Refrigerators, as we know them, became generally available in the 1940’s changing the way people ate. Add to that, new packaging techniques and dependable transportation, we began to use more commercially canned or frozen foods, sugar, industry dairy products and pre-made bakery items. The family cow, chickens and gardens went by the wayside. Until the social/political events of the last 20 years stirred us to eat healthier and provide some things for ourselves, gardening and home food preservation was considered more of a hobby and home baking was a holiday activity. With the 2020 pandemic, social misbehavior and political corruption, many rightfully concerned people are turning to long term food storage to insure that their families are fed regardless of what comes next.
It’s relatively easy to build a home storage plan but problems develop when we start using these foods because we are used to other ways of eating. It’s hard to create a meal with the foods at hand when you’re not even sure how to use some items. A high stress period is not the time to learn about new cooking techniques or to adjust to a completely new diet. The coming series of posts is intended to help those with no or limited experience with dry foods that come in bulk.

We’ll begin with wheat. 

• Wheat can be ground into flour. To retain it’s full nutrition, as much as possible, it should be ground just before you use it … a couple of weeks or a month is fine. 
• Wheat berries can be substituted for barley or rice in soups and stews. 
• Wheat berries can be cooked then chilled to be added to salads.
• Wheat berries can be cooked and served hot or cold with milk and/or honey as cereal for breakfast. 
• Wheat berries can be cooked and mixed hot with cooked meat and/or gravy.
• Wheat sprouts can be added to salads.  They provide vitamin A and C. 
• Wheat sprouts can be added to stir fry or casserole dishes.
• Wheat berries are used in Granite Mountain Griddle Cakes!

Wheat Flour for White Flour Substitution:

1 cup minus 2 tablespoons of wheat flour = 1 cup of white flour

If using yeast, double the yeast and if using baking soda or baking powder increase by 1/3.