Sara Pitzer - Homegrown Whole Grains: Grow, Harvest, and Cook Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rice, Corn and More

HOMEGROWN WHOLE GRAINS

Grow, Harvest & Cook Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rice, Corn & More

Sara Pitzer

Edited by Carleen Madigan and Marilyn Rogers
Art direction and book design by Dan O. Williams

Cover illustration by Nikki McClure
Interior illustrations by Elayne Sears

Profiles written by Marta Rainer
Expert review by Heather Darby, University of Vermont Extension Agronomist and Nutrient Management Specialist
Indexed by Christine R. Lindemer, Boston Road Communications

2009 by Sara Pitzer
Originally published as Whole Grains: Grow, Harvest & Cook Your Own, by Garden Way, Inc., 1981

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Printed in the United States by Versa Press
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Pitzer, Sara.

Homegrown whole grains / by Sara Pitzer. [New ed.]

p. cm.

Earlier edition published under title: Whole grains.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-60342-153-9 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. GrainVarietiesUnited States. 2. Sustainable agricultureUnited States.

I. Pitzer, Sara. Whole grains. II. Title.

SB189.P55 2009
633.1dc22

2009016763

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Its been almost thirty years since I first wrote Whole Grains, which was aimed especially at small-scale homesteaders, or what I call the back-to-nature people. Back then, the dream of homesteaders, including myself, was complete self-sufficiency, preferably off the grid. But most of us got tired. As reality set in, many of us scaled down our ambitions to something we could manage. People returned to town and learned to make do on suburban lots. Others gave up on the notion of self-sufficiency altogether.

The sixties and seventies were a period of economic and cultural uncertainty, not unlike todays climate, with its dire economic forecasts and worries over food safety. Its no wonder that people are starting to produce their own food again. But todays focus is much more realistic: a manageable-size vegetable garden with a patch of grain.

Its not easy to find information on growing grains in your backyard. Most advice is geared toward large-scale farmers with giant equipment and hundreds of acres. Yet a small but growing group of people gardeners, farmers, tinkerers, teachers, researchers, cooks, and tasters have dedicated their lives to small-scale, sustainable agriculture. Many of them contributed to this book, sharing their ideas and experiences.

This new edition now called Home-grown Whole Grains is geared toward modern-day homesteaders who want to learn how to reap the fresh flavor and nutritional benefits from growing your own grain crops. Although the basics of planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting havent changed much, new possibilities have come along that Ive included in this edition (with substantial input from horticultural experts whose detailed knowledge goes well beyond what most of us were thinking about in earlier years). For instance, new, hull-less varieties of barley and oats have become more readily available, making it possible for home growers to harvest edible grain from their plants without the difficulty of removing hulls. Ancient grains such as spelt, emmer farro, amaranth, and quinoa have experienced a welcome renaissance, so Ive added information about these crops, as well. White whole wheat long popular in Asian countries has become more available in the United States. It has a creamy color and a mild flavor that is less aggressive than that of the more familiar red wheat.

As for cooking grains, tastes have changed quite a bit in thirty years. Back in the peace-and-love days on the commune, grains were often cooked up into bland, dense, heavy casseroles. Nutritious? Yes. Tempting? No way. Ive added recipes reflective of our more sophisticated palates, including some for grains cooked whole and some that incorporate a variety of whole-grain flours into baked goods.

In case you dont want to tackle growing grains but still want the experience not to mention the better nutrition and flavor of cooking or grinding your own, the appendix lists sources for whole grains that Ive found to be reliable and helpful.

So what hasnt changed in the last thirty years? The pure joy of growing. You plant the seed. You continue natures cycle. What a reward!

Sara Pitzer

Grains are among the easiest plants to grow in home gardens. Before you jump whole hog into raising your own, though, it will pay for you to think about what you expect from a crop. Preparing the ground and planting the seed is only the first step. Without planning ahead, you could spend the summer admiring your amber waves only to realize that you scheduled your cruise vacation for the same week that the grain is ready for harvest. Before dropping the first seed to the ground, answer these questions: