# Cornmeal for long term storage



## LivinGreen (Mar 26, 2013)

Is cornmeal a good food storage item? Seems it would some menu change up over rice. Any tips on how I could best set it up for some long-time storage?


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Cornmeal gets buggy*

In my experience, cornmeal gets buggy very easily. Like all grains, it would be better to store corn and grind it when needed.


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## rawhide2971 (Apr 19, 2013)

I am by no means the most experienced on this subject but I obtained, from a local mill, 25#'s of corn meal and stored it in quart jars and vacumn sealed them and I did add an oxygen absorber in each jar. I see no reason this won't work and my other research on long term storage of corn meal seems to bear this out. One precaution I did take was to put the corn meal in the freezer for a week before vacumn sealing in the quart jars. Several more experience people advocated this because of the possibility of "bugs" that may have been present in the corn meal. Supposedly its best to freeze the product before putting it in the jars to avoid moisture build up. All I can attest to is that so far the jars look good and are stored in my "prep" area which is cool and dark. As with anything I post take with a healthy dose of caution and common sense and hopefully others will chime in with the experience they may have.


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## Country Living (Dec 15, 2009)

I keep my cornmeal in the freezer. it doesn't go rancid and the little critters can't get to it.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

LivinGreen said:


> Is cornmeal a good food storage item? Seems it would some menu change up over rice. Any tips on how I could best set it up for some long-time storage?


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Buckwheat
Corn, Dry
Flax
Kamut
Millet
Durum wheat
Hard red wheat
Hard white wheat
Soft wheat
Special bake wheat
Spelt
Triticale

The Hard Grains
The Hard Grains all store well because of their hard outer shell which is nature's near perfect container. Remove that container and the contents rapidly deteriorate. Wheat, probably nature's longest storing seed, has been known to be edible after scores of years when stored in a cool dry place. As a general rule for hard grains, hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 10-12 years at a stable temperature of 70 degrees F. They should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures.
Get a grain Mill, grains last longer whole.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

I store some the way rawhide does, but most a it just be dried corn sealed in quart jars an then grind what I need. Thata way I can rehydrate back ta corn er make meal.


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## Jimthewagontraveler (Feb 8, 2012)

Unground then frozen in buckets that used to have cake frosting from the grocery store.[$1.50]
Then the lid is slapped on and its put in storage.


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## Dixie (Sep 20, 2010)

Cornmeal storage:

From the store to the freezer;
wait two weeks;
pull out of freezer and place on dining room table;
wait two weeks;
back in freezer.
wait two weeks.
put in foodsaver bags, oxygen absorder and mylar bag.
put in tote (with wheels in case of bug out)

Overkill? Could be, but first freezing kills any bugs, second freezing should kill any that hatch.
I use to use the foodsaver then keep in the freezer but unless I get another freezer that is not an option now.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I thank storing ground grains are fine, however we will need a manual grinder after TSHTF.
I have 2 different electric ones now.
Any one have a manual grinder for sale......cheap????
Or could you tell me what kind/type & brand I should look for??
Thanks, good thread.


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## Toffee (Mar 13, 2012)

crabapple said:


> I thank storing ground grains are fine, however we will need a manual grinder after TSHTF.
> I have 2 different electric ones now.
> Any one have a manual grinder for sale......cheap????
> Or could you tell me what kind/type & brand I should look for??
> Thanks, good thread.


I picked up the one emergency essentials offers. It was about $70. I personally really like it and will eventually get a second one. It comes with a clamp and the hopper is plenty big enough for my needs.


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## libprepper (Aug 8, 2013)

We store popcorn to grind when needed for meal. Makes good meal in our experience. Wife is from the South and give this the thumbs up; my Yankee taste buds can't tell the difference between good , better, best corn meal.


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