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Why Grind Your Own Flour? Whole grains, it appears, have been enjoying increasing popularity over the past few years. By now we’ve all heard that they are good for us. But what exactly do you get when buying whole wheat bread, pasta or tortillas? Not much, I’m afraid, but the equivalent of white flour mixed with more or less finely ground wheat bran. Anything wrong with that? Yes, an awful lot. Only 10% of all vitamins, minerals and trace elements reside in your bag of purchased whole wheat flour. The remaining 90% were removed and now await their fate as animal feed or expensively packaged wheat germ. Here’s why: Wheat germ contains highly perishable oils which start oxidation the minute they come in contact with the air. As long as the grain is intact, none of this is an issue, but as soon as that integrity is disturbed (grinding) a chemical reaction (oxidation) gets under way. Within less than 24 hours, most nutrients have dissipated and spoilage sets in shortly after. True whole wheat flour, containing bran, endosperm and germ, has virtually no shelf-life and needs to be kept in the freezer, unless it is used very soon after the milling process. Now back to all those whole wheat products, littering the super market shelves. Unless you have it straight from the originator of a certain product who has ensured you that they daily grind their own flour, you should assume that what you are getting is the 10% rather than the 100% version of whole wheat. That little piece of information, I’m afraid, is not included in the new and improved food pyramid. Makes you wonder if that could possibly have to do with the long arm of the US Grocery manufacturers associations?
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What Are Whole Grains and What Is
Spelt? Whole Grains When a product contains whole grains, such as wheat, spelt, oats or rye, all of the grain is used. Whole grains contain health-enhancing bran and germ naturally found in all grains. The grain as a whole is like a protective jacket that locks all the vital nutrient inside. As long as this outer layer remains unbroken, grains can be stored safely for years. The grain will literally last longer than any of us. Once the protective layer is broken (ground into flour) the nutrients begin to oxidize immediately. A Grain consists of three parts:
Commercially available white flour has been stripped of bran and germ and with it such vital nutrients as iron, potassium, calcium, zinc and folic acid as well as B vitamins and vitamin E. Consumed to excess as they are now, refined starches act like sugar. Each is widely considered a major culprit in making, people overweight, which adversely affects blood lipids and blood sugar, fostering heart disease and diabetes. Bran The bran, a vital source of fiber in the diet contains a host of nutrients. Our general lack of dietary fiber accounts for an array of illnesses not found in the so-called “underprivileged” nations where whole grains are the main staple. In third world countries where whole grains are unprocessed and eaten at almost every meal, the average transit time of food in a person’s system is 24 hours. In America that time is extended to 92 hours. Fiber helps to remove fat from the walls of the colon and cleanse the body of dangerous toxins so they will not be reabsorbed. Endosperm The endosperm is the largest part of the grain and takes up approx. 83% of it. It consists mostly of starch. This is the source of white flour and is devoid of any real nutritional value. In order to make up for that lack, white flour has to be enriched to qualify as a food. Over 30 known nutrients are removed from the grain in the commercial milling process and only a few are tossed back in, by adding one mineral (iron) and three B vitamins (niacin, thiamine and riboflavin). Germ A full 90% of the nutritional value of every grain is contained in the germ. It is highly fragile and given to quick spoilage while at the same time containing a great deal of protein, vitamin E and important B vitamins, potassium, thiamine, niacin, zinc and riboflavin. Unfortunately all essential vitamins oxidize from flour within 3 days of being ground. Because of the rapid deterioration of germ oil, it must, by necessity, be removed as much as possible from commercially ground flours. Like much of our food, bread and flour are shipped over long distances under a variety of conditions, requiring a long shelf life. It would be impossible to leave the wheat germ in commercial breads and flours without spoilage and molding. Fresh flour, if purchased is usually only available in health food stores and should be kept in the refrigerator or freezer section. SPELT
Spelt contains 15 – 21% protein, which is considerably higher than conventional wheat at 6 – 14%. It is also higher than wheat in complex carbohydrates, iron, potassium and the B Vitamins. Spelt is easier to digest than wheat products because of its higher water solubility. In addition Spelt contains nutrients that aid in blood clotting and also stimulate the immune system. Spelt has lower gluten strength than regular wheat, which many people with wheat sensitivities seem to tolerate. It is much appreciated for its hearty, nut like flavor. It has excellent baking qualities and works wonderfully in breads and pizzas, cakes and pies, waffles and pancakes. Spelt flour does not require as much water as white flour. If substituting, start by using only ¾ of the amount you normally use. |
Spelt
is a grain from a wheat-like plant and an ancient and
distant cousin to wheat. It is the oldest grain ever
domesticated going back approx. 9,000 years. Spelt was
brought to the United States by Swiss immigrants and
remained a very common grain for hundreds of years.
During the 20th century, it was almost
completely abandoned for more modern varieties of wheat,
which had a higher yield and shorter growing season.
What brought the decline in production of Spelt in
Northern America is now thought of as a benefit. Spelt
has a tough hull or husk, that makes it more difficult
to process than modern wheat varieties. Spelt’s husk
protects it from pollutants and insects and allows it to
grown quite successfully without fertilizers,
herbicides, pesticides and fungicides.
