Getting Started with Sprouted Grain - Part 2

Follow the directions in Getting Started with Sprouted Grain- Part 1 to sprout your grain and dry it. It can be stored at room temperature once it has been sprouted. The shelf life on sprouted grain is about 7 years, so you will likely use it up long before it expires. The nutrients have been dried and are preserved, so that it will not begin to oxidize until it is milled into flour. (See my article on using a grain mill if you are interested in this aspect).

A good quality (such as Bosch or Braun) blender can also be used for milling small amounts of grains into flour. In fact, a blender is preferred for milling flax seed into meal. When you mill your own, you are able to eat it before the nutrients are oxidized, which takes place at room temperature between 24 and 72 hours after milling. Meal or flour purchased off the grocery store shelf will be completely oxidized; buying it from the refrigerated section of your store will help some.

A favorite way to use sprouted grains is in cracked cereals. Grains can be cracked in your blender or grain mill. Simply run your blender for a shorter time than when you make flour or set your mill on a coarser setting. Once the grain is cracked, soak it overnight in water. I use two cups of water two one cup of cracked grain. In the morning, bring it to a low boil, then cover it and let it simmer, like you would rice. Once the water has been absorbed, it should be ready to eat. Maple syrup is excellent choice for a sweetener. Add some butter or cream to help your body assimilate the minerals.

Check out creatingheaven.net. They sell sprouted flours (remember the lesson you just learned about nutrient oxidation before you order). They also have an excellent collection of recipes using sprouted wheat and sprouted spelt flours. The recipes are primarily deserts and baked goods, but consider the nutrients from the sprouted flour and the fact that you aren't ingesting white flour or white sugar (See my article on sucanat for information on this healthy sweetener).

Be encouraged. Feeding your family whole, sprouted grains gives them many essential nutrients. Because the grains have been sprouted, the vitamins and minerals of the sprout are made available to the body. This means that feeding your family sprouted grains is comparable with feeding them vegetables.