Grains & Biscuits: A Stockpile of Worms

GRAINS: Regarding grains and our experience with them during the 1999 Y2K preparation, we had problems with bugs getting into the grains. We are not the type of preppers that are going to go through the process of preparing the appropriate packaging and containers for a massive amount of different grains, so that this won't happen. If you are storing grains, please research on the internet the proper way to store them long term. They cannot be stored in the loose plastic packaging that you bought them in because bugs will infest them. ​ Every time I view a survival website, they are always mentioning WHITE RICE and how to store it. A much better grain is KASHA (buckwheat) Medium Grain. It cooks faster, has a lot of protein and tastes better. Rice is high in carbohydrates, and will make you quite tired and sleepy a while after you eat it. During times of survival, you want to stay energetic and alert. Kasha is a lot better. It doesn't have the gluten that white rice has, and it won't cause this reaction. It has the highest protein of any grain. We have stored WOLF'S KASHA in the original box it came in for a year without any problems. Longer than that, I don't know if any bugs will form. ​ White rice has undergone processes that eventually wears off the natural nutrients contained in each grain. White rice undergoes a process of milling and polishing. Milling prevents spoilage and lengthens the shelf-life of rice. Polishing removes the essential nutrients found rice. It is high in carbohydrates and starches and absent of nutrients. ​ The other grain I recommend is OATMEAL either old fashioned or quick cooking, but the oatmeal must be plain, just oatmeal without any added ingredients. Oatmeal is highly recommended. It is lightweight, and can even be eaten raw when mixed with other ingredients. Many trail mixes have oatmeal as one of the ingredients. Cooked oatmeal is also good to eat if you have heartburn, and especially gas pains. Oats are a good source of protein, soluble and insoluble fiber, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese, and magnesium. We have also stored oatmeal for a year in the box it came in without any bug infestation. We have not experimented with keeping the oatmeal for longer than a year to see if bugs form. I also recommend UNBLEACHED WHITE FLOUR, even though it has a lot of gluten and also causes energy loss for those who are hypoglycemic, you will be adding it to other ingredients as a baking element, so the effects won't be as strong as if you were eating a big bowl of rice or another grain that is high in carbohydrates and/or gluten. Because you can add this to so many recipes, like biscuits, waffles, pancakes, etc., it can stretch your food storage, so that it will last longer. For example, if you are cooking an egg, you may as well make pancakes by adding some flour, milk, oil, and baking powder. This will fill you up more than just having an egg. So with that one egg, by adding the flour, some oil, some milk, and some baking powder, you can feed a whole family, instead of one person subsisting on a very small meal of one egg, and you can also get your protein from the egg. We store our flour in the freezer and never have a problem with bugs. If storing flour at room temperature for a long period of time, you need to research online the appropriate steps to take. I know from personal experience, my white flour did get infested with bugs only after a few months when I used to store it in the cupboard.

I also recommend CORNMEAL for making cornbread and waffles which is a lot better nutritiously than bread. And, again, keeping the cornmeal in the cupboard for even a few months will also cause worms and bugs to form. Since this happened to me, for the last 10 years, I have kept all flours and the cornmeal in the freezer and have never had this problem again. ​ In time of survival, you need to think of how to utilize your food in such a way, that it will last longer and/or feed more people, and be a fuller meal. ​ I personally eat only these grains listed above, and have been doing so for numerous years. I recommend them highly. ​ BISCUITS: Other items I experimented with, during the Y2K crisis in 1999, were biscuits of all kinds, such as gram crackers, soda crackers, saltines, milk crackers, etc. They are all no good. Within 6 months in their boxes, they all made worms and all the boxes had to be thrown away. This also included dog biscuits. The dog biscuits will make worms that turn into moths that will fly around the house, if they are stored in the plastic bags that they are sold in. If they come in a large hard cardboard box, like the Milk Bone Dog Biscuits, after about a year in a closed box, especially if you live in an area that has a warm and humid climate at certain times of the year, the dog biscuits will start to turn green on their exterior probably forming a toxic mold, so they would definitely be no good and need to be thrown out.