Bulk Wheat Seed

Bulk wheat seed - will it still sprout after being stored for a few years in an oxygen-free container? That's a question that was posed to me recently, and one that's important as many people are now storing food to be prepared for any kind of emergency that might come our way.

Storing wheat is a good way to have food on hand in an emergency. Buy your own grain mill, and you can have fresh bread regularly at a fraction of the cost. You can also sprout wheat for better health. Chickens also love sprouted wheat.

To understand why you can store seeds in an oxygen-free container - as well as in oxygen or nitrogen - you have to understand a bit about the seeds themselves.

Why Is This Important?

So, why is it so important for your wheat berries to have viability and the ability to sprout over time? It has to do with the nutritional value of your wheat berries. 

After all, grains are seeds, and when they sprout, they provide way more nutrition than otherwise. When your grains are sprouted, those nutrients within the grain are more digestible and easier to absorb. Sprouted grains provide you with far more vitamins and minerals. They provide you with fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins, and protein.

Sprouted grains are also lower in carbohydrates, meaning they won’t spike your blood sugar the way other grains might. Also, sprouting lowers the grain's gluten content, meaning that those who are sensitive to gluten can eat sprouted grain bread.

With those thoughts in mind, it's vital to store your grain so that its viability remains as long as possible.

About Seeds

Every seed carries within it enough nutrients to keep the tiny plant growing inside alive long enough to develop sufficient roots to absorb moisture, nutrients and oxygen from outside sources.

As soon as seeds are exposed to warmth and moisture, they start to germinate, using up their innate food source, and then they will die. Expose your seeds to warm temperatures for too long, they won't have enough of their own sugars to germinate a young seedling.

Eating grains that have germinated and died is like eating dead food with few to no nutrients. That's why it's so crucial to keep your seeds in a cool place and to make sure they remain dry.

Harvesting Bulk Wheat Seed

The way to make sure seeds remain viable - in other words, to keep those stored nutrients stored - you need to make certain they don't sprout. You do that by drying your seeds long enough so they have less than 8 percent moisture.

You can do this in a number of ways, including spreading your seeds out in the sunlight, using a dehydrator, or even using a conventional oven, but you must keep the temperature at an even 100 degrees Fahrenheit for six hours.

How Long Will They Last?

Most seeds, including bulk wheat seed as well as other grains or beans, will remain viable for several years as long as they are sufficiently dried. That doesn't change whether they are exposed to oxygen or deprived of it.

With seeds and especially with bulk wheat seed, the two most crucial factors in retaining viability - in other words keeping the seeds dormant so they won't sprout before you are ready to plant them - are moisture and fungi.

The higher the amount of moisture and fungi a wheat seed is exposed to, the less likely that wheat will sprout later on, so the key to keeping your seeds viable is to keep these two crucial factors down.

For that reason, it is far better to store your wheat indoors where it won't be exposed to extreme heat. Fungi grow much more quickly when temps reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, so store your wheat in a closet or pantry indoors.

Vacuum sealing your wheat is a great way to keep the moisture out and will also keep the insects from hatching - another threat to your stored wheat supply.

Then, when you're ready, you can either plant your wheat or enjoy it in fresh, homemade bread.

You can also keep your grains bug-free by adding Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth.

Learn More About Being Prepared

Learn About Frugal Cooking

Return from Bulk Wheat Seed to the Home Page

About the Author

My name is Sue Merriam, and I began the journey of self-reliant living more than three decades ago, which enabled me to stay home with my children. Fifteen years ago, I founded Joyful Homesteading to help others save money and face the future without fear. My goal is to give you practical, honest advice so you can save money and experience the joy of simple living. I hope you join me.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.