The shelf life of food storage items is always a concern.  How often should you rotate each different food?  We've created an infographic for quick reference.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

Wheat: 

As long as it hasn't been broken in any way, wheat will last virtually forever.  However, it can die.  What this means is that if it is sealed in an air-tight container (which is what we recommend) after 2-3 years it will use up all of its oxygen supply.  Just like any living thing.  The germ, which is the center for nutrition, will then die leaving it useless except to fill your stomach.  Nutritionally it is dead.

So, how do you get it to last for over 100 years?  Simply give it oxygen every couple of years.  Open the bucket you have it stored in and pour it out into another bucket and re-seal it.  This is absolutely vital if you want to nourish your body  with it rather than simply fill your stomach.

Oats:

Oats don't last as long as wheat because of their high moisture content.  But, just like wheat, they don't last as long if they've been broken.  This rule goes for all grains.  This is the reason rolled and steel cut oats only last 6 months.  Remember that this is nutritionally speaking.  They'll still taste fine and be good to eat after 6 months, but they won't be as nutritious.  After 1 to 1 1/2 years, however, they'll start to taste stale or like the package they're stored in.

Rice:

We devoted an entire post to white rice versus brown rice back in November.  Click here to learn about rice.

All Other Grains:

The same rules apply to all the other grains.  Keep it whole and it will last longer.

Popcorn:

Popcorn is a little different.  It will last virtually forever, but you will only be able to pop it for up to 30 years.  This is because it relies on a certain amount of moisture in the endosperm to be able to pop.  As popcorn ages it dries and eventually it will be too dry to pop.  However, it can still be ground into flour or cornmeal.

Beans:

Beans are similar to popcorn.  As in they dry up.  The older they get, the drier they get, and the drier they get, the harder they get.  After 3-5 years they will be too hard to cook.  Keep in mind, though, that sometimes they can last up to 8 years.

To test your beans for dryness, soak them in water.  If they don't start to sprout after a few days, they're too hard to cook.  However, not all is lost at this point.  You can still pressure can them and get another 5 or so years out of them.  We dedicated a post to pressure canning beans that you can find here.

Powdered and Dried Goods:

These foods are best stored in #10 cans.  Except for powdered milk, which is best stored in a plastic bucket for economical reasons.  But not all #10 cans are created equal.  Your foods will last longer and taste better if they're stored in lined #10 cans.  This lining (which is invisible on the can, not a bag of sorts) keeps the metal from leeching into the food, thus preserving the flavor.

Yeast:

SAF Yeast, to be specific.  The way it's vacuum-sealed keeps it good for 10 years.  The package gives an expiration date for 2 years out, but we actually had a customer who bought a case of 20.  Ten years later she told us that she was using her final package, which had lost some of its punch, but still worked fine when she added more to her bread recipe.

Chocolate:

Yes, we all need chocolate in our food storage.  It's a comfort food for most people.  Comfort food is definitely necessary in difficult circumstances.  It is best to store semi-sweet simply because it stores the best.  It will last about 3 years, after which it will start to loose its color and go hard.

We hope this post has been helpful.  If you have any other questions, again please ask in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.  We love helping and answering your concerns.

Indian pudding is a dessert made of cornmeal boiled with scalded milk, sweetened with molasses, and cooked slowly until thickened, then baked until set.  It is most typically served warm with hard sauce, ice cream or whipped cream.

Indian pudding dates to the Colonial days of America, when newly arrived Colonists at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and elsewhere sought to re-create the dishes of their homeland with the ingredients they hand available to them in the new land.  Indian pudding is derived from the British hasty pudding, a dish made from wheat flour or oatmeal boiled with milk.  Colonists did not yet have quantities of wheat flour, so they made their hasty pudding with cornmeal, which they had in abundance, thanks to the Native Americans, or Indians—hence the name.

To flavor their Indian pudding, the Colonists added spices such as ginger and cinnamon, and they fortified it with eggs and butter, when available.  A distinctly Yankee touch was the addition of molasses, which was a product of the local maritime trade.

Today, Indian pudding remains a popular dessert, especially in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire.  Its appeal has expanded beyond the New England region, particularly at Thanksgiving time.  Indian pudding has a comforting, homey texture and is inexpensive and relatively easy to prepare.

