Thriftiness is a trait inherent in both the real owner and the person. Unfortunately, there are not always conditions for long-term storage of various cereals and other products in large quantities and for quite a long time.
But turning to the old folk recipes you can find ways to store not only apples, potatoes or tomatoes, but also various types cereals, which are without a doubt one of the most consumed products. As an example, we will prepare buckwheat, and instead of a basement we will use an ordinary balcony for this.
Usage freezer, even after three days cannot guarantee the extermination of pests, therefore, to be completely confident in the result, it is better to use the oven. To do this, pour the cereal in an even layer onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven. But do not pour more than 1 kg at a time. This is necessary so that the buckwheat heats up evenly, both in the middle and on top or bottom. Set the temperature to 150 degrees and, stirring as it heats, hold it for 30 minutes. Some “craftsmen” use a microwave instead of an oven. It is strictly not recommended to do this, since almost immediately the cereal begins to burst the way popcorn does.
To prevent the cereal from becoming damp during long-term storage
Let the buckwheat cool on its own, after which we prepare a napkin bag in which we wrap 3 tablespoons of table salt.
If you do not want the bag to unfold and the salt to spill out, tie it with regular thread, but do not forget that its size should be such that it fits freely into the neck of the prepared bottle.
If you are afraid that the napkin may tear, replace it with a cotton rag or gauze, which needs to be rolled up in 2-3 layers.
Such a bag will absorb all the moisture, thanks to which the cereal will be stored long time and will not get damp. For complete stuffing, tape more tape to an emergency storage container.
Our grandmothers as antiseptics for long-term storage croup garlic was often used Bay leaf, adding them to the container. They put a few cloves of garlic or a sprig of bay leaf in the bags, and thus prevented the appearance of worms and other insects in them.
Any housewife should have an idea of how to store food, including non-perishable foods: rice and other cereals, pasta, flour, sugar, tea, etc. Temperature, humidity level, selected container for bulk products - all this matters. After all, it is often improper storage that leads to food spoilage. And spoiled products not only lose taste qualities, but also become hazardous to health.
One of the enemies of bulk products, especially cereals, is mold, which usually develops due to high humidity in the kitchen. As it multiplies, it destroys food and, as a result, releases bad smell, toxins are formed. Eating food contaminated with mold is hazardous to your health.
Insects may also appear in bulk products. One of the common pests is the Suriname mucoed. It's a brown bug that lives in flour, different varieties cereals, dried fruits. Unlike microorganisms, insects do not destroy cereals, but contaminate them. But when high concentration pests or their metabolic products can lead to food poisoning.
Expired products, although visually they look normal, lose their taste and beneficial features. Even if you know how to store cereals, it is important to remember that bulk products cannot be stored forever. If you prefer to buy for future use, first try to cook from products purchased a long time ago. And in order not to confuse anything, you can put stickers on the containers with the date the contents were placed.
Of the cereals, oat flakes spoil the fastest - in 4-6 months, and oat flakes with all kinds of additives even less are stored. Rice can be stored for about 1.5 years, peas and buckwheat– up to 2. The remaining cereals are best consumed within 9-12 months. Simple pasta will last about 1 year. A pasta With various additives, for example tomato, it is recommended to store no longer than 3-5 months.
Carry out an annual audit of the kitchen, during which you check the expiration dates of the contents of the cabinets and, if necessary, throw away everything that is spoiled.
Basic storage rules
To avoid problems with products in your kitchen, carefully examine them in the store. Damaged packaging, sticky grains, foreign inclusions among the grains - all this signals that the product is not worth buying. If it is not possible to evaluate the product visually, for example, if it is sold in an opaque bag or box, be guided by the production date and recommended shelf life.
Despite the fact that production measures are taken to prevent the contamination of cereals by insects, unpleasant exceptions do occur. Therefore, before putting the cereal away for storage, it is recommended to check it again for the presence of mold and larvae and pour it out of store containers. Some people prefer to leave rice and other grains in plastic bags. But this is not recommended: food in them can become damp, “suffocate” and acquire an unpleasant smell and taste.
