As for cracking wheat, because our wonderful KitchenMill grinds finely on every setting, I had to hang on to our last stone grinder so I have something with which to crack the wheat. My mother has a very heavy duty bread mixer with a blender attachment, so she uses the blender to crack wheat and that machine has so far lasted her 9 years.
A word of warning: Using a regular blender for cracking wheat is not a good idea! My mother tried it and had the blades fly off the blender, and when I tried it with a good quality (but not heavy duty) blender the motor burned out after a few uses.
I have been told you can buy cracked wheat at the store, just like you can buy whole wheat flour. But besides the obvious economical benefit of making it yourself, there are the nutritional benefits as well. Most people say that wheat begins losing its nutritional value (particularly its protein content) 72 hours after it is milled. It is therefore absolutely healthier to grind your own flour and crack your own wheat--with as little time in between milling and eating as possible (or store it in the freezer). If you buy either of these products at the store, by the time it gets to your kitchen, it may as well be refined white for all the nutritional value you get from it (though it will still be a good source of fiber).
LinkWithin
2 comments:
What is a good grinder to buy to crack wheat? I have the Kitchen Mill wheat grinder. I have also found that it grinds everything to fine.
I would do an internet search and check out all your options. I know stone grinders have the capability of grinding wheat much coarser than types like the KitchenMill can. And I believe hand grinders have that capability as well, if you want to go that route. I have also heard that coffee grinders do a good job of cracking wheat. If you want to do only a small portion at a time, it may be okay to use your regular blender, as shown in this video clip: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1008747989586.
Post a Comment