Skill of the Month: Other Uses for Wheat Berries

image by barefoot in the orchard blog

Guest post by RightWingMom, our Skill of the Month editor.

Many preppers are becoming experts at grinding their own wheat berries and baking warm delicious bread.  While this is a wonderful comfort food, wheat berries are very versatile.   There are also varying nutritional values depending on how you use your wheat.  Let’s look at some of the more creative ways to utilize this prepper staple.

Once you grind your wheat you have approximately 3 days before it begins loosing its nutritional value.

Why not try making something different?

Farina / Cream of Wheat

1  c. hard white wheat (coarsely ground = 1 1/3 C)

12 oz. can evaporate milk

3 c. water

dash of sea salt

Grind wheat berries, set aside.  Bring canned milk, water, and sea salt to gentle boil.  Sprinkle in ground wheat, stirring to avoid clumping.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with butter, honey, brown sugar, fruit, nuts, or other favorite toppings.

Flat Breads like tortillas and pitas

Tortilla Recipe:

3 cups of whole wheat flour (finely ground)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup of warm water (may need a little more)
1/3 cup cooking oil (I use olive oil.)

image by Daquella manera

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.
2. Add the oil, then the water. Knead 5 minutes
3. Roll the dough out so you can easily make equal pieces
4. Let dough rest 10 minutes
5. Form into 12
6. Roll thin (spray Pam to help if there are sticking or dryness problems)
7. Grill on both sides, they cook quickly (no need to grease the frying pan at all)
8. It doesn’t take long to cook; approximately 30 seconds per side.

9.  Eat!

Crackers

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

salt for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pour in the vegetable oil and water; mix until just blended. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough as thin as possible – no thicker than 1/8 inch. Place dough on an ungreased baking sheet, and mark squares out with a knife, but don’t cut through. Prick each cracker with a fork a few times, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and light brown. Baking time may be different depending on how thin your crackers are. When cool, remove from baking sheet, and separate into individual crackers.

image by Julie Gibbons

Sprouting

To increase your nutritional value by as much as 10 times, consider sprouting.

Sprouting can be done in special sprouting trays or in a 1 quart Mason jar.

Instructions here, here, and here.

Popping

For a fun and unique treat, consider poppingyour wheat berries like popcorn.

Instructions:  Soak wheat berries over night.  Lay them out on a paper towel, in a single layer, to dry.  Pop them in hot oil and season with salt.

Boiled Whole Wheat Berries

Finally, consider boiling your wheat berries.  Once prepared, they can be eaten plain or as part of a very creative and yummy dinner.

How to cook wheat berries

2 cups hard red winter-wheat berries

7 cups cold water

1 teaspoon salt

Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones. Rinse well under cool running water. Place in a large heavy saucepan. Add water and salt.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse.  Serve hot or refrigerate for later ues.

Boiled wheat berries can be made into salad dishes like tabbouleh.

Tabbouleh Recipe

2 3/4 cups cooked wheat berries
3/4 cup diced tomato
3/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 Tbs snipped fresh mint
3 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

Combine wheat berries and mint in a bowl.  In a mason jar, combine remaining ingredients.  Shake well; pour over berries, toss and chill.

(Many of these ingredients can be grown in your personal garden.)

Suggested Sources:

7 Great ways to use wheat without a wheat grinder

5 Ways to use those wheat berries

A collection of wheat berry recipes

What are some other unique ways to use wheat berries?  Let’s share ideas, recipes and start practicing…getting out of the bread box.