Grains have long been the staple in food storage plans. In nearly every culture grains provide the bulk of nutrition to both persons and livestock. Properly packaged and kept dry, grains will last indefinitely. When archeologists uncovered the tomb of King Tut in Egypt they discovered wheat among the artifacts. The wheat was planted and it sprouted -still in good condition and full of nutrition. It had been kept dry and free from bugs and was still good after many hundreds of years.
Our most familiar grains include wheat, rye, oats, millet, rice, barley and corn. The bread grains (wheat, barley and corn) require some type of processing before they can be eaten, such as milling into flour for bread, pasta, cereal and chips. The dish grains ( oats, millet and rice) can be cooked and served in their whole state. Grains contain a number of essential vitamins and minerals. Most grains can also be soaked, sprouted, and then prepared using low heat to retain" their full complement of live enzymes. Wheat grass juice is gaining popularity as a healthy beverage, a power house of nutrition.
Wheat is high in vitamin E, Folic acid and the B complex vitamins. In fact, of the 44 known nutrients essential to humans, only four are lacking in the wheat berry. Sprouting the wheat berry provides three of these nutrients, leaving only iodine to obtain else- where. These nutrients are lost when the outer bran layer is removed during commercial processing and then stored for long periods before using.
Wheat loses 75% of its nutrients within 48 hours after milling into flour. Once the grain is milled the germ is exposed. This contains the vitamin E which begins to turn rancid within 72 hours.
To get optimum freshness and the most nutrition from your grains they should be bought whole and processed just prior to using.
Having a hand or electric mill allows you to serve the most delicious and nutritious bread, pancakes, pastas, rolls, pizza and desserts possible. A mill will pay for itself very quickly in savings over store bought products. Medical problems due from eating over processed and nutritionally depleted bread flour products will often times vanish after eating 100% whole grain bread products.
Bread made from the whole grain flour has eight times the fiber of ordinary store bought whole wheat bread and all of the essential vitamins and minerals are still present. An increase in fiber has been shown to decrease a host of diseases including, heart disease, hemorrhoids, constipation, and some cancers.
All whole wheat flour sold commercially retains some of the bran for color, but the wheat germ and germ oil have been removed as they will turn rancid in less than a week. These two elements contain the life force of the grain and are essential for good health. Whole wheat flour should be ground fresh daily as needed.
Wheat comes in several varieties - Hard Spring Red and White, Hard Winter Red and White, and Soft White. The Spring wheat's are grown in the extreme northern states and Canada and have the highest gluten content. Winter wheat is grown in warmer winter climates and have slightly less gluten content than spring wheat. Dough enhancers or conditioners are sometimes added to low gluten flours to assist in the texture and rise of the bread. This can be in the form of added wheat gluten or a commercial Dough Enhancer.
Some winter wheat's and all soft wheat is lower in gluten content and better suited for pastries and pasta. The red grains impart a darker color to the finished product, and the white grains produce a product looking more like store bought breads, cakes, cookies, etc. Our family likes bread using half red and half white wheat. The only other ingredients needed for great bread are honey, salt, oil, yeast and water.
Hard Spring Wheat is planted in the spring, mostly in the northern plains states with extremely cold winters where "winter wheat" is prone to winter-kill. It is grown without irrigation or watering except by natural rain and snow. It yields a high protein and low moisture wheat berry. This type of grain is usually more expensive than it's winter wheat counterpart, and is endorsed by both home and professional bakers nationwide.
Hard Winter Wheat is planted in the fall. It is also grown without irrigation or watering except by rain or snow. The extreme northern states are to cold for this type of wheat, but it grows well across Kansas and states south of the hard freeze line. Dry winters and springs make for a good protein content and low moisture. Hard winter wheat is a favorite of farmers as it produces high yields, making it less expensive.
Red wheat verses White wheat- the color of the wheat makes very little difference in the protein and moisture content of the wheat. The difference is in color and texture. The red varieties produce a heartier, darker bread while the white wheat varieties produce a slightly milder loaf, less coarse and much lighter in color.
Soft Spring Wheat is planted in the spring and is irrigated. It usually has a higher yield than hard wheat but is lower in protein. Soft wheat is best when used in cakes, cookies, pastries and other baked goods that use baking powder, baking soda or shortening as leavening.
Durum Wheat is used for making macaroni, noodles and all forms of pasta. In 1996 the disease Kamal Bunt nearly wiped out the entire Durum wheat crop. The remaining crop was quickly sold off to commercial producers and the home pasta maker has been left to purchasing already milled durum flour rather than buying the whole berry and milling fresh flour.
Other cereal and bread grains include Barley, Oats and Rye. These can be ground into flour and added to bread and pastry recipes. The can also be eaten in the whole state boiled for cereals or pilafs.
Rye was brought to America by the Dutch settlers. It is also know by the name black cumin, a seed used in cooking. Although rye is not as versatile as the afore- mentioned grains, it is a welcome addition to food storage plans as it's hardy flavor added to breads and muffins adds variety to your meals. Rye can be used in pilafs, casseroles and used as a cereal. Rye is generally mixed with wheat in bread making as rye flour by itself is very heavy and dark.
Rice has long been a staple grain for much of the Asian countries. It thrives in a moist climate and was not introduced to America until 1686. Once rice is milled and the white kernel is exposed, little nutrition is left. As with all grains, the most nutrition is derived from eating the whole grain. With rice, the outer hull and a small amount of bran is removed resulting in brown rice. Polished rice is the term for white rice. White rice keeps better than it's brown counterpart, storing for many years under proper conditions. Brown rice must be vacuumed sealed and frozen to last longer than 6 months without becoming rancid.
Barley is exceptionally well suited to cakes and cookies as it imparts a lighter color and texture than wheat alone. For every cup of flour used in a recipe substitute 2 table- spoons barley flour for 2 tablespoons of the whole wheat flour. Barley flour is interchangeable in recipes calling for arrowroot powder or cornstarch. Barley is also used in soups, stews and pilaf recipes. Barley is a non-gas forming grain (alkaline) making it easy to digest. It contains the same amount of carbohydrates as corn but with slightly more protein. Barley is also high in the amino acid Lysine and should be part of your grain storage pro- gram.
Oat groats can be cooked in their whole state into cereal or rolled with the use of an oat roller to produce traditional oatmeal flakes for hot cereals, oatmeal cookies, breads and homemade granola. Oats are very high in fiber, easy to digest and are an excellent addition to grain storage because of their versatility .Oats do not grind easily in stone mills as they are soft and the pores of the stones may become clogged with the flour. Oats are higher in protein than any other cereal grain.
Having a hand or electric mill allows you to serve the most delicious and nutritious bread, pancakes, pastas, rolls, pizza and desserts possible. A mill will pay for itself very quickly in savings over store bought products. Medical problems due from eating over processed and nutritionally depleted bread flour products will often times vanish after eating 100% whole grain bread products.
Bread made from the whole grain flour has eight times the fiber of ordinary store bought whole wheat bread and all of the essential vitamins and minerals are still present. An increase in fiber has been shown to decrease a host of diseases including, heart disease, hemorrhoids, constipation, and some cancers.
