Fresh milled grains - how long are they fresh?
I'm looking for a new discussion on a very old topic here - and maybe I haven't covered all the threads to find the answer, apologies if the answer is floating in the site somewhere. I even asked a similar question a while back, but for a different purpose.
Currently I use all fresh milled grain, mostly wheat. I use it commercially and don't always have the opportunity to mill for immediate use. Its not always possible to freeze or refrigerate the flour. I've read the posts that suggest I need to age the flour if I don't use it in **this** amount of time. But **this** seems to be a relative number. Everything from 90 minutes to a few days. I must admit to accidently aging some milled flour - and didn't experience the grand difference that was promised if I had done it on purpose.
Soooo ..... what data are we drawing from for these conclusions of fresh? Is it experience? Written studies? My experience using milled flour kept at room temp for up to a week is so different than the suggestions of flat, dense, tasteless, etc. I have had NO difference at all. None. My bakery runs through 400lbs of wheat per month so I would have ample opportunity to notice differences.
Then there's the issue of lack of enzymes and nutrients after a few hours/days/whatever- are there studies for this that I can read? I am aware of those sites that promote this idea while it feeds their business model, but even those sites don't produce the kind of proof that I would expect for the claims of nutrient loss.
ok, I'm all ears.