My household eats numerous oats, so it is likely one of the staples that we now have stockpiled in bulk for emergencies. Although oats are thought-about “non-perishable,” they will really go dangerous. However, if you happen to retailer oats correctly, they will final for 25+ years.
The next strategies of storing oats apply to all sorts together with:
- Metal-cut oats (aka Irish oats)
- Rolled oats (aka complete oats or old school oats)
- Prompt oats (aka fast oats)
- Oat flour
Causes Oats Go Unhealthy
To know one of the simplest ways to retailer oats for the long run, you should first perceive why oats go dangerous. Then you’ll be able to retailer your oats in a approach that protects towards them.
1. Pantry Moths and Pests
You may’t see them, however there’s a great probability that there are insect eggs in oats once you purchase them. Indian meal moths are the most important offenders, however typically weevils or different bugs get into saved oats too.
It could take weeks for the eggs to hatch into larvae. The larvae stage can final a number of extra weeks. So, if you happen to let a bag of oats sit round lengthy sufficient, you may discover it infested with moths once you open it. The infestation can then unfold to different meals in your pantry.
There are a number of methods to stop pantry pests in oats:
- Freeze the oats earlier than storage
- Put the oats within the microwave
- Retailer in an oxygen-free surroundings
For extra on this, learn this publish on How to Prevent Pantry Pests in Your Food Storage
2. Mildew
Oats are like tiny little sponges: they may take up moisture from the air. In high-humid climates, this will imply that your saved oats begin to develop mould. The identical applies if you happen to retailer your oats someplace with excessive humidity, just like the basement or storage (which is by no means really useful).
3. Oxidation
Meals begins to degrade when uncovered to air. That is the explanation that an apple will flip brown as soon as you chop it open.
Oxidation typically received’t make oats go dangerous – at the very least not within the sense the place they change into unsafe to eat. Nonetheless, oxidation destroys nutritional vitamins and different vitamins. Go away oats uncovered to air lengthy sufficient, and they’re going to lose a lot of their nutritious worth.
4. Unhealthy Smells
Identical to how oats will take up moisture from the surroundings, they can even take up odors. Should you retailer oats someplace like your basement, don’t be shocked if these begin to style like your basement! The oats will nonetheless be suitable for eating however style gross.
Methods to Retailer Oats Lengthy-Time period
Pantry, in Unique Packaging or Air-Tight Containers
Oats will final for a really very long time with no particular storage wanted. I even had a baggie of oats get misplaced behind a shelf in my pantry. They have been nonetheless superb when I discovered it years later. The oats most likely misplaced numerous their vitamin content material and had a couple of moths in them however have been nonetheless superb to eat (sure, I ate the moths).
Regardless of this, it’s nonetheless greatest to make use of oats saved in your pantry inside 12-24 months. To guard towards pantry pests, put the oats within the freezer for a couple of days to kill any insect eggs. Then retailer them in air-tight containers, reminiscent of mason jars or food-safe plastic containers.
Desiccants
Should you reside in a damp space, you then’ll want to guard the oats towards moisture. In any other case, they will begin to develop mould. The best approach to do that is to place a desiccant into the food storage container.
There are lots of issues you should use as desiccants:
Alternatively, you’ll be able to retailer your oats in a ceramic canister like this one or this one to assist management moisture.
Freezer
All grains, together with oats, rice, and flour, will final indefinitely within the freezer. The chilly temperature protects towards oxidation and likewise kills any insect eggs.
See:
I’m not an enormous fan of storing giant quantities of grains within the freezer. I’d quite use my valuable freezer area for gadgets that may’t be saved within the pantry.
Nonetheless, if you happen to don’t use oats that always and don’t wish to repackage them, the freezer is an effective storage possibility. Simply ensure you let the oats come to room temperature earlier than utilizing them in any baked items.
Oxygen Absorbers
One of the best ways to retailer oats long-term (greater than a yr) is with oxygen absorbers. These are little packets of iron that take up oxygen from the air. Bugs and their eggs can’t survive with out oxygen, in order that the oats might be protected from pests. Oxidation additionally received’t happen, so the oats will keep contemporary and retain their vitamins. Oats saved with oxygen absorbers can final 25+ years.
For oxygen absorbers to work, the oats have to be in air-tight packaging. Some choices are:
Mylar baggage:
Mylar baggage are constituted of a metallic-like materials that doesn’t let any air go by way of. Put the oats within the Mylar bag, add OAs, and seal. Oats saved this manner can final 25+ years. Learn extra about how to use Mylar bags right here.
Buckets with gamma lids:
Meals-grade buckets that use gamma lids present a really safe seal. You may put a lot of oats into the bucket, throw some oxygen absorbers on high, after which seal the bucket. This can be a good solution to retailer giant quantities of oats. The one draw back is that you just’ll want so as to add extra oxygen absorbers every time you open the bucket.
#10 Cans:
In case you have entry to a canning machine, you’ll be able to retailer oats in #10 cans. In the end, I don’t suggest this as a result of the cans are so costly. It typically finally ends up cheaper to simply purchase oats in #10 cans. Plenty of survival meals manufacturers promote these. Learn extra about #10 cans right here.
*Learn extra about how to use oxygen absorbers right here.
**If you wish to use desiccants and oxygen absorbers, the desiccant ought to go on the underside of the container.
What about vacuum sealing?
Vacuum sealing removes air from the package deal. For meals which can be delicate to air, vacuum sealing can lengthen shelf life. Nonetheless, it actually doesn’t make that a lot of a distinction: the oats received’t final for much longer in vacuum sealer baggage than they might of their unique packaging.
Additional, these vacuum sealer baggage aren’t fully air-tight: some air and moisture will get by way of tiny holes within the bag. Talking from expertise, moths can even chew by way of vacuum sealer baggage. So, if you wish to retailer oats long-term, you might be higher off utilizing oxygen absorbers + Mylar baggage.
How Lengthy Will Oats Final?
Oats will usually final 6-24 months within the pantry. Should you retailer oats with oxygen absorbers in hermetic packaging, then they will final 25+ years.
Some varieties of oats will final for much longer than others, although. Metal-cut oats (that are oat grains which have been chopped up) comprise many pure oils. These oils are very delicate and can finally begin to go rancid, particularly within the presence of oxygen or warmth.
Against this, rolled oats and immediate oats are steamed after which flattened. This processing helps stabilize the oils, so some of these oats will final the longest. Oat flour could be very finely floor and has extra floor space so that it’ll final barely much less.
Oat Bran is the outer husk of complete oat groats. Bran comprises many pure oils, so it would go dangerous in about 3 months. It isn’t really useful to retailer oat bran long-term, even with oxygen absorbers.
Most oatmeal packets comprise powdered milk. The milk’s fat will begin to go rancid over time, so oatmeal packets normally have the identical shelf life as powdered milk.
Oat Shelf Life
Kind | Pantry | With Oxygen Absorbers |
---|---|---|
Metal minimize oats | 12-18 months | 5-15 years |
Rolled oats | 12-24 months | 25+ years |
Prompt oats | 12-24 months | 25+ years |
Oat flour | 6-12 months | 10+ years |
Oat bran | 3-12 months | Not really useful |