Wheat 101

Farmington Utah West Stake Provident Living

Red Wheat (Kernels):

White Wheat (Kernels):

Note:
All grains should be washed before use, to remove residual dirt and other compounds
which may have adhered to the wheat during growing, processing, and shipping. The
easiest way to do this is to measure the wheat out into a fine grained colander, running
water over it and gently stirring it with a spatula or by hand to make sure that each grain
is washed. Soaking the washed wheat will also make it cook more quickly. Some people
like to put grains on to soak when they leave the house in the morning, so that they will
cook quickly at dinnertime. Cooked wheat can be stored in a snug container under
refrigeration for several days for use in salads, pancakes, and other foods.
Cracked Wheat:
Cracked wheat is a wheat product made from whole raw wheat kernels which are crushed or cut
into smaller pieces. There are a large number of uses for this food, and it makes a popular
dietary supplement in many cultures. Many grocery stores carry cracked wheat, which should
be stored in a cool dry place until use so that it does not go rancid. If not used within one year,
the wheat should be discarded.
Because cracked wheat is made from whole wheat berries, it carries a great deal of nutrition
and fiber. For this reason, it is often added to healthy diets, especially those eaten by people
who are concerned about heart health. Other whole cracked grains may be used as well, for
variation in flavor and nutrition.
There are a wide range of uses for cracked wheat. Many people use it as a base, like couscous,
serving vegetables or meats alongside it. It can also be used in grain pilafs, and many recipes
for multi-grain pilaf call for cracked wheat, since it is fluffy and flavorful. Many people also
include it in multi-grain bread, pancakes, and other grain dishes. The crushed wheat berries
may be soaked or partially cooked when they are included in recipes such as bread, to ensure
that they are fully cooked when the food is served.
As with all grains, cracked wheat should be washed before use, to remove residual dirt and
other compounds which may have adhered to the wheat during growing, processing, and
shipping. The easiest way to do this is to measure the wheat out into a fine grained colander,
running water over it and gently stirring it with a spatula or by hand to make sure that each grain
is washed. Soaking the washed wheat will also make it cook more quickly. Some people like to
put grains on to soak when they leave the house in the morning, so that they will cook quickly at
dinnertime. Cooked wheat can be stored in a snug container under refrigeration for several days
for use in salads, pancakes, and other foods.
Cooked Wheat Berries:
Add some of your plain dry wheat kernels to a pot of water. Bring it to a boil and
cook for a few minutes. Then let simmer for about 45 minutes. Drain the wheat
berries and stick them in a Tupperware container in the fridge. These are
delicious to add to yogurt or to use to replace some meat in recipes. You can
also use it in place of brown rice in a lot of recipes.

Wheat Berries can also be made in a Crockpot overnight and stored for up to 10
days in the refrigerator. Just add 2 parts water to 1 part wheat. This wheat berry
is the most tender.

Thermos Wheat Berries: Put wheat kernels into a thermos. Add boiling water
and let sit over night or for 6-8 hours. (1 part wheat to 2 parts water.)

Wheat berries can be flavored with juice from concentrate. Just add concentrate
straight from the container to your wheat berries and let sit for several hours.
The wheat will take on the flavor of the juice and can be eaten as is or as a
topping for oatmeal, cream of wheat or yogurt.
Bulgur Wheat:
Bulgur wheat is also made by cracking wheat kernels. Bulgur is similar to
cracked wheat, however, is made from wheat kernels which are steamed
and toasted before cracking, so that they develop a rich, nutty flavor.
Bulgur also requires minimal cooking, since it is already partially cooked. It
will cook quickly and fluff up when steamed or steeped in boiling water.
Cracked wheat, on the other hand, uses whole raw wheat berries.
Numerous other types of cracked grain are also available for use in various
recipes. Bulgur comes in various sizes of grain, from very fine to more
heavy-grained versions. Overall, try bulgur in any cold or warm grain
salad. You can also steam it and serve with sauce like pasta or couscous.
Wheat Cereal:
"Cream Of Wheat" is a brand of farina, a type of breakfast porridge mix
made from wheat semolina. It looks similar to grits, but is smoother in
texture since it is made with ground wheat kernels instead of ground corn.

