications. Moisture is not the issue. Oxygen is. Just oxygen absorbers should be fine.

[@danielch6662]

15 minutes in a preheated oven at 200°C / 400°F. Careful to not recontaminate the sterilized batches.

[@MrRKWRIGHT]

From what I've found, the worst possible process to use for storing survival food, or any type of food for that matter is to store it in cardboard boxes.

[@BrittneyDeLosSantos]

I just received my wheat berries and Sue Becker's book. I'm a believer! Man this is great eating and my picky toddler LOVES IT ALL.

[@wod5203]

Meal worms are an issue that can happen too, maybe not so much in 'sealed' containers, but in everyday flour use containers.

[@stuartback8561]

Meal worms make great chicken feed

[@bpvittor]

Way better than house of the dragon. Your story actually has good character development and consistency. Your special effects are not far behind either! Niiiice

[@HAXMAN]

😄 Thanks!

[@charliejohnston1978]

Well Mr. Haxman, the sealed frozen wheat grain buckets was a great idea, and you may be sorry that you listened to those people who don't understand that any kind of plastic bag has pores, small holes and voids. Look at the bags under a microscope to see them, but the pores and very small holes are there. Our company made blood cuffs to heat up blood for infusion into live patience for MW hospitals and we had to go to 10 mil bags just to keep the blood from oozing out through the pores and small holes in the blood cuffs (bags). Some say use mylar bags, but how thick are the bags ???, I would never use a bag thinner than a 10 mil bag. One American Hospital Supply Production EE emplyee.

[@jason01095]

The editing/effects on this one is on point - nice job. Also, thanks for the content - really appreciate how you present it.

[@HAXMAN]

Thank you Jason!

[@enyo24]

I appreciate the Weevil Knieval pun😂

[@JosiahK555]

I would disagree, I almost stopped watching.. Skipped around to the important parts..

[@BK-bg6pl]

wheat berries? Really? I've been storing and milling my own wheat for decades, it's just wheat. And the truth is people are not allergic to gluten, they are reacting to the round-up ready method of harvesting that a lot of big farms are using to plan their harvest instead of waiting for nature to ripen it.

[@igitahimsa5871]

Don't feel too badly. I was trained in dry-pack storage by folks of the Mormon faith. The weevils may have been sealed inside the bag before you bought it. A QC problem for the producer or packer. OR they may have stuck themselves inside the stitched cracks to roost before the original bag was opened. This could have happened inside the truck they were shipped on. OR they could have got into the external stitch line and fallen into the bucket as you poured it. Assuming the bag contents were clean when packed by the producer, the best way to avoid all this is to *CUT the entire stitched end off of the bag using SCISSORS*, then scoop the grain out manually into your own bucket/s. I hope this is helpful for some.. God Bless us all

[@jimthompson9992]

Thanks so much for sharing this! Very well made with lots of good information! So sorry you lost a bucket but on the positive side it could have been worse!! Learning from a mistake is a good thing! Always enjoy your posts! Looking forward to seeing what's next! Take care, be safe and God bless!

[@HAXMAN]

Thanks so much Jim!

[@sunflowers6172]

I thought you built stuff? You have chickens? 😮what? I mean egg dispensers with feathers. Anyway you are now a homestead channel? So cool. ❤love it

[@osiyopeace4634]

I know how you feel. I lost 90 pounds of rice because 1 bag didn’t get frozen in the freezer for the few days. And it broke my heart. But anyways we have corrected the process and the one who forgot to freeze the rice bag lol. And now has all been replaced. Done correctly. Always check your supplies I rather fine out before hand so food will be okay when it’s needed. Stay safe everyone stay ready.

[@steph6337]

What kind of bugs were in rice?? Weevils or those grain moths or what?? (Hyperventilating mildly!)

[@pastorbill7374]

Aren't Weaver's protein I'll eat them

[@beckyhild1140]

I think RoseRed showed a video where she put in DRY ICE to kill bugs??

