Text 2186, 138 rader
Skriven 2010-09-29 21:22:00 av Glen Jamieson
     Kommentar till en text av Jim Weller
Ärende: WHEAT  00929
====================
 -=> Quoting Jim Weller to Glen Jamieson <=-

 RH> It might be a royal pain milling the fresh wheat into
 RH> flour though.
 JW> You don't. It must be dried, one way or another.

I would think so.
 
 GJ> Wheat farmers test their crops by picking heads while the wheat is

 JW> They test by rubbing the wheat head between their fingers and then
 JW> chewing on a grain. If the grain cracks in the mouth rather than
 JW> squashing, it is mature enough and dry enough to harvest.

That sounds familiar.

 JW> Wheat must be below 18% moisture content to combine and thresh. And
 JW> it must be below 13.5% to store long term without fermenting or
 JW> molding. Once the wheat is cut by hand sickle or machine combine or
 JW> whatever, it is left to dry further in the field for 2 to 3 days. If

What is the point of that?   Double handling.  Better to leave it
alone until it is properly dry, and then put the combine harvester
through it, reaping, threshing and separating in one go.

 JW> it rains during that interval it must be air dried a second time.
 JW> Successive wetting and drying lowers the quality.

Yes.  Better to just wait until it is fully dry in the paddock before
harvesting.  Otherwise you get rust.

 JW> Once down to 15% it can be stored in shallow bins and air dried with
 JW> fans until it gets down to 13.5%. Heat can be used too if needed due
 JW> to high moisture content in the grain and/or high relative humidity
 JW> in the air but that also reduces quality.

Ha!  Fancy-pantsy stuff!
 
 JW> As I mentioned in an earlier post, newly havested rice although "dry"
 JW> is moister than aged rice.
 RH> I've never seen it in the husk, so it's hard to judge.  I'd guess that
 RH> local people who grow the stuff occasionally hand-thresh a few grains
 RH> here and there and munch.  
 
 GJ> I think it would then be necessary to hand peel individual grains.

 JW> Were you talking about rice or wheat there?

Yes.  Either or both.

 JW> In any event wheat is sometimes harvested green in parts of the
 JW> middle East. It is called freekeh (or frikeh or farikeh etc). It
 JW> goes through a roasting process during its production.

 JW> The grain is harvested still green and soft; it is then piled in the
 JW> field (stooked) and sun-dried. (That happens quickly in their arid
 JW> climate, so no fermentation or mold issues). Then the piles are set
 JW> on fire and only the straw and chaff burn but not the seeds, which
 JW> still have quite high moisture content. Then it is threshed and sun
 JW> dried further. Finally the seeds are cracked like Bulgur.  

Our cockies doan harvest no freeken wheat wiv all that carry-on.
Youse blokes are weird.

Mind you, it would be interesting to see that done.  Here, in
Queensland (banana-bender country), they used to burn the sugar cane
that way before cutting, but now it is cut with all the leafy stuff
still on the cane.  That is later used as fuel in the sugar mills.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: Fresh Pita Bread
 Categories: Emeril, Breads
      Yield: 16 Pitas
 
      1 ts Dry active yeast
  2 1/2 c  Tepid water (80 to 90
           Degrees)
  2 1/2 c  Whole wheat flour
      1 tb Salt
      1 tb Olive oil
  2 1/2    To 3 1/2 cups unbleached
           All-purpose flour
 
  Stir the yeast and water together in a large bowl. Using a wooden
  spoon and stirring in one direction, stir in the whole wheat flour
  about a cup at a time; then stir 100 times or until the mixture look
  smooth and silky. This is the sponge and it needs to rest, covered
  with plastic wrap, for at least 30 minutes, although it is best if it
  can rest for as long as 8 hours in a cool place, a rest that will
  give fuller flavor. Sprinkle the slat over the sponge and then stir
  in the olive oil, mixing well, again stirring in the same direction.
  Add the flour about a cup at a time, mixing until the dough is too
  stiff to stir with a spoon. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured
  work surface and knead it mixing until it is smooth and elastic, 8 to
  10 minutes. The dough will be moderately firm and have a slight
  sheen. Clean the mixing bowl, dry it, and coat it lightly with oil.
  Transfer the dough to the bowl, turn the dough around to oil its
  surface, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at
  room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until it doubles in bulk. Turn
  the dough onto the work surface. Divide it in half and keep one half
  under plastic or cloth while you work with the other. Cut the dough
  into 8 equal pieces and, with lightly floured cupped hands, form the
  pieces into tight balls; keep the balls under plastic as you work on
  the other.
  
  On a well-floured surface, flatten the balls of dough with you
  fingertips and then, using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough
  into a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4-inch thick.
  Cover but do stack the rolled out breads. Preheat the griddle or
  cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and lightly oil the griddle.
  Bake 1 rolled-out circle at a time on the griddle, putting the pita
  top side down on the griddle and cooking for 15 to 20 seconds before
  turning the bread over gently. Cook for another minute or until big
  bubbles appear. Turn the bread again and cook until it balloons
  fully. Pressing a towel on those areas where bubbles have formed will
  push air into the flat areas. The breads should bake for no more than
  3 minutes. Oil the griddle after every 4 to 5 breads. Pita is best
  the day it is made, but it can be wrapped airtight and frozen for 1
  month.
  
  Yield: 16 pitas
  
  Recipe from: Baking with Julia Cookbook
  
  SOURCE: Emeril Live! Cooking Show Copyright 1998, TV FOOD NETWORK;
  SHOW #EMIB43 - GREEK SPECIALTIES
  
  MM Format by Dave Drum 04 January 2000 FROM: Uncle Dirty Dave's
  Kitchen
 
MMMMM
 

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 * Origin: Braintap BBS Adelaide Australia (3:800/449)