Cream of Wheat Cereal is made by cooking ground wheat grains in water

until they form porridge, cream of wheat makes for a healthful breakfast
that's both adaptable and affordable. It's a great source of fuel if you've
been feeling under the weather -- the University of Wisconsin includes
cream of wheat in a bland food diet, designed to help you transition to solid
food after stomach upset. Cream of wheat also offers a range of health
benefits and is an especially rich source of iron.
Wheat Gluten (Seitan):
Wheat gluten, also called seitan, wheat meat, gluten meat, or
simply gluten, is a food made from gluten, the main protein of wheat. It is
made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch granules
have been removed, leaving the sticky insoluble gluten as an elastic mass
which is then cooked before being eaten.
Wheat gluten is an alternative to soybean-based foods such as tofu, which
are sometimes used as meat substitutes. Some types of wheat gluten have
a chewy or stringy texture that resembles meat more than other substitutes.
Wheat gluten is often used instead of meat in Asian, vegetarian, Buddhist,
and macrobiotic cuisines. Mock duck is a common use for wheat gluten.
Wheat gluten first appeared during the 6th century as an ingredient for
Chinese noodles. It has historically been popular in the cuisines of China,
Japan and other East and Southeast Asian nations.
Here’s a great tutorial on how to make gluten (wheat meat or seitan):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txVBFO7nu9o

Try making your own with the same seasoning you would use to make taco
meat, sausage, hamburgers or chicken. The tutorial is a curry flavor, but
gluten will take on whatever flavor you season it with. If you want a more
meat-like texture, you can cook it like you would ground beef…etc.
Sprouted Wheat:
Health benefits of sprouted whole grains:

Sprouting grains increases many of the grains' key nutrients; including

B vitamins, vitamin C, foliate, fiber, and essential amino acids often
lacking in grains, such as lysine. Sprouted grains may also be less
allergenic to those with grain protein sensitivities.

The pace of research is quickening, with studies documenting a wide

range of health benefits for different sprouted grains. Here are just a
few:

Sprouted brown rice fights diabetes.

Sprouted buckwheat protects against fatty liver disease.
Cardiovascular risk reduced by sprouted brown rice.
Sprouted brown rice decreases depression and fatigue in
nursing mothers.
Decreased blood pressure linked to sprouted barley.

How to Sprout Wheat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX21C-tUSIc

This is what wheat looks like that has been sprouted to make flour. You
will sprout, dehydrate and grind.
This sprouted wheat can be added to salads. It takes a little bit more time
to sprout the wheat to this point, but it will be a healthy addition to a salad
or sandwich.

Cooking and Enjoying Sprouted Grains

There are three main ways to enjoy sprouted grains: You can buy
packaged sprouted grains, cook sprouted grains as side dishes, or
bake with sprouted grain flours.

Here are just a few great recipes you can try:

Sprouted Rice Shrimp Stir Fry

Sprouted Linguini with Tomatoes and Herbs

Sprouted Sandwich Bread and Rolls

Sprouted Brown Rice Vegetable Risotto

Sprouted Coconut Waffles

Sprouted Brown Rice Pudding

Wheat Germ:
When wheat is refined, the wheat germ is removed, which eliminates most of its
nutrients. However, you can add a whole grain punch to many foods, yet without all
the carbs, by using just the wheat germ. By eliminating the starch part of the wheat
(endosperm), this grain can be a low calorie, yet nutrient dense food. Wheat has
received a bad rap over the last decade, but let’s consider how the germ of the wheat
can be a nutritious part of your healthy diet.
Wheat germ’s claim to fame is 3 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams net carbs,
and only 1 gram of fat per 2 Tbsp (13g) serving. It is also is a good source or iron,
potassium, folic acid, magnesium, thiamin, phosphorus, and zinc as well as plant
sterols. Some brands like Kretschmer Wheat Germ add vitamin E and extra folic acid
for added benefit.

