Wheats, Grains, and Oats

What is Spelt and how it’s making a come-back!

2007-05-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

There’s not much more ’getting back to basics’ than reaching way back in history to find a grain that is making a come-back Tasty and nutritious spelt, is one of the first grains to be grown by early farmers far back in history as 5,000 BC. For a variety of reasons, this Ancient Grain is growing in popularity with American consumers.

Spelt is one of the oldest of cultivated grains, preceded only by Emmer and Elkorn. Spelt has an almost "nutty" flavor which has long been popular in Europe, where it is also known as "Farro" (Italy) and "Dinkle" (Germany). When Rome ruled it was called "Farrum", and it’s origins are easily traced back early Mesopotamia. Spelt (Triticum spelta) is a ancient and distant relative of our modern day wheat (Triticum aestivum).

What once had brought the decline in spelt production in North America is now believed to be it’s greatest benefit. Spelt has a tougher hull, or husk, that makes it a bit more difficult to process it’s modern wheat cousins. The tougher husk, separated just before milling, not only protects the kernel, but helps retain nutrients and maintain freshness as do all wheat husks, but the tougher the husk, the more protection. Also, unlike other grains, spelt's husk protects it from pollutants and pests and usually allows growers to avoid using pesticides.

Technorati Tags: spelt, whole grains, gluren free

Corn. The versatile Grain.

2007-05-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

Ninety percent of the corn grown in the US today is fed to livestock. Although mostly used as feed, corn is still one of the most popular grains for cooking and eating, predominantly in both North and South America.

There are different types of corn cultivated for different purposes:
Sweet corn you eat on the cob is actually an immature cereal grain.
Hominy is treated with lime to do away with the hull
Flour corn is used to make cornmeal or polenta.

Just as there are different types of corn, there are different means of processing:
Steel-, stone-, and water-ground corn have had the hull and germ removed.
Stone-ground corn and polenta both have the germ intact - the closest you'll get to the whole grain in any ground cornmeal.

As is usually the case, the least-refined grains need the most care in storage. Stone-ground corn meal will last only about four months when stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

There are different uses for different types of corn meal:
Polenta, one of the most popular grains in Italy, is literally just coarsely ground cornmeal and you can use the two interchangeably. It can be served creamy or cooked until quite dry, formed into cakes and grilled.
Grits are the coarsest ground of hominy corn.
Masa harina is hominy (sometimes also called "posole") that has been ground to fine flour for use in tortillas or tamales

Corn is not doomed to stay stuck on the cob or boiled. Those kernels have a range of possibilities. Not the least which is POPPED corn!

Fore some GREAT cornbread recipes and tips on milling popping corn go to: http://www.eatgrains.com

Technorati Tags: corn, corn meal, grits, hominy, flour

Rice - the unsung hero whole grains

2007-05-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Much more than a side dish, this typical grain is one of the more consistant staples for most of the world. In some Asian languages, “to eat” literally translates as "to eat rice". Unlike in the Western culture, in much of the world, rice actually forms the basis of most meals.

Unlike the typical processed white rice, brown rice is much more nutritious. It's hardier texture and nutty flavor is something many people come to prefer once the nutrition realization out weighs the convenience. Learning your rice types can help you make the switch from white processed to brown more nutrient dense rice.

Long-grain brown rice will be the closest in texture to long-grain white rice, as short rice tends to get stickier-great for sushi or risotto! Quick-cooking brown rice has been precooked, so it can be a good choice if you're in a hurry. You can also find whole grain rice in other forms such as Black Japonica or Himalayan Red and it's becoming easier to find brown rice versions of favorites such as basmati and jasmine.

Brown rice will stay fresh for about five to six months when stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. You can also store it in the refrigerator to avoid any chance that may will turn rancid.

Technorati Tags: rice, grain

Whole grains - stock your pantry.

2007-05-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

Stock your pantry with plenty of whole grains. When they are completely whole they last for a good long time, so there's not that worry about spoiling. Of course some grains may spoil faster than others, but some don't. Whole grains with the hard outer layer still on them last longer because it is like it's protective sheild. Once ground however, they begin to spoil since all three parts are mixed and the protective sheild is gone. So if you have leftovers, you know what to do. Put them in the freezer. Of course whole grains when ground are always better fresh, but I've been known to mill too many whole grains and come out with more flour than I need. So the freezer works good. ;)

Technorati Tags: whole grains, spoiling, freezer, storage

The wheat pancake recipe

2007-05-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't blog these past few days. I've been busy with other things, but hopefully it won't happen again.