[@-jimmyjames]

My wife cant even be around store bought flower, breads tortillas etc. We bought milling equipment and organic wheat berries. She eats it all the time. No issues

[@AK_Vortex]

If you were to take a full 5 Gal bucket of the wheat berry, about how much flour did you find it produced after the milling process?

[@ChuckP25.]

Hey Hax - Nice work. It's nice to see Kim. Appreciate her hard work, too. Thanks for the great info and not as many closeups this time. :) Thumbs up.

[@HAXMAN]

Thanks Chuck! I’ve heard I have a face for radio. 😂

[@njhdreams2415]

@@HAXMAN Hahahahahahahahaha! That was a good one

[@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291]

I always put my extra stuff in mason jars, add an oxygen absorber, and then I vacuum seal it for extra protection. I’m waiting on my jars to implode lol. I haven’t had any bug issues yet but I also don’t store it for years either. It’s normally used up in a few months.

[@gonefishing3644]

Some of my buckets of wheat grain are in sealed Mylar bags + oxygen absorbers. Zero worries about insect infestation with this style of packaging. Some of my wheat is just stored loosely in buckets AFTER the grain had been frozen for at least three days and then allowed to return to room temperature before being placed into buckets with tight-fitting lids. This is the wheat I intend to sprout someday. And every year I open and inspect these buckets and stir the grain to oxygenate it. If you discover weevils/maggots are in your wheat, all it not lost. You can shift the grain using a coarse sieve to remove the weevils and maggots, then you can freeze the sieved grain to kill any remaining insect eggs or you can just put the sieved grain into Mylar bags, add oxygen absorbers and heat seal. Either way, you will have ended the infestation of that batch of grain. As long as the grain has not turned rancid, you can still use it for food. Even if you feel squeamish about eating this sieved wheat, you could still use it to feed your chickens or grind it and make dog biscuits. If the grain has gone rancid or become moldy, mix it into your compost pile and let it rot and use the enriched compost next year in your vegetable garden. Waste not, want not.

[@manictiger]

I do something similar. Anything not expected to be used in 2 years is packaged differently than the stuff I expect to last 30 - 60 years. Those buckets will be so stale in a few years that only a dying man would want to eat any of it.

[@beebob1279]

I was taught that all I needed were oxygen absorbers in a mylar bag and that would take care of the weevils. No freezing necessary. Am I missing something?

[@manictiger]

@@beebob1279 Nope. Only vacuum-sealed thing I freeze is uncured jerky, because botulism exists. Couldn't find a curing mixture that didn't have nitrates, a carcinogen.

[@gonefishing3644]

@@beebob1279 Depends on whether you want to be able to sprout the wheat or just grind it into flour. Use the Mylar + oxygen absorbers if you only want to grind the wheat.

[@suegeorge998]

Hi, everything I put in food grade buckets I first put them gallon size freezer bags. Then in the buckets. Grains like a flour, cake mixes, brownies,rice, powdered mashed potatoes, boxes of potatoes, macaroni and cheese boxes, oatmeal etc.but first freeze it for 48 hours. Then I add bay leaves to the buckets. I'm in the country and there's a ton of bugs in the house even in the winter. We put up fly strips up all the time.

[@mrspogadaeus]

The reason you're supposed to start the mill up before grinding is to prevent grains from wedging in between the grinding tines and preventing the machine from "whirring"... it could get stuck and then you'd have to send it in for repair. I had a Whisper mill and it was fine starting it first.

[@bigjoe4705]

Spearmint gum works great for getting rid of weevils! Just throw one or two pieces in each bucket!

[@skittlesskittles7577]

And then you have spearmint scented wheat berries! Yay 😁 lol ew Kinda like when you put a banana in your lunch bag...then your sandwich smells like a banana. No thanks! ☝️

[@timothyortega5608]

New subscriber here. I love ❤️ the jokes 🤣 nearly sprayed my coffee ☕️ out of my mouth. Last thing I expected was a weevil that looked like you! We enjoyed the humor 😄 Don't be put off by people who can't have fun. Thanks for sharing your experience and great tips 👍 P.S. we have a 20 pound bag of beans in the freezer, we agree 👍 with your reasoning. We can be controlled by lack of food or options. We all should create safety in our lives!

