First Time Using Wheat

What do I know about wheat? Well, I do know that wheat is considered a staple for any food storage. I also know that it stores easily and has a very long shelf life, whereas flour is a bit more difficult for long term storage and can go rancid. Fresh ground wheat also has more nutrients than processed flour. I also know that it is a bit more difficult to work with than having flour at the ready, but at the same time, I know that it's something I should learn how to use.

I've been researching wheat prices for awhile but our family is on a pretty tight budget. I wasn't sure that I wanted to shell out a big chunk of money for a huge quantity of wheat when I wasn't even sure if I was going to like working with it. Not to mention the cost of purchasing some kind of grinder. Then one day my husband and I were walking down the main street in our little town and one of the shops had 5 lb bags of hard red and hard white wheat for sale. At $5.50 per bag I figured it was a reasonable size and price for trying something new. I'd also read that coffee grinders work alright for wheat so with such a small amount, I could probably get by without shelling out money for a wheat grinder. We picked up a bag of the hard white, brought it home, and it sat on the counter for a couple of weeks before I was brave enough to do something with it.

I had read about whole wheat blender pancakes over at Food Storage Made Easy, then actually discovered a similar recipe in one of my family reunion cookbooks. Since I am on a break from school right now and have some extra time on my hands, I decided to try making these pancakes as a breakfast for dinner. I am pleased to say they were a resounding success! Neither my husband nor I could believe the flavor difference between using regular flour (or even whole wheat) versus the wheat berries. The pancakes were denser, but more filling and much better tasting. Now he's asking that I make them every night! I'm not entirely sure that will happen, but they will likely make it into our weekend breakfast rotation. I think my next adventure in using wheat will be using our coffee grinder to make flour in an attempt at some chocolate chip cookies.

Wheat Kernels

Completed pancakes!

Mixed batter

Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes (from Monica Ripley in the Martin Family Reunion cookbook from 2003)

1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup wheat kernels
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp baking power
3 tbsp sugar or honey

Add milk and wheat kernels to blender and blend for 2-3 minutes on high speed. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for 1 minute more. Pour onto hot skillet, cooking each side until golden brown.

*Note: When I first started blending the wheat and milk, it had a very thin consistency. If I had poured it on the griddle at that point it would have just gone everywhere. I ended up adding about another 1/2 cup of wheat and blending for nearly 5 minutes more until the consistency was such that pancakes would form. I think either using less milk or more wheat would work. I also used skim milk so it's possible that was the reason for the consistency.