Q: I was delighted to receive my package of products today, so soon after I ordered them. However, I do have a question: When was the flour milled?

A: We clean our grains on Monday and mill each week in small batches on Tuesday and Wednesday.  When shipped, your flour/grains have been cleaned and processed within 3 to 4 days of the ship date.    It is ideal to use it within 30 -40 days because it is FRESH.  After 30-40 days it begins to lose the fresh milled flavor due to oxidation. As long as it is stored in a dry cool place it will not lose nutrition or go rancid for up to 6 months, but it does lose its fresh milled flavor. I do have some bakers claim that after 14 days of oxidizing the performance is better (not sure why)- but again you don’ t have the fresh milled flavor. If we don’t have your product available from that week’s milling, it will be shipped/processed on the following week/milling schedule.  This generally only happens with larger flour orders of 25 lb. or more.

Q: How do I store whole grain emmer? How long can I store whole grains?
A: Whole grain emmer (and all whole grains for that matter) should be stored in a cool, dry, air tight container.  If you live in a humid environment we recommend that you store whole grains (that are not going to be consumed within a few months) in the refrigerator or freezer. Whole grains have their own natural storage capsule; as long as they are not cracked open and exposed to air (oxidation) they will remain viable whole grains (seeds) for years and be perfectly edible!

Q: How long can I store your flours?

A:  It is ideal to use our flour within 30 -40 days because it is FRESH. After 30-40 days it begins to lose the fresh milled flavor due to oxidation. However, as long as it is stored in a dry cool place it will not lose nutrition or go “bad” for up to 6 months. We do not recommend that you store fresh milled flour in the freezer. We go to great effort to clean and mill grains each week so that you can enjoy the fresh milled flavor.  If you put fresh milled flour in the freezer it sucks out the moisture and leaves an off flavor.

Q: How long can I store your cracked emmer and the Old World Cereal blend?

A: Our cracked grains have best flavor if eaten within 3 months, but can be safely stored for six to nine months if stored in a cool, dry location in a sealed container.