Grains–Commercial warehouses who don’t fumigate keep grain in a freezer. Most grains will keep indefinitely at room temperature as long as no infestation occurs. Oats will keep 2 years and brown rice 9-12 months at room temperature. Keep tightly covered in darkest, coolest, driest place available. A 3 lb. coffee can holds about 5 lbs. Line the can with a plastic bag first. As some metal coffee cans use lead in the seal of the seam. This makes a handy size to keep in the kitchen.
Wyoming’s dry, cool climate makes this much easier than other places. I buy my grains and flakes in 25 or 50 pound bags because it is cheaper, but I keep my grains and flakes in five gallon buckets with lids that seal in the basement. I have a bucket of each grain I use in the pantry. My dear daughter-in-law discovered Gamma 2 lids. These are wonderful! They come in 6 colors. You snap an outside ring on your bucket and then the lid screws inside the ring. No more broken fingernails or waiting till the guys can open the buckets for me. In our area they are available on-line and during the local grocery stores' Case-lot sales, at Wal-mart and WinCo Food stores.
Flours–flour begins to deteriorate as soon as it is milled allowing the oxidation process to begin. Nutrients are lost and the oils begin to go rancid. If buying in bulk, keep your whole grain flours in the freezer with a small amount in the refrigerator. Bring the flour to room temperature to use.
Even with a mill I keep any left-over whole grain flour ground in individual labeled Rubbermaid containers in the refrigerator. This makes it handy for recipes only needing a small amount. Ex.: thickening.
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