“Business Slavyansk” has collected useful tips for you on how to properly store cereals, in other words, what conditions need to be created so that they can be stored for a long time and without problems.
Do not store them in plastic or paper bags, in which you bought them, because the bag can tear, the cereal will crumble, and when you collect it, garbage will naturally fall into it, no matter how hard you try. Cereals in plastic bag may “suffocate”, since a special perforated bag is required for its storage. Therefore, purchased cereals should be immediately poured into a dry, clean glass or metal container. If the grain requires it, you need to sort it out immediately; this will make the cooking process take much less time later.
From time to time you need to open cans of cereal and check them for pests. Do not eat already spoiled cereals.
What pests can you encounter in the kitchen and in cereals? Granary weevils, Surinamese flour beetles, bread borers and other pests can happily settle here. For humans, in principle, they are not dangerous, but they are unpleasant. These are bugs that can appear in your cereal for several reasons.
If you want the pests to forget their way to you, place a few cloves of garlic (in the peel) in a container with cereal. When storing cereals, starch and flour, place gauze bags with salt on the bottom of the container, and on top - dry lemon zest, bay leaf leaves or chestnut (one of three products). A piece of foil or an ordinary iron spoon placed in a container of cereal/flour helps well against bugs. You can put a pod hot pepper, it protects rice not only from pests, but also from mustiness.
Containers: making a choice
Metal jars. They, of course, look stylish and high-quality, but such containers have their own drawback - they can easily rust, and this will not happen from water, but simply over time. Not only does it look unsightly, but also harmful oxidation processes will be dissipated onto your cereal, thereby not adding beneficial and taste properties, but rather the opposite. Stainless steel jars will not cause such problems.
- Plastic- a completely convenient and appropriate option, they often have an attractive appearance, and also boast an important advantage - they are very light, which is why the load on the cabinets is minimal. When there are 10 jars on one shelf, then, you know, this fact will play a significant role in literally this word. Alternatively, regular plastic bottles from under the water.
- Glass containers. Probably one of the best and optimal options. Modern glass jars for cereals have a stylish design; they may differ in price, but if you don’t chase brands, you can choose a completely decent option at a very reasonable price. And in general it is believed that ordinary jars with lids can also be used as containers for storing cereals.
- Ceramic containers. Also an excellent and very stylish option, it is believed that this best solution for storing any bulk products.
Naturally, all these containers must have a good sealed lid that will close tightly without leaving any gaps. By the way, in addition to special containers, ordinary linen bags are excellent for such purposes, which must first be soaked in a saline solution and then ironed. You can put the cereal in a bag directly into a glass or any other container, so you will definitely forget about bugs and other annoying insects.
Video survey of Slavyansk residents:
We do not allow bugs and other pests
We sorted out the containers, everyone made their choice, but that’s not all. It turns out that in order for cereals to be stored for as long as possible, and at the same time, everything will be done without bugs, as well as the development of unpleasant odors, you need to resort to some tricks.
Not all grains last the same long time. For example, rice can easily be stored for years without harm, but buckwheat can be stored for no longer than 20 months. Millet is not long-lived at all, but in order for the porridge to turn out tasty, it can be stored for no more than 4 months, otherwise later the cereal will taste bitter and taste bad unpleasant smell. Cereals They also don’t last long, optimally 4-5 months, especially if it’s muesli with various additives.
To prevent bugs from infesting the rice and to prevent it from giving off a musty smell, place a pod of hot pepper in the container. If there is no pepper, then a few cloves of garlic will do, and you do not need to peel off the top skin from them.
Another method that is suitable for all cereals is to use gauze bags of salt, which can be placed at the bottom of the container. Some housewives add dry bay leaf or lemon zest, which is also very effective.
If the bugs still started
Flour usually contains “living creatures” when the humidity is too high. This indicator is easy to determine. You need to pay attention to whether the flour squeaks between your fingers: if not, its moisture content is increased.