[@HAXMAN]

Thanks so much Timothy!

[@bklangford]

Use mylar bags with the buckets. When I added Mylar to the preservation process, I haven't had problems with weevils.

[@bklangford]

I vacuum seal the mylar to remove as much oxygen as possible.

[@terminatortsw8006]

I was taught to ALWAYS seal in Mylar bags and vacuum seal AFTER doing “the freeze 3 day, thaw 24 hours, freeze 3 days again, then permanently seal with hot iron and Mylar bags” ⭐️ THEN put into the white buckets!! NEVER just throw anything directly in buckets!!!😱😱 Sorry for your loss!

[@MadDog44]

I use my little smoothie blender for grinding up wheat. You can make flour, or you can make wheat the consistency of corn meal. I finally found the perfect balance of white and whole wheat bread. Make your dough with all purpose or bread flour. On the bottom of the pan you are baking the bread in, put the whole wheat meal. You can also use corn meal, which is why everybody loves the taste of pizza crust. Pizza shops oil the whole pan, but I just oil the sides, and put 1/8" or more of wheat or corn meal on the bottom. Yum!

[@DfsOutlier]

FYI - If you have a chest freezer, Flour will last FOREVER if vacuum sealed and frozen. I leave it in the 5lb bag, put it in a large vacuum bag and vacuum seal it. You just have to be sure to let it thaw out COMPLETELY to room temp before you break the vacuum seal when ready to use (otherwise you will end up with a flour flavored brick).

[@bobhart677]

Uh... in case of emergency, your freezer turns into a footlocker.

[@DfsOutlier]

@@bobhart677 - Not if you have an emergency generator, Also if there is an emergency you will need to thaw the flour anyways to use it and as long as you keep it vacuum sealed it will still be good for up to 3 years from the time it is thawed. That is why you vacuum seal it in 2 to 5 pound packs. You only break the seal on what you need. And a chest freezer is is far better than a stand up freezer. cold air drops while warm air rises, so you can open a chest freezer without losing all the cold air unlike a stand up freezer, and the frozen flour while in the freezer will help keep the other food in the freezer frozen for days. I vacuum sealed 100 lbs of flour in 5 pound bags and lined the bottom and sides of the chest freezer with them. When we lost power here a few months ago for almost 2 days everything in my freezer remained frozen. This is obviously not a long term solution, it is more for coping with short term emergencies. Edit - A mid-level solar charger/battery will maintain a decent sized chest freezer no problem.

[@bobhart677]

@@DfsOutlier Short term emergencies don't require 100 pounds of flour and in case of long term emergencies, the mid level charger/battery you mention would be better used elsewhere.

[@DfsOutlier]

@@bobhart677 - first that is a personal opinion of where to better use your power supply. For instance I have 2 BLUETTI Portable Power Stations, 1 is for the chest freezer and a refrigerator which it is capable of maintaining indefinitely (Given enough sunlight, which is never guaranteed. However the freezer will keep frozen food frozen for long periods of no power (48-72 hrs) due to the 100 pounds of frozen flour I have in it.(A packed freezer will maintain temp far longer than an empty one.)) with a single quality solar panel placed in a sun facing window, And the other is for my other electronic, appliance and charging needs. And the flour will be good for at least 2 years from the time you thaw it as long as it remains vacuum sealed, and can be re-frozen without detriment as long as the seal is not broken. Also bear in mind that I am living alone and only need to maintain myself. I also have dry stored food and a large volume of water storage capacity and both a LIFESAVER water filter jerrycan and a large supply of water purification tablets. I could quite literally not leave my house for 2 years and be just fine, although quite bored and possibly crazy by the end.

[@bobhart677]

@@DfsOutlier You seem to have planned very thoroughly for a very narrow range of disasters.