Here's that pancake recipe though that I promised I'd give you. Oh, and something I found out this morning was that the pancake batter does not freeze well at all. But freezing the actual pancakes works great! Just thought I'd let you know. ;)

2 tablespoons sugar
4 cups freshly milled "soft white wheat"
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon backing soda*
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs

Mix together all the dry ingredients first and then add the liquids. Stir just until mixed, then you have the batter finished. After that, fry on hot oiled griddle. To make a lighter pancake separate the eggs and whip the egg whites then fold gently into the batter. Serve however you like it and enjoy.
*To use sweet milk instead of buttermilk omit soda and increase baking powder to 4 teaspoons.

And that's it! I hope you enjoy them. Happy eating! :)

Technorati Tags: recipe, pancakes, whole wheat

Another tip for why you should mill whole grains

2007-05-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here's another tip on why you should bother milling your own grain.

It takes no more time than grabbing a bag of dead flour. Throw the grains in the Nutrimill, turn it on and by the time I've gathered the other ingredients for the recipe, the mill is done.

Even the Nutrimill has saved us money! We eat pizza every Friday night. We used to order 3 Large pizzas from Papa Johns, Dominos or Little Caesars. At the tune of between $30-$40 any given Friday. Now I make pizza crusts ahead of time and use fresh ingredients (and I might add less fats/grease) and make 3 16 inch pizzas for $10.00 total! In less than three months, we had paid for the mill on pizza nights alone!

That's only a portion of why. Keep checking back here for more grain tips and helpful info. :)

Technorati Tags: tip, whole grain, milling

Wheat Pancakes

2007-05-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love pancakes? Hot off the griddle, butter melting, and the maple syrup (or whatever you prefer) being poured on top. Cutting into those light and fluffy pieces of heaven with your fork. Mmm, my mouth is actually starting to water as I type this.

I've got a great recipe that I've perfected over the years with my freshly milled whole wheat flour. I've now got it to where they taste just as good as buying any pancake mix from the store. Only my recipe is much much healthier for you since it's whole wheat, and not to mention there's no lard either! My kids love them!

An array of flours and flour combinations can be used for this recipe, but what I almost always use in my recipe is soft white wheat. They are excellent!

I'm not going to post it just yet though. Just wanted to whet your appetite. ;)

Don't worry though, it'll be up within the next few days. Possibly tomorrow. Check back, so you don't miss it!

Technorati Tags: recipe, pancakes, pancake recipe, whole wheat

Barley and Buckwheat

2007-05-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of a few different types of whole grains. There are so many out there, you should try some new grains at least once! Because depending upon the grain, you may get different vitamins and minerals you may not usually get with eating wheat or oats. So test out a few and see which ones you like. :) Anyways, here are a few that I've tried...

Barley

Barley is good in soups and as hot cereals or it can be milled into flour which is also good.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is good milled into flour to make pancakes, and can also be cooked whole and used as a meat replacement. I have a few recipes for this as well.

This is actually all the time I have for today, sorry. I'll be sure to post up a few more pictures and whole grains so you can see just as soon as I can. You can subscribe to my feed for updates or put this site on your website.

Thanks for reading and have a great day! Don't forget to eat your whole grains though! :)

Technorati Tags: whole grains, barley, buckwheat, grain pictures

Store bought bread - what you should know.

2007-05-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things you should know if you eat white bread, or any kind of store bought bread for that matter.

In the mid 1950's the inclusion of artificial hydrogenated oils, preservatives, emulsifiers, additives and other chemicals in bread became standard practice. Whole wheat flour was replaced by bleached, enriched white flour around this same time. Which is then artificially "enriched" by adding in materials that were destroyed in the chemical process of bleaching, like vitamins and minerals.

Milling the endosperm part of a grain produces white flour. Also, all the natural nutrients are removed during this process by taking out the bran and germ. "Enriching" the flour can never completely replace what was lost. Thus, enriched bread is nowhere near nutritially equal to whole wheat bread.

The manufacturers make white flour because, compared to whole wheat flour, it has a longer shelf life (because of the chemical preservatives), which saves them money because they don't have to worry about spoilage. However, that flour could be killing you because of the lack of nutrients in it. It turns into glue in your colon! Not to mention all those chemicals and additives you're putting in your body.

There's more that you should know about the kind of bread you put in your body, I'll post more on it later, so keep reading for more info!

Part two of yesterday's tip

2007-05-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

Part One of this tip may have helped you determine a few health reasons why it is good to mill your own grains, but that may still not be enough to persuade your friends and family.