If it was still infected, it must be sifted through a fine sieve, then poured onto clean paper in a three-centimeter layer, and then dried in the oven. Pay attention to the temperature - it should be no more than 50 o C, otherwise the flour will no longer be suitable for baking. After drying, it is poured into a paper or cloth bag, which is placed in another one. The bottom of the second bag should be lined with calendula flowers. They are excellent at repelling insects. Garlic cloves can also solve the problem of bugs.
If semolina has been contaminated by insects, then everything can be corrected. You need to sift it through a large sieve, and then fill it with water (slightly salted). After some time, the larvae and worms will emerge. It will not be possible to dry such cereals, but you can still cook the porridge or add it to meat cutlets instead of bread.
If buckwheat is infected, then you have to sort out the cereal, then rinse it thoroughly cold water and put it in the oven to dry. Heat it at 60 o C, and when it cools down, you need to pour the buckwheat into a linen bag and take it to the cold, for example, to the balcony. There it will be perfectly preserved until the summer.
Millet can be stored for up to 4 months, then the outer shell of the grain, as a rule, deteriorates. This is what you need to try to get rid of. Millet should be washed in cold water, then pour boiling water and leave for 4 hours. After that it is poured warm water, add a little baking soda(1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water) and grind the cereal with your hands. Now it can be washed and dried in the oven.
Thus, spoiled cereals can always be saved. But it is better to prevent the appearance of insects.
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Every good housewife should have an idea of how to properly store certain food products in her kitchen. It is important to know how to approach the issue of storing bulk products and cereals. Very often, young, inexperienced housewives store cereals in purchased packaging, and this is not entirely correct.
Firstly, it's not entirely convenient. Due to the violation of the integrity of such packaging, cereals often spill onto the floor or table, in a cabinet, or anywhere.
Secondly, when storing cereals in unsealed packaging, all sorts of beetles and worms can appear. This means that you can safely throw the supplies in the trash bin, or do a good deed - feed the birds. So how to store cereals?
Now in stores you can find a large assortment of various sealed containers designed for storing cereals and bulk products.
Modern manufacturers produce various beautifully designed jars that will fit well into any kitchen interior.
Whether it’s modern high-tech or classic sunflowers on wallpaper, you can purchase the necessary containers in almost any hardware hypermarket. However, what is important to know about the cereals themselves?
When storing cereals, it is important to understand that their sales periods are different. For example, rice can easily sit for a year and a half and retain all its beneficial properties and will not spoil, provided, of course, that it is stored correctly.
But millet should not be stored for more than 4 months, since after this period, the grain may turn rancid and have an unpleasant aftertaste.
Buckwheat is stored for a long time, about 20 months, but semolina must be used within 14 months. It is not recommended to store oatmeal for more than 5 months; this also applies to muesli.
Types of containers for storing cereals
Very often they are attractive appearance, practical, comfortable and very light. Their weight plays an important role, because, for example, if you put a lot of these containers filled with cereals on a shelf, then the load on the cabinet will be minimal.
- Metal cans
Good, beautiful and high-quality containers, convenient for storage various cereals. Unfortunately, there is one drawback metal cans, over time, rust spots may appear on them. And such containers automatically become unsuitable for storing food.
- Stainless steel jars
Stylish and modern version for storing bulk products, but quite expensive.
- Glass containers
An excellent, beautiful and convenient way to store cereals is to keep them in a glass container. There are many glass jars of different designs in stores.
You can store cereals in regular glass jars with lids like our grandmothers used. And you can style them to match the design of your kitchen with your own hands. You just need to use your imagination and buy a couple of jars of acrylic paints, stained glass outlines or glass paints.
- Ceramic containers
Ceramic containers are considered the best for storing cereals and bulk products.
- Plastic bottles
You can adapt ordinary plastic bottles for storing cereals.
Important! Any cereals should be stored in a hermetically sealed container.
Folk secrets for long-term storage of cereals
Take advantage of these simple tips for storing bulk products and then there will be no uninvited guests in your food supplies.
