Welcome back to my weekly Tuesday post, "What the Bulk?!" where we learn a little about cooking with and eating bulk foods like rice, grains, beans and seeds.
Today's post focuses on the importance of storing your bulk food correctly! Do I do all these things? No, but I think these tips are sensible and easy-to-follow, so I might start keeping some bulk items in the fridge...
- Buy from a source that has rapid turnover. Whole grains lose freshness more quickly than refined flours, so buy the freshest product possible.
- Refrigerate whole grain flours and most grains if you cannot use all of the package in two months. In the summer store whole grain flours in the refrigerator all the time. Warm temperatures can quickly turn whole grain flours rancid.
- Store whole grains in a cool, dry and dark location.
- Wrap whole grains tightly in plastic before storing in another container. This extra step can extend shelf life for a few weeks or even months. This step is important for grains stored in the refrigerator or in cupboard shelving.
- Use plastic or glass containers with tight lids. (veganmama note: reuse cool jars!)
- Read packaging to find the shelf life of the grain. Some grains even when stored perfectly only have a shelf life of a few months, while others like popcorn can keep for several years if stored correctly.
- Whole flax seeds or ground flax seeds lose omega-3 fatty acids when exposed to light so buy flax seed sold in colored plastic bags or containers.
source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2092469_store-whole-grains.html
No comments:
Post a Comment