Food - Week 25: Grains
The shelf life of whole grains, like wheat berries, rice, oats, and quinoa is longer than flours made from those grains. If stored properly in airtight containers, intact grains will keep for years in a cool, dry, and dark environment.
To extend the life of your stored grains vacuum seal them and then store them in the proper “climate”; cool, dark, and dry. Freezing is also a great way to extend the life of grains. If you are going to use your whole grains within a year a re-sealable plastic bag stored in the proper environment will do the trick. I would use the freezer weight bags.
When purchasing grains buy grains that are well packaged and sealed tightly. Check the expiration or “sell by” date and choose the newest one. If you are buying whole grains from bulk bins, be sure the turnover at the store is high to guarantee you are getting the freshest grains possible.
Grains should always look and smell faintly sweet or have no aroma at all. If you detect a musty or oily scent, the grains have passed their peak and should not be purchased.