Any housewife has a small supply of products at home that can be used for cooking. variety of dishes. These, of course, include cereals: they are used to prepare side dishes and porridges rich in fiber and vitamins, and add them to first courses and baked goods.
When storing cereals, you must comply special conditions, in case of violation of which natural product loses its taste and becomes a habitat for insects.
Cereals - food product, obtained from whole or crushed grains of legumes (lentils and peas), cereals (wheat, barley, oats, rye) and cereals (buckwheat, rice, corn, millet). Grain processing consists of several stages:
- removal of impurities;
- shell removal;
- shaping: flattening, cutting;
- heat treatment (steaming, for example).
Each type contains vitamins and fiber that are beneficial to humans, so this product should be in everyone’s diet.
IN different countries prefer different cultures. On the territory of countries former USSR The most popular are buckwheat, semolina, rice, pearl barley, and millet.
All types of cereals are a natural hygroscopic product, demanding on the conditions in which it is located:
- Temperature.
From 0°C to 20°C, optimal range 5-15°C. At subzero temperatures, the properties and taste of any cereal remain the same; in a warm place, the product begins to taste bitter after a short period of time.
- Humidity.
It should not exceed 60%, this is the maximum value at which the cereal remains suitable for consumption. However, the product can withstand 100% humidity, but only for a short time.
A warm, open, well-lit room with high humidity is absolutely not suitable for storing cereals. In such conditions, the taste of the product deteriorates and insects appear in it: bugs, food moths.
Shelf life different types differ, this criterion depends on the percentage of fat in it. How more calories than cereal, the faster it becomes unusable due to a change in the taste of fat (it begins to taste bitter).
How can you preserve cereals for a long time at home?
The rules for storing cereals are prescribed at the legislative level. According to SanPin requirements, products should be stored in dry rooms in linen bags or cardboard boxes, placing them higher than 15 centimeters from the floor and further than 20 centimeters from the wall.
These requirements must be observed in retail outlets and businesses Catering. At home, it is enough to create conditions close to the recommended ones, the safety of the cereal will be ensured right choice locations, capacity and regular checks.
Which jars should I store it in?
Cereals are sold by weight or in industrial packaging made of polyethylene, paper or cardboard. Some housewives leave the product in such packaging, which is not very practical: fragile bags are easily torn and the contents can spill out. Polyethylene containers have another drawback - the food in it simply suffocates due to the lack of air circulation.
It is much more practical to keep cereal in hermetically sealed containers made of materials such as:
- Glass.
For several generations of women, they have been storing bulk foods in glass jars. Such containers do not allow moisture and foreign odors to pass through, and protect against the penetration of pests. Many tableware manufacturers produce glass containers for cereals of various sizes and designs. The cost of such containers is high, so they can be replaced with ordinary cans. Disadvantages of glass containers: heavy weight and fragility.
- Metal.
Metal containers - another traditional version flour storage. Such containers can provide all the conditions for long-term storage products, but has one significant drawback. Over time, rust damages the walls, changing the taste of the cereal and infecting it with bacteria. Stainless steel jars do not have this drawback, but not everyone can afford them.
- Tree.
Jars made of this material are lightweight, allow the cereal to breathe, but also absorb extraneous odors and moisture.
- Ceramics.
Glazed porcelain containers are considered ideal option for storing cereals, however, they are quite heavy and cannot withstand accidental impacts.
- Plastic.
Today, most housewives prefer to store cereals in plastic containers. In stores you can find sealed containers of various sizes and shapes with a dispenser. Light weight allows you to place several types of bulk products on a shelf in the kitchen without overloading the cabinet.
- Natural fabrics.
Linen and cotton can be used to sew cereal bags. This packaging looks original and takes up little space.
To protect against the penetration of insects, it is recommended to hold the bags in a strong salt solution and iron them at high power. The only drawback of such packaging is instability to increased humidity levels.
As you can see, the industry offers great amount options for storing cereals, among which anyone will find something suitable for themselves in design and cost. However, a needlewoman can show her imagination and decorate ordinary jars and containers herself, turning them into a designer product.