10 Easy Ways to Use Wheat Germ:

1. In place of bread crumbs in recipes.
2. A topping for your yogurt, oatmeal, or sliced fruit.
3. Use wheat germ in your baking by replacing some of the flour with it.
4. As a filler in meatballs or meatloaf.
5. Use it as a crumb topping on desserts or casseroles.
6. Use it in your favorite bread stuffing recipe.
7. Wheat germ can be a ready to serve cereal, eaten both cold and hot.
8. Use it in smoothies.
9. Wheat germ along with seasonings makes a nice coating for baked fish or
chicken.
10. Add it to your favorite soup recipe.
Wheat Grass:
Wheat Grass is used with a juicer for optimal nutritional benefits. Wheat
grass is grown from soaked and sprouted wheat kernels. Most people
have heard how healthy wheat grass is for you, but most people DON’T
know that you can make your own wheat grass at home for free with just a
little bit of your food storage wheat.

Popped Wheat Berries:

Wheat berries can be popped by adding a little oil to a pan and cooking
until lightly crisp. Popped berries can be sweet or savory!

Take 1 cup of your cooked wheat berries and add to a frying pan of pot with
two tablespoons of oil in it. Cover with a lid and cook over a hot stove
shaking the pan while it cooks. After about 4-5 minutes the kernels will be
nice and toasted. Put the popped wheat on a paper towel to get the extra
oil off, and sprinkle with your choice of seasonings. Try it with salt,
seasoned salt, garlic, barbecue salt, onion salt, cinnamon and sugar or any
combination you desire. These are delicious on salads as a topping, mixed
with trail mix, or as toppings for a desserts or just as a healthy snack.
All Purpose, White Wheat and Red Wheat Flour:

All Purpose Flour:

All-purpose flour, also known as refined flour or simply flour is made from
wheat grains after removing the brown covering. It is then milled, refined and
bleached. It is commonly used in baking cakes, pies and other desserts. It
may also be used as a thickening agent. It is white and powdery unlike whole
wheat flour which is cream-colored and grainy.

There is always an ongoing debate as to whether flour is healthy or not. It may

contain chemicals like benzoyle peroxide and alloxan which are added during
the bleaching process. Since it is made from the white starchy part of the
wheat grain there is a great loss of nutrients and hence whole wheat flour is
preferred by many. While purchasing flour make sure that the color is white
and without any yellowish tinge. Store in cool, dark, dry places and in
containers where the flour can breathe. Moisture and damp environments
breed insects.
Usage

All-purpose flour is most commonly used in breads, cookies, pastries and

cakes. It is used for making noodles, pasta, spaghetti, pizza crusts. It may be
used to thicken sauces or as a crusty coating for fried foods.

Nutritional Value

The remains left behind once the bran and germ are removed from the wheat,
are known as white flour. The Bran contains 76% of vitamins and minerals in
wheat. Hence, the nutritional value of the leftover product is negligible. Whole
wheat flour, made of the brown outer layer known as bran, is considered to be
healthier than all-purpose flour since it contains a higher level of dietary fiber.

Wheat Flour:
One of the questions that we are asked most often here in the bakery is the
difference between two specific kinds: Hard Red Wheat and Hard White
Wheat. We thought we’d take a minute to give you some information to
help you pick out the flour that is best for your baking needs.

The terms “red” and “white” are used to identify the color of the kernel and
not of the flour that is eventually milled from those kernels. Hard white
wheat was actually originally developed from hard red wheat. The idea was
to create a new type of wheat with the same overall nutritional value, but
with some different characteristics for baking.

Red wheat has a slightly higher amount of protein which makes it better for
more rustic, artisan and generally harder bread loaves. In contrast, hard
white wheat’s more moderate level of protein makes for softer loaves such
as your typical pan loaves and dinner rolls. In the bakery, we use hard
white wheat to create a single-twisted sliced pan loaf which is very soft in
texture.

The other major difference between the two types of wheat is in flavor. Red
wheat has a certain genetic makeup that gives the bran its darker color,
whereas white wheat has been cultivated to be free of these certain genes.
By eliminating these genes, the bitter taste sometimes experienced with
red wheat is reduced. Health conscious bakers often prefer white wheat
because this genetically reduced bitterness requires less additional
sweeteners in the final product.

Deciding to go cold turkey on white flour and white

breads and going 100% wheat if you aren’t used to it
will lead to some pretty upset tummies!

One of the most important things to remember when

introducing wheat into your family’s diet is to do it
GRADUALLY!
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