The healthiest grains come right off the plant.
Whole grains as a part of a balanced diet support heart health and digestion and supply the body with protein nutrients and carbohydrate energy, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wheat berries in particular are a complete source of nutrition in their unrefined state, providing fiber in their outer shell along with the protein-rich germ and energy filled endosperm. Cooking a whole grain often eliminates a portion of its nutritional value by softening the outer shell and reducing the density of protein and carbohydrate contents. Dry roasting, however, does limited damage to the molecular contents while softening the berry just enough to be edible. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Heat a dry frying pan. The best pan will be one that distributes heat evenly across the surface. An iron skillet or a lined copper frying pan that doesn't cool down immediately is best, but any quality pan will be fine. Give the pan time to reach a significant cooking temperature, without starting to smoke.
2. Place 2 to 3 tbsp. of wheat berries onto the pan in a thin layer and cover quickly. Shake the pan gently as you would for popcorn.
3. Listen to the berries as they bounce and pop on the pan surface. Continue to shake the pan gently until the popping stops.
4. Transfer the roasted wheat berries immediately to a bowl to avoid burning them. Repeat the process until you have roasted the quantity of berries needed for your recipe.
Tags: outer shell