Where to store?
In a private house or apartment, you can store cereal stocks in several places:
- Kitchen cabinets.
Kitchen tables are preferable to wall cabinets: the temperature and humidity are slightly lower, and there are no sharp changes in these indicators.
- Refrigerator or freezer.
- Dry pantry.
- Glazed balcony or loggia.
The product should be kept in these places in sealed packaging, away from products with a strong odor.
How long can cereals last if stored correctly?
The storage requirements for all cereals are the same, but even if they are met, the period is different:
- oat flakes - up to 4 months;
- millet - 9 months (in the warm season no more than 6 months);
- semolina and corn flour- 8-10 months;
- processed different ways wheat (bulgur, artek) - 12-14 months;
- barley - 14-16 months;
- pearl barley and buckwheat (chaff), polished rice - up to 1.5 years;
- split peas, buckwheat (kernels) - 20 months;
- polished peas - up to 2 years;
- steamed rice - up to 2.5 years.
Please note that the deadlines are from the date of production, not purchase.
Several ways to extend shelf life and prevent bugs and other pests from infesting
How long the cereal will remain edible depends, first of all, on its quality at the time of purchase. When choosing this product, it is important to adhere to some rules:
- Avoid purchasing goods by weight.
This method of storage in retail outlets cannot ensure compliance sanitary standards. The grains contain dust, waste products of people, animals, insect larvae, mold spores and much more.
To see the quality of the product, you can look at the transparent original packaging.
- When purchasing a weighted product, you need to evaluate it visually, perhaps smell it or run it through your fingers. The product should not contain lumps or foreign odors.
- The grains should be approximately the same size, foreign particles should be excluded.
- Pay attention to the expiration date. It is advisable to purchase a product manufactured no more than 2-4 months ago.
Even factory packaging does not guarantee the absence of insects and other impurities in the product, so at home you need to sort out the cereal or sift through a sieve to prevent bugs from getting in. To destroy potential pests, cereals can be additionally processed in one of the following ways:
- keep for several hours (maybe a day) in the freezer;
- Spread on a baking sheet in a layer of 2-3 centimeters and bake in the oven at low temperature (no more than 50 degrees).
After this, the product is poured into dry containers and tightly closed with a lid.
Even if all storage rules are followed, there is a possible risk of cereal contamination with bugs. To prevent this, experienced housewives Place foods with a strong odor in containers:
- Bay leaf;
- hot pepper;
- orange or lemon zest;
- aromatic herbs;
- unpeeled garlic.
A canvas bag of salt placed in a jar of cereal will also protect you from insects. The substance will not repel bugs, but will absorb excess moisture, which creates all the conditions for unwanted guests.
Some housewives believe that when insects appear in the cereal, it is not necessary to throw away the product; it can still be preserved.
Rescue measures:
- Sort out the buckwheat and rice, rinse with cold water and dry in the oven.
- Sift the semolina and keep it at sub-zero temperatures for two days.
The second option is to add a little salted water and wait for the larvae to float to the surface.
- Millet can be poured with boiling water and left for 3-4 hours. Then change the water to cold, adding a teaspoon of soda to it. The cereal is thoroughly rubbed in hands, washed and dried in the oven.
Cereals infested with insects become toxic due to the excrement and body parts of the pests they contain. Nutritional value and the taste of the product decreases, after eating such cereals, the composition of the blood changes, and the risk of allergies and intestinal disorders increases.
Taking this data into account, we need to take a more responsible approach to organizing storage and get rid of contaminated residues.
After detecting insects in one of the containers, you need to inspect the rest. The container in which the contaminated product was located must be washed with detergent and pour boiling water over it. All surfaces of the cabinet or pantry should also be treated with a vinegar solution - a tablespoon per liter.
Cereals are an integral element of the diet of every family. To obtain maximum benefit from the product, storage conditions must be observed - protect from moisture, high temperatures and scan regularly to spot insects.
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