About Wheat!

These are from some of my notes on wheat.

The notes have been tucked safely in one of my homemade cookbooks, for years, likely since I started grinding my own wheat some 13 years ago or so.

Thought some one may find them interesting! :-)



All of the vital nutrients are LOCKED UP in the wheat berry. As long as the protective jacket- the bran- remains unbroken, wheat can be stored for years! Wheat deteriorates rapidly once it has been milled; if we do not consume flour which has been either freshly milled or freshly milled and immediately frozen- we fail to receive the essential nutritional benefit of whole-grains.



1) The wheat germ contains most of the oil and is the first part to become rancid. Air changes the color, fragrance and flavor of the oil; freshly milled flour kept at room temperature for even a few hours changes drastically in taste.



2) Freshly milled whole grain flour kept at room temperature for twenty-four hours can become contaminated. Bacteria and mold grow rapidly in whole wheat flour, giving off a foul smell from the toxic wastes.



3)All of the vitamins found in freshly milled flour are oxidized within 72 hours. Whole wheat flour contains an entire complement of B vitamins and is rich in vitamin E. However, milling the flour (and breaking the protective layer of bran which surrounds a kernel of wheat) exposes the vitamins and minerals to oxygen. Oxygen breaks down the chemicals which make up a vitamin and converts them into useless compounds- a process which begins immediately upon milling.

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FIVE TYPES OF WHEAT GROWN IN THE UNITED STATES:

HARD WINTER WHEAT is planted in the fall. It is usually dry-land wheat, grown without being watered, except by snow or rain. The extreme northern states are too cold for this type of wheat, but it grows well across Southern Idaho, Oklahoma and Kansas. Dry winters and springs make the protein content high, the moisture low. Hard winter wheat is a high volume producer.

HARD SPRING WHEAT is planted in the spring. Like hard winter wheat, it is not irrigated, thus yielding a high protein and low moisture content. This type of grain is quite expensive. It is usually mixed with hard winter wheat, a combination which makes an excellent loaf of bread.

SOFT SPRING WHEAT has been irrigated. It usually has a larger yield than hard wheat but is lower in protein. It is principally used for stock feed. Soft spring wheat is also used in making cakes, cookies, pastries, or other baked goods that use baking powder, baking soda, or shortening as leavening.

WHITE WHEAT is used to make crackers. It is also the best wheat to use when making rejuvelac, a fermented wheat water drink. Though other types of wheat may be used for this drink, white wheat gives it a more delicate flavor.

DURAM WHEAT is used for making all kinds of pasta. Popular demand has caused the milling industry to produce up to up to 250 different grades of wheat flour.

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