Basic Food Storage--Sprouting Wheat

Why, oh why, would anyone want to sprout wheat?  I mean, with a healthier diet that is already including lots of whole grains and beans and garden produce, isn't adding in sprouts going a little over the top?

Actually, it may be over the top for some.  But there are times when being able to sprout wheat could come in handy.

First off, wheat is a bit hard for some people to digest.  Especially if those people have been eating a typical American diet high in processed foods.  Secondly, and important for all, is that wheat sprouts are far more nutritious than the unsprouted whole grain, with far more vitamins B, C, E, and K, as well as more calcium, iron, and magnesium.  And it provides a different way of using wheat, one that can add variety to salads, soups, and cereals, as well as being used to add a little crunch to sandwiches.

To start your sprouts, in a quart size canning jar, soak one cup of wheat in cool water for 6-12 hours.  One cup of dry wheat will yield approximately 2 1/4 cups of sprouts.

Plastic sprouting lids available from Amazon or health food stores make rinsing and draining easier, but you can substitute nylon netting and a rubber band.  A clean knee-hi nylon could also be used, but it somewhat hinders air circulation. 

After the initial soaking, drain the wheat and rinse thoroughly.  Do not soak or let the wheat stand in water again.  Repeat the rinse and drain cycle every 6-12 hours, with 8 hours being ideal, but this also depends on the temperature.  The ideal temperature for sprouting is 70 degrees; warmer temperatures necessitate more frequent rinsing.

For draining the wheat, the jar must be inverted and at an angle, ideally about 45 degrees.  A large bowl or dish drainer in the sink works well.  Putting the jar upside down will not permit draining.

Keeping the sprouting grain in plain view will help you remember to rinse it; however, do not place the jar in direct sunlight.  That will cook and kill your sprouts.  On the kitchen counter out of the sun will be perfect.

Taste your sprouts as they are growing.  When do you like them best?  Wheat sprouts are generally harvested between the second and fourth day of sprouting.  Dry them thoroughly for about 6-8 hours from the last time they were rinsed, and then store them in the refrigerator.  Your wheat sprouts will keep for three days, assuming they were very dry when you put them away.

There are numerous ways to use wheat sprouts--add to soups, salads, breads, sandwiches, taco meat, chili; grow into wheat grass; dehydrate and grind into flour; make sprouted breakfast cereal or porridge.  Some people just like to eat them plain.

Links to related posts:
Wheat
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B2
Vitamin C 


For further information:

https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/sprouting/how-to-sprout-wheat-berries/

https://sproutpeople.org/growing-wheat-sprouts/

https://keeperofthehome.org/getting-started-sprouting-wheat-berries/

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com 

The Medicinal Uses of Red Raspberry Leaf

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.


When my family and I talk about the five years that we lived in Missouri, we usually mention the only three good things about our time there, the three F's:  friends (a few great friends), fireflies (who doesn't love them?), and fireworks (the most phenomenal displays I ever saw were put on by a lawyer friend from church--nothing at Disneyland, or at city/county Fourth of July events, or even Michael Milken's personal event at Lake Tahoe--no, we weren't his guests, just on a neighboring section of the beach--could come close to this lawyer's show).  But as I begin this post on raspberries, I remember how prolific the raspberries in my garden there were.  I spent a couple of hours three times each week during harvest season to pick them.  Wow, I miss those raspberries.

And as delicious and desirable as those raspberries were, the true treasure was in the leaves.  Little did I know then.  Raspberry leaves are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E, as well as the essential minerals iron (one ounce of raspberry leaves yields 18% of the RDA for iron), magnesium, potassium, zinc, and calcium.  For this reason alone you are really going to want these gems growing on your property in addition to being able to find them elsewhere.

Time to harvest:  Raspberry leaves should be harvested in the summer, rinsed, and dried well in a dehydrator or in the shade.  Insufficiently dried leaves can become toxic.

Fortunately, raspberry leaves are very easy to use.  Their active constituents are, in contrast to many other herbal remedies, extracted with water.  No alcohol involved.

Infusion:  One to two teaspoons of dried leaves per cup of boiling water.  Let steep for fifteen minutes. Drink three to four cups per day for treating diarrhea, incontinence, PMS symptoms, leg cramps, gout, and arthritis. It is particularly useful for easing painful menstrual cramps and regulating menstrual flow, especially when taken regularly.  Historically, raspberry leaf tea was used to ease labor pains, improve the quality of contractions, and help build a good supply of breast milk.  Though some sources suggest it can be used for treating morning sickness and nausea, it should be used with caution and only under the direction of a licensed medical practitioner during the first and second trimester of pregnancy. 

Decoction:  Steep five tablespoons of raspberry leaves in one quart of water for fifteen minutes.  Use as a rinse or gargle to treat tonsillitis, canker sores, cold sores, gingivitis, and sore throat.  This same decoction can be used for treating eczema, acne, dermatitis, and itching of the skin.  The cooled and filtered decoction is used to treat conjunctivitis of the eyes.

Poultice:  Dip a clean cloth into the decoction above and apply to minor wounds, varicose veins, and minor burns like a sunburn.

Contraindications:  Raspberry leaf is not for internal use in people with gastritis or peptic ulcer, or those with uterine fibroids, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, or endometriosis. 

For further information:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1016/S1526-9523%2801%2900095-2
https://www.drugs.com/npp/raspberry.html#fandc-np5263.b2
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-raspberry-leaf-tea#bottom-line
https://theherbalacademy.com/3-raspberry-leaf-benefits-for-women/


© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com

12 september 2022

27 september 2020