The following tip to answering the questions of why you bother to mill at home is the benefits of cost and storage. Sure, we can buy 'whole wheat bread' at the grocery store. Sure, 'dead bagged flour' lasts for a nice while. Are these reasons to dismiss home milling all together? No! In fact, look closer and you can see why milling at home is better.

Health benefits aside, which is the MOST vital one in my opinion, storage and cost come up on the convenience end of considering milling at home. The 'whole wheat' loaf of bread we can buy in the grocery store is not only made of old, processed whole wheat, but by the government regulations only has to be at least 51% - or mostly whole wheat - to be labeled as such. I meander, this is also a health reason. The cost of that loaf is roughly $2.29. A home milled, fresh WHOLE GRAIN flour, loaf of bread costs me roughly $.75 to make and that is using all organic (a bit pricier) grains and sugar. Also, I know for certain what is in that loaf!

Storage, however, is a completely different thing. Truthfully, my fresh baked loaf does NOT last as long, not due to shelf-life but that we devour it so fast (no one in the house can refuse slicing into a warm loaf when they smell it), but the grains last for years! 'Dead bagged flour' can't say that. Either mites, weevils or simply staleness can render a dead bag of flour useless in mere months. The Creator made the greatest protection for that grain, the husk. There have been grains found in pyramids that were over 4000 years old but when planted, they grew just as planned. Just store the grains in a sound container and from getting wet and you can store them for years. I don't think you will be needing them in 4000 years though.

And there you have it. I hope it was helpful. I'll have more tips coming very soon! There's so much to know, I'll be posting up lots of information about whole grains, wheats, oats, etc. each day. So check back here often! :)

"Why mill whole grains yourself?" Here's a Tip

2007-05-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some points to grinding and baking with fresh whole grains.

Part One - Tip #1 - "Why mill whole grains yourself?" "Why bother?"

Alright, I will be the first to admit it, I was not raised to be a domestic person. When I first heard of milling grain at home I was perplexed and thought it was a far fetched idea, time consuming and a big mess. It didn't take me long to understand how wrong I was.

One tip to answering those questions of 'You do what?' and 'Why bother?' is to be acquainted with the two biggest advantages of milling at home. First are the health advantages and second are the storage/cost effect advantages.

Grains are processed into flour for shelf storage, however, most of the 'parts' of the grain are removed to slow spoilage time. When those things are disposed of, the flour is stripped of the Wheat Bran, Middlings, Wheat Germ and Wheat Germ oil. As we see that list, we see at least three things that are now sold in health food stores across the globe. The Bran and Middlings produce the fiber (and more), the Germ and oil produce the vitamin E (and more), two things missing in the normal diet of the twentieth century.

Worse than what is removed, may also be what is added to the bagged flour. To make the popular white appearance of flour, the first process used by manufacturers was really chlorine bleach! Although new chemicals and processes have now been approved, chemicals of any kind were not ever intended to be IN the grain itself. The list of what was stripped from the now fluffy flour is so long that manufacturers now feel the need to 'enrich' it with synthetic vitamins. Synthetic vitamins are just that - synthesized, not natural. Why add a 'fake' vitamin for a natural one that was taken away in processing? Enough said.

I'm leaving part two for tomorrow, so check back then. You won't be disappointed! :)

Refined Grains VS Whole Grains

2007-05-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that refined grains are different from whole grains. But what makes them different? Let's look into that.

Whole grains when considered whole, have all of their parts. The bran, wheat germ, and endosperm. The bran and germ contain most of the vitamins and fiber your body needs, while the endosperm is starchy and has very few vitamins and fiber.

Refined grains, like white rice and white flours, are made from only the endosperm. The bran and germ are removed by manufacturers, which is removing all those essential vitamins, fiber, and protein that your body needs!

So the difference between the two is chiefly nutritional value. Removing the bran and germ from whole grains is not a good thing because it is depriving you of the nutrients your body needs, and replacing it with starch and empty calories.

For me, I'd rather eat whole grains and give my body what it needs, than to eat refined breads that supposedly taste better.

Technorati Tags: Refined Grains, Bran, Wheat Germ, Whole Grains

Whole grain

2007-05-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

A whole grain is composed of three parts. The bran, the germ, and the endosperm.

The bran is the fiber-rich outer layer of the grain kernel. It is a rich source of many vitamins and minerals your body needs, as well as the fiber. Which is greatly lacking in today's normal diet. The bran makes up about 14 % of the kernel.

The germ is also another rich source of vitamins and minerals. This part of the grain is where a new plant sprouts. It contains protein and good fat that will help nourish a new plant, as well as you :). The germ makes up about 3% of the grain kernel.

