Jim.
I have been buying flour and corn meal in five pound bags and placing in the freezer for a couple of weeks to destroy any “nits” still in them, and after that putting them in plastic bins. I really have no idea if this works long term, but would appreciate any suggestions on whether or not there is any method to preserve these items other than this. I have a Porkett hand grinder, but to grind wheat fine enough for bread flour is difficult. Thanks, – Charlie P.
JWR Replies:
Just freezing the grain doesn’t kill all the insect eggs, which can hatch later. You need to use either dry ice (CO2) or oxygen absorbing packets, (the latter available from Nitro-Pak and several other Internet vendors), to get a 100% kill of adult bugs, larvae, and eggs. I’ve posted details of the dry ice method a few time in SurvivalBlog. It is also described at in my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course and in Alan T. Hagan’s Food Storage FAQ.
You also asked about wheat grinders. To grind fine flour, I recommend the Country Living grain mill, available from Ready Made Resources and several other Internet vendors. It is an excellent mill, designed for a lifetime of use. We have one here at the ranch. It is a hand mill, but because its driving wheel has a V-belt (“fan belt”) slot, it can be easily converted to be powered by an electric motor, a bicycle, or even a water wheel or windmill.