I'm thinking of purchasing bulk all-purpose flour and rice

[Backseat Driver]

in case of shortages of products I use and can make at home in light of escalating passed-on consumer costs due to war and climate change. Is this even a good idea? I could probably find other cooks with which to share. Usually I purchased the flour in 5 lb bags (all-purpose and/or other types should I plan to make cakes/breads, Asian foods, etc.) then the rice in small bags depending on the type (long-grain, wild, black, Jasmine, Basmati, etc...) How can I best store it for long term use (so those little weavil bugs don't hatch out in it?) Seal and freeze in smaller quantities? I live in a townhouse with the usual kitchen fridge/freezer combo and a small 7 cu. chest deep-freezer.

[CrispyQ]

1. I'd like to know, too.

I store my extra bag in the freezer, but would like to hear other ideas.

[Old Crank]

2. Here are some tips

From a flour company. I would assume rice would do well with similar treatment.
I would buy food grade sealable storage containers. You need to limit air access. It has to be kept reasonably cool. They suggest under 70F If you have a dry cellar area you could use a corner of that but keep the containers off the direct floor. Date the fill times so you can rotate stock. You could figure out what you normally use in a 6 month period and perhaps double that amount of storage.
Good luck.

https://www.lindleymills.com/news/68-tips/202-flour-storage-tips-and-tricks.html#:~:text=It%20is%20incredibly%20important%20to,on%20top%20of%20the%20refrigerator.

[Quakerfriend]

3. You can buy large containers of rice on Amazon & store

unopened in cool spot (basement) for 25 years.

I store vacuum sealed bags of flour in 5 gal. food grade buckets w/ locking tops- for max life.

I think flour lasts for - 2 yrs in freezer.

[WhiteTara]

4. I freeze flour and havE

frozen eggs. I found a technique to preserve eggs in lime water (not fruit) so they can be used as fresh eggs. The frozen are for baking.

I'm stashing canned goods both veggies and protein. I'm definitely trying to make my garden more than a hobby this year. We'll see. I'm looking for a second freezer for food preservation for some time.

In other words, yes, it's a good idea to stock up (don't forget toilet paper -- lol)

[Backseat Driver]

7. Not really a prepper, just a senior w/a tight budget in the face of all these supply chain

disruptions of staple pantry stuff by war and droughts. Looking forward to planting my North 40 inch garden, hopefully this coming weekend, and shopping the summer farm markets...There's usually enough from the garden to do freezer pickles from cukes and maybe 6 quarts of tomato sauce, a few peppers for summer salads, and some fresh herbs. I've done lettuces/radishes and beans, but for the bunnies and early hot-weather bolting. During the pandemic, I ordered produce, pastured eggs, and some grass-fed meats through a local farm-raised delivery service. Even discovered microsprouts...Yummy addition to salads and sandwiches...a bit higher priced, yes, but so much more satisfying than the long-distance shipped and often recalled stuff at the grocery.

That said, LOL, I was way ahead of the TP scarcity and got an every-4-month subscription (48 rolls) for an acceptable recycled/sustainable brand that also avoids plastic wrappings (and tells good jokes). They also apparently keep stocked US warehouses and also charitably give back; so far, over scarcity and pandemic, never had to chase TP down locally - never ran out, so good!

[Pobeka]

5. I make a lot of bread. Been getting 50lb bags of flour for 8 years.

Waaaaaaay cheaper. The markup on those 5lb bags must be about 400%. (Seriously)

What I get is a low-gluten flour (but my bread method is wet dough and folding and the gluten development is still awesome).

To store it, I keep it downstairs where it's a little cooler and do two things:

1) I have a 5 gallon plastic pickle bucket (yes literally it originally had dill pickles, I got it for free at a local sandwich shop). It has a rubber gasket and once sealed nothing is getting in or out.

2) 50lbs won't all fit in the 5 gallon bucket, so the remainder of the bag which is still in the bag gets a secondary heavy plastic bag around it. I just use a simple knot to tie off the plastic bag.

I live in the Pacific Northwest, but we don't have AC, and summers are getting hotter, temps in the house can reach 80F for a few weeks where I store the flour now. Normal temps are about 70F. Never had a problem with bugs or the flour going bad.

On edit: I get about 1 bag of flour a year.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. I store lentils, brown rice, oat bran, flax seeds, quinoa, whole wheat flour

but I've only been thinking 3-6 months out. I need to deepen my shelf.

[Warpy]

8. Weevils and worms and webs, oh my

Unless you're planning to store it in the freezer, which seems like kind of a waste, IMO, don't buy more than you can use up in a reasonable amount of time. Nothing is worse than finding half a container of dry goods with webs from miller moth larvae all over it.

Yes, there might be shortages here and there while we wait for people to get smarter and eat grain and beans instead of feeding them to pigs and cattle. There will be something to eat, even if it's not your first choice.

If you're worried about natural disaster, stocking a couple of weeks of MREs to supplement what you've got in fridge and freezer is a much better idea. Military surplus or camping, they're all quite good, just add water, which OF COURSE you've remembered to freeze in your freezer to keep things cold while the power is out.

Hoarding things that have a chance of going bad only makes shortages worse, see: the great toilet paper drought of March 2020.

My own limit is a five pound bag of rice or flour and only enough perishable stuff for a week or two. Canned stuff lasts longer, although it loses flavor after a year.

[littlewolf]

11. when we buy bulk rice I put it in the freezer for 5 days or so ..

kills anything that might be living in there ...

[hippywife]

9. I used to bake a lot of bread...

but I never bought in bulk. I don't bake so much now, but when I did, I'd knock off for the summer to keep from running the oven, so the time of year is something you may want to factor into your decision. If you're not baking bread frequently right now due to the heat (depending on your location), it might be better to wait until fall to bulk buy.

I've always liked vintage and antique things so I have a set of the old spun aluminum canisters from like the 50s. Those suckers have really tight lids so my flour keeps really well. However, right now, I have my whole wheat flour in the fridge, as I don't go through it as fast as AP. Same with buckwheat flour.

But depending on how quickly you go through it, storing in the fridge and/or freezer and rotating it out as needed is the usual recommendation to prevent hatchings and infestations, as well as keeping it from going bad. My concern is usually more for the wheat flour in that respect.

[spinbaby]

10. I buy both in bulk

I bought a couple of large food-safe containers and use them to store flour and rice on the floor of a closet. I buy the flour at Costco—King Arthur in 25-lb bags. The rice is medium grain white rice from an Asian grocery.