The endosperm is the inside of the grain, and is the majority of the seed. It has only small amounts of vitamins and minerals. This is what is normally used to make white flour, the bran and germ are removed during the milling process for most manufacturers (but more on that later). The endosperm makes up about 83% of the seed.

Now you have a big of an overview of what a grain is made up of. If this information doesn't make sense to you now, don't worry, it'll all make sense when you continue reading this blog. It's important info to know, and now that that's out of the way, we can get more in depth into whole grains!

Whole wheat muffins

2007-05-02T08:58:00.000-07:00

Freshly milled whole wheat muffins video!

Technorati Tags: Whole Wheat, Muffins

Kamut

2007-05-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

There are many different types of whole grains, more than I even know!

Most of us know of the common ones like wheat, popcorn, rice, and oats. But there are so many other strange grains out there that are worth trying.

Kamut for example. It is a close relative to wheat, but has many differences. It is a larger grain for one thing, more than twice as large. It is also a high protein grain, almost 30% more than wheat. Kamut also contains elevated levels of Thiamin, zinc, pantothentic acid, Riboflavin, vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and complex carbohydrates. There is one down side though, it has less fiber than whole wheat. All around though, Kamut is another healthy grain. It has a different flavor than wheat and other grains. So give it a try.

Here's what Kamut looks like.

I hope you learned something new, it's always great to learn! Thanks for reading!

Technorati Tags: Whole Grains, Kamut, Wheat, Grain

Sneak in whole oats

2007-04-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

Oatmeal is not the only way to eat oats anymore. Get outside of that oatmeal box and try a few things. Whole oats are of course, better than instant, and quick oats. Due to the amount of fiber in whole oats. They may not be as tastey to some people though. But try a few of these ideas to sneak in the whole oats so you can get the much needed fiber into your diet and without having to eat oatmeal all the time.

Mix them in your meatloaf recipe

Instead of bread crumbs, try mixing in whole oats. You may never know the difference!

Add them as toppings for coffee cakes or cobblers

Whole oats are wonderful when added to the toppings, mixed in with the butter, sugar, and flour, mmmm.

Make your own Granola

There are lots of good granola recipes out there. It's not too hard to make so give it a try.

Oatmeal Cookies

This one's my favorite! Chocolate, or oatmeal raisin! There are some recipes out there that are amazing!

There's lots of ways you can sneak in your whole whole oats. Test out different ways, and you may be able to come up with some very delicious concoctions!

Technorati Tags: Whole Oats, Oatmeal, Oats, Dietary Fiber

Fiber and Grain

2007-04-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

Fiber is in whole grains, there's no doubting that. It is in the bran, which is the exterior of the kernel.

Fiber is a very important component that is missing quite a bit in today's diet. So eating more WHOLE grains instead of refined grains is very beneficial to your health. Why? Because of the fiber.

Dietary fiber has been shown to reduce the incidence of some forms of cancer, diabetes, coronary heart disease, digestive system diseases, and obesity. Whole grains have as much as four times the amount of fiber that refined grains do. Four times! So why aren't we eating more whole grains? Maybe we just haven't given them a try. They really aren't that awful tasting. They are quite tastey. At least try to eat more whole grains instead of refined ones, you'll feel a lot better. So just try them.

Whole oats are a good choice, as well as brown rice and wild rice. Choose the whole versions. Instead of the instant quick oats, try the whole oats. Brown rice and wild rice aren't so bad versus the white rice, especially if you factor in the nutritional value. There's all sorts of different whole grains out there that you can try. Pick up a wheat loaf of bread over the white bread. (Making your own bread at home is even healthier since there aren't as many chemicals and preservatives, but we'll get into that later...). It's not that hard. Just give whole grains a chance.

Technorati Tags: Whole Grains, Dietary Fiber, Bran

Spelt Tortillas

2007-04-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

For those who are sensitive to wheat and gluten, it can be a series of depravations that can set you up to just binge on that wheat that is so harmful to your digestion. Don't let 'store bought' items catch you off guard, when you can prepare your own grains (spelt, kamut, millet) and make a whole grain spelt tortilla for easy and fast replacements to regular bread or wheat tortillas.

Find a good wheat recipe for tortillas and simply replace one grain for another. You may have to adjust the water in the recipe and pour in small amounts at a time into your freshly ground grain. The water absorption rate differs for different types of grain, so take your time and make sure you don't add too much water. We made spelt tortillas out of our freshly ground whole spelt grain flour the other day, and the kids actually prefer the spelt grain tortillas to the wheat grain ones!

Happy Eating!