[@heatherandtimsharp]

The reason wheat of today isn’t great is because they changed it. They had to “enrich” it because when the modified it in the 50s or 60s ( can’t remember off top of my head) they voided all the nutrition that originally existed in it. That’s also why it isn’t tolerated well today. In addition to all this most white flour is also bleached . It wasn’t wheat that made people sick it was the Frankenstein version of it that was now in place of the original in stores for the publics consumption

[@rickpederson1219]

This is total BS....you are a total fool....My family has been wheat famer's for 5 generations, the only part about white flour being bleached is true. Wheat in the 30s 40s 50s 60 70s 80s 90 and today is the same nutrition wise but they have improved the disease package and yeild .

[@heatherandtimsharp]

@@rickpederson1219 it is documented.

[@termodog7951]

I found and ordered a 4 lb bag of bay leaves for only $10…great deal. Also got some empty tea bags to put the leaves in. My mom used to always put bay leaves in flour, but I read that a LOT of pests don’t like the smell. So I’m putting bags around to see if it will keep the winter mice out.

[@connieabbott8736]

@Jen bay leaves are available with herbs and spices on the baking aisle. But you can also buy them in bulk food markets that have an herbs and spices section; they are usually much cheaper--you can buy as much or as little as you want. Where I live there is a chain called Winco that keeps grocery prices quite low even now; my favorite part for saving money there is the bulk herb and spice area. They also have food storage buckets and 5-gal water containers. I expect most areas have at least one food store with bulk food areas. If they're expensive (like in some of the trendier shops here), keep looking for a better one, they're usually a good way to save money on bulk foods. You can also order herbs and spices online. (I don't buy from Amazon because once they cheated me on a gift card; I buy online from Walmart, they have most of the same stuff.)

[@granmabern5283]

@Jen mint and mint oil repels mice. I soak cotton balls and put them in small open containers so the mint oil doesn’t ruin painted surfaces.

[@lyndarina9839]

@Jen I buy 1 pound tubs of dried bay leaves from Amazon. Dried bay leaves weigh almost nothing so a pound is a LOT of bay leaves. I drop a few bay leaves into a Mylar bag, add the dry food I am preserving, then add oxygen absorbers and seal. I don’t freeze or use dry ice. Any creature that can survive without oxygen in a well sealed Mylar bag with oxygen absorbers can also probably survive freezing. The bay leaves are just extra insurance against bugs.

[@onpux6050]

9:07 While there may be some increase in certain nutrients during the germination process of wheat seeds, such as certain vitamins and minerals, it's unlikely to reach a 300% increase in vitamin content. The germination process can indeed enhance the bioavailability of certain nutrients and may lead to an increase in vitamin content, but the extent of this increase can vary depending on various factors including seed variety, growing conditions, and duration of germination. So, while there may be a slight increase in certain vitamins during germination, it's not likely to be as substantial as a 300% increase.

[@chriskoch1241]

We grew our own dry upland rice and, before storage, we put the heads in a bucket of food grade diatomacious earth, which shreds bugs. It doesn't do that for the eggs. Any grains that were compromised, we could feed to the chickens, and get the added bonus of the grain acting as a dewormer because of the diatomacious earth

[@mrschurch1979]

I actually buy wheat and sorghum from my local feed store. It's not as clean as it would be if sold for primarily human consumption, but it's perfectly safe. They sell other whole grains, as well, like corn, oats and barley. And since there's no shipping, that cost is eliminated completely.

[@sugarwalker89]

Might not be organic! Pesticides could deal you some health issues in the future.

[@mikkihesson3509]

@@sugarwalker89 yeah and your "organic" might not be organic either. more than likely its NOT and all the stuff you buy has pesticides on it. every last piece of everything you didnt personally grow. watch a documentary sometime (there are dozens) they have outed a lot of these farmers markets and places and "organic" is just store bought or bought from a farm that uses pesticides then they just put it in another box and say its organic. i dont believe anything outside of a small home garden CAN be raised all organic. its not possible large scale.

[@sugarwalker89]

​@@mikkihesson3509 True! Brings a clear meaning to "Money the Root of All Evil" doesn't it!

[@PP-uv1kw]

​@@sugarwalker89 so could starvation