I was told (and shown) that once you crack the outside of a wheat kernel, that most of the nutrients have oxidized within 72 hours. That is why God talked about "Daily" bread. Anyway, I have ground my own wheat for many years now. I had a customer yesterday that said she was told that if you freeze your flour, that this slows the process WAY down, so that even in a month, there is still most of the nutrients there. I would say, if it is the oxygen that causes it, that this would not be the case. Does anyone have any information on this, or know where I could look to find it? Thanks in advance.

-- Marci in NE Ohio (Marci@amazinggrazefarm.com), March 22, 2002

Answers

I have read that freezing keeps whole wheat flour from spoiling, but not the oxygen things, doesn't seem likely, unless you had vacuum packed it???

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), March 22, 2002.

Freezing might slow down a chemical reaction.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), March 22, 2002.

Freezing keeps flour from going rancid. Old flour can affect the bread you are making.

What is most important nutritionally is to have the outer husk. That is why whole wheat is so much better for you than white flour.

Your body takes the processed white flour and turns it into sugar rather quickly. This is why diabetics are supposed to eat Whole wheat products (bread, pasta, etc...)

This is why I think the carbo diet people are wrong--it's not all carbohydrates they should be avoiding but should be INCLUDING COMPLEX carbohydrates like whole wheat that breaks down slowly and offers a wonderful nutritional benefit (B6 for one!)

I knew a dietician who had done research on this and agreed that losing weight is much easier if you use complex carbohydrates. I have a relative who is a diabetic who was able to go off insulin because she lost weight--MAKING ONLY THAT CHANGE. I'm a believer!

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), March 22, 2002.

Marci,

In answer to your question, yes freezing does slow down the process of the breakdown in the flour. But the other side of this is the question, "Why do I mill my own flour?" To get the most benefit from your wheat, mill it fresh each time you bake! If you have a little flour left over, then by all means put it in the freezer for a short period of time. I know that freezing the loaves of bread once they are baked stops the breakdown process, but I am not sure if the same is true for the flour only. Therefore, I usually make a batch of waffles or muffins, etc. with my leftover flour and then freeze these for individual use later.

-- Stacy in Michigan (dsparsons@lakeshore..net), March 24, 2002.