Long Term and Short Term Wheat Berry Storage 101
One of the most asked questions I get is about long term wheat berry storage. With proper care, wheat berries can last for many years!
If you are a fresh milled baker, homesteader, or a prepper, wheat berries need to be on your list for long term food storage.
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What are Wheat Berries?
Wheat berries are the seeds that grown on wheat stalks and can be ground into flour. They come in many different varieties for different applications.
The 2 main categories of wheat berries are Hard Wheat Berries and Soft Wheat Berries. Those 2 categories are broken down into Modern Wheat, Ancient Wheat, and Heritage Wheat.
Hard Wheat varieties are Hard Red Wheat, Hard White Wheat, Spelt, Kamut, Einkorn, and other Heritage varieties like Turkey Red. Hard varieties have lower moisture levels and higher gluten content.
Soft wheat comes in both red and white varieties. Soft wheat has higher moisture levels and lower gluten content.
These whole grains have an extremely long shelf life making them perfect for long term storage. Once they are milled into flour, the shelf life decreases significantly.
Are you new to milling your own flour? CLICK HERE!
Why Proper Storage Matters
- Nutrient Retention – Nutrition starts decreasing as soon as wheat berries are milled. Therefore, storing the whole wheat berries in the right conditions retains those nutrients keeping them intact.
- Flavor – Much like fruit and veggies, when not stored properly, the flavor of the wheat berries can suffer drastically.
- Prevention of Pests, Mold, and Oxidation – Proper storage will protect the wheat berries from moisture, oxygen, and pests. Luckily, it’s quite easy to store them for long term and short-term storage.
Interested in mixing wheat berries for custom blends? CLICK HERE!
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The grain mill I use is the NUTRIMILL GRAIN MILL
For short-term storage: GLASS JARS WITH LIDS, PLASTIC CONTAINERS WITH LIDS
For long-term storage: MYLAR BAGS, 5 GALLON FOOD GRADE BUCKETS
Short Term Storage
Options for short term storage of wheat berries
- Glass Jars with Lids – I choose to store smaller amounts of my wheat berries on the counter, short term, in GLASS JARS WITH LIDS. They are inexpensive and nice to look at on the counter, which is a plus! Mason jars work great, as well.
- Food Grade Plastic Containers with Lids – One of the best ways for storing a bit more for short term, I recommend larger FOOD GRADE PLASTIC CONTAINERS with lids. I keep 4 of these in my pantry with 5 pounds of wheat berries that I can easily bring out to refill the smaller glass containers.
- Small Food Grade Plastic Buckets with Lids – You can also store wheat berries in a 1 Gallon Food Grade Bucket for short term storage.
Try my Easy, soft FRESH MILLED SANDWICH BREAD
Ideal storage conditions for short term
- Out of Direct Sunlight – Consider storing on a shelf out of direct sunlight.
- Away from Moisture – Avoid high humidity areas for storage.
- Cool Temperatures (no high heat) – The ideal temperature would be between 50-70 degrees.
How long can you store wheat berries short-term?
Wheat berries stored in a manner listed above can last for up to 12 months.
Long Term Storage for Wheat Berries (Up to 30 Years!)
Best Options for Long-Term Storage
- Food Grade Buckets – I choose to store my bulk wheat berries for long-term storage using FOOD GRADE 5 GALLON BUCKETS WITH GAMMA LIDS. The 5-gallon bucket will keep out the pests and is the perfect solution for keeping your grain fresh for years.
- Mylar Bags – Another effective way of storing wheat berries is MYLAR BAGS. Mylar bags are the perfect option for storing your wheat berries for more than 5-10 years. Most packages of these bags come with oxygen absorbers which makes the bags even more effective.
Considerations for storing wheat berries long-term
- Buy clean, fresh wheat berries – Ensure the source of your grain provides fresh, clean, dry wheat berries before storing. I buy my wheat berries from ANCIENT GRAINS. These are the cleanest, freshest grains I have found.
- Add oxygen absorbers to mylar bags and seal properly – As effective as mylar bags are, it’s important to use them properly. Seal them to manufactures directions and always add an oxygen absorber to the bag before sealing.
- Store Mylar Bags in Buckets – For optimum protection, always store your mylar bags that are filled with wheat berries in food-grade buckets with a tight lid to keep pests out.
The same ideal storage conditions apply as above with short term storage: Cool Temperature, Out of Direct Sunlight, and at Low Humidity.
Should you Freeze Wheat Berries?
Yes, you can freeze wheat berries using the following method. Keep in mind, FREEZING IS NOT FOR LONG TERM STORAGE.
- Pour the wheat berries on a sheet pan in a single layer and freeze for 2-3 hours before putting into a freezer bag for best results.
- Freeze the wheat berries for up to 2 weeks to kill weevil eggs if you suspect there could be infestation.
- Freezing will not harm the wheat berries and preserve freshness.
For best results, do not freeze for longer than 2 weeks.
Let the wheat berries come to room temperature before storing or milling since there may be condensation when thawing
Can you store different wheat berries together?
Yes! You can make custom mixes and store them together in the same ways listed above. This can be convenient if you like a certain ratio of 2-3 different berries for your loaves.
Note: Be sure to label your wheat berries or mixed wheat berries and date the bucket
Short-term vs Long-term storage comparison
Wheat berry storage mistakes to avoid
- Using containers that are not food grade.
- Storing in direct sunlight.
- Not storing in a dry place. Humidity and moisture will degrade wheat berries.
- Not labeling the containers or dating the long-term storage containers.
- Grinding too much fresh flour ahead of time which will cause the flour to start to lose nutritional value quickly. Aim to only mill what you need when you need it.
Frequent Asked Questions
Properly stored wheat berries can last for up to 30 years or even more!
If you are storing the wheat berries for more than a year, I highly suggest using an oxygen absorber.
The biggest cause of mold is moisture. Be very sure that the container you are storing your wheat berries in is completely dry! This will make sure that the wheat berries stay dry as well.
While you can store them this way, it is much less convenient as after you open the bag, you have to re-seal the bag each time. A food grade bucket with an oxygen absorber is the most convenient way, in my experience.
As you can see, properly storing wheat berries is quite simple and will ensure your grains last for many years with peace of mind.
Baking with fresh milled flour is a great way to add fiber and nutrition in your diet.
I suggest you start small with your wheat berry collection and build as you feel comfortable.
Comment down below your storage tips!
