One of the most widely used cooking substances today is flour. Flour is used to make pasta noodles, bread, pizza dough, and many other baked goods. It is essentially a staple in most kitchens and making your own can leave you with a very freeing feeling.
The first decision you have to make is what kind of wheat you are going to grow. Red wheat is the most often used and it makes the most flavorful flour. There are other kinds of wheat the do better in certain climates but for the most part red wheat will do well just about anywhere. The next thing you have to decide is how much wheat you want to grow. A small 10 by 10 plot will make enough wheat to make from 10 to 25 loaves of bread. When you decide on the size and what type you will be growing it is time to make the decision of when to plant the wheat. Most people plant wheat during fall between the months of September and October. The wheat grows better during this time period and does not have to fight with as many weeds.
After you plant your wheat and it grows you must to slice it down with a scythe or machete. You then have to let the plant dry for awhile. When it has matured a little bit more you hit the head of the plant on the inside of a barrel or bucket to get the grain to fall off. After your grain has fallen off there is one more procedure that you must do before grinding the grain. You have to drop your grain from one container to another while in a heavy breeze. This will blow all of the wispy material out of the grain and leave you with a nice pure product.
The next step is to grind your grain. For this you should buy an electric grinder that will mill it in to a very fine powder known as flour. You should only grind up the amount of flour that you need right away. If flour is allowed to sit for too long up to 90 percent of its nutrients will dissolve away. The healthiest way to eat your flour is to save your grain and grind it whenever you need more flour.
Making your own flour can be a very fulfilling experience that will leave you just a little less dependent on others.
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