Admittedly, it doesn't look very appetizing.  But rest assured that when you take a bite with a little vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, you won't want to stop.  It has an almost gingerbread-y flavor.  It really  is delicious.  Give it a try!

And remember to grind your cornmeal in your WonderMill.  You can just use unpopped popcorn and grind it between the bread and coarse settings.


*History of Indian Pudding from wiseGEEK.

This is an old recipe that came out of a 1960's newspaper.  You know it has to be good when the recipe is that old.

This cake is deliciously moist and chocolatey with a brown sugar meringue on top that gives a hint at a toffee flavor.  It's so easy to make and takes little time.  It's humble too.  Nothing fancy - just downright good old deliciousness.  It's the perfect last minute dessert that is sure to have everybody wanting more.

What exactly is a shortcake?  Shortcakes are light, flaky biscuits, pastry, or slices of sweet cake that are smothered with sweetened fruits and whipped cream.

That being said, there are three types of shortcake: large, individual, and sponge.  Large shortcakes are made with biscuit dough that has been cut into large rounds (8 or 9 inches) and layered with fruit and whipped cream, somewhat resembling a layer cake.  This is what we've made here.

Individual shortcakes are simply a regular-size biscuit that has been broken in half with fruit and whipped cream between the two halves and on top.

Sponge shortcakes are slices of cake -sponge, angel food, white- that are either layered with the fillings as the individual and large shortcakes are or simply topped with fruit and whipped cream.

Today we're focusing on the large shortcake because it's been lost in time a little bit.  We're kicking the flavor up a notch by using soft white wheat flour (aka, whole wheat pastry flour) and oat flour because of its natural sweetness in the biscuit.  Whole grain flousr really add flavor depth to everything.

And as for the fruit choice?  Why not?  It's a classic flavor combination and, well...'tis the season!  Nothing says summer's coming more than strawberry rhubarb desserts.

We're located in Ogden Utah at an altitude ranging from 4,300 feet to 5,200 feet.  Not much can be more disheartening than finding the perfect recipe, baking it, and having it fail in some way.

Baking at high altitudes can be a bit challenging at times.  Fallen cakes, flat cookies, dry doughs, and more.  We hope our tips will help guarantee your baking success...even at high altitudes.

Recipes developed at sea level often react differently when baked at high altitudes.  The reason for this is a reduction in atmospheric pressure, or in other words, there's less air pressure.

This means that water boils at a lower temperature, leaveners react with more force, whipped eggs expand more quickly, and sugar becomes more concentrated (due to rapid water loss).  Imagine that!  Baked goods will actually end up sweeter the higher up they're baked.

Fats can cause problems too. When the gases are expanding and stretching the structure of the baked good, fats can concentrate, resulting in greasiness or mushiness. Decreasing the amount of fat by even a tablespoon can solve that.

Now, keep in mind that recipes baked at lower high elevations (like 4,300 feet) may turn out just fine, but the higher you go, the more adjusting you may have to make.  We're just giving guidelines and suggestions so that in case something does go wrong you have an idea of how to fix it.

Here's to your high altitude baking success!

Do you have experience baking at high altitudes?  We'd love to read your stories and tips in the comments section below.

What a perfect way to start your morning!  Whole grains and fiber make you feel more satisfied while eating less and sustain your energy levels for a longer period of time.

Today we bring you two super awesome tools to make coring and slicing fast and easy.  No more need to use a paring knife to carefully cut out the hull of a strawberry or tomato.  And slicing those little semi-hard fruits and veggies is now made very quick and you'll get uniform slices every time.


First we have the strawberry/tomato corer.  It's so simple to use.  Just insert the jagged edge into the fruit and cut the hull out with the same motion as using a melon baller.  Super easy.  Super quick.  And at only $1.99, you can't go wrong!  Find it here.


Next we have the slicer.  It's wonderful for evenly and very quickly slicing with one motion.  It's like an egg slicer, but instead of cutting with wires, it uses steel blades (pictured below) that won't bend or break when cutting more firm produce like strawberries, mushrooms, kiwis, and bananas.  Be cautious when cutting firmer fruits and veggies like apples and carrots.  They're a bit too hard for the blades.  Would you like one?  Find it here.