Wheat! I Had No Idea!

Kamut and Spelt are the originals

They are the same today as they were 3,000 plus years ago.  Purists only use these two because they have not been genetically altered, that also makes them more expensive.  I have been told that these two are easier to digest.

Red and White Wheat

These are available from the Dry Pack Cannery for about $8.00 per 25 lb bag.  Most common question at the Cannery:  “What is the difference between Red and White wheat?”  You seem to get more flour from the White wheat but when it comes to taste I found that some people were really passionate about their Red (heavy and lots of flavor) and some about the White (lighter, more pastry like).

A Year’s Supply of Food for Under $10.00

One 25lb bag of wheat IF SPROUTED will keep a person alive for 1 year.  That’s eating less than ¼ cup of sprouts a day.  If you haven’t done any long term storage and your goal is to get a year’s supply then start by going to the cannery and buying one bag of wheat for each person in your family and learn how to sprout.  Then you can honestly say you have enough to keep you alive for a year BUT BY ALL MEANS KEEP ADDING TO YOUR STORAGE!

Suggested Reading

The Sprouting Book by Ann Wigmore.  ISBN 0-89529-246-7.  I feel any family that stores whole grains for a time of scarcity should have this book with their supplies even if they don’t read it until that day comes.

Storing your Grains

The Church recommends storing your grain in different ways.  Here are the most common.

Cans:  You can go to the cannery and seal your grains in #10 cans with oxygen absorbers.  This is great and virtually impervious to any elements but your grain will also be unsproutable.

Buckets:  The only thing I really do is put about a cup of salt in a brown paper bag in the center of the bucket to help absorb any moisture that might be in the air.  If you are worried about bugs (weevils eat the wheat germ also rendering your wheat unsproutable, but they are protein J ) you could add diatomatious (sp?) earth to your bucket or I have heard of people lining the bottom and top of their buckets with bay leaves. 

Amount to Store

The Church recommends:  400 lbs of grain:  wheat, corn, rice, oatmeal, etc. per person.

If you ration this out that might give you enough wheat for a dinner roll every day. 

Survivalists recommend:  400 lbs of wheat per person and then storing different grains in addition.  This, rationed out, will give you enough wheat for a small loaf of bread per person per day and adding different grains gives you more energy.