Cooking Grains

Similar to cooking field fresh dry beans, cooking grains that are no more than a harvest season old can be a new experience.  Use the guidelines we've provided below to cook your CPO grain products!

CPO GRAINS

1 cup grain = 6oz = 2.5 cups cooked grain

Farro (Emmer)
Cook Time:  45-60 minutes
Water: Grain ratio:  1.5:1
Description:  A small brown grain with a nice firm, chewy texture, and a honey-roasted nutty profile; an ancient variety of wheat that originated in the Near East.  
Uses:  Italian, American, Mediterranean cuisine;  Soup, salad, farrotto, bread, pasta, sprouts, puddings, confections, stuffing, casseroles, and hot cereal.
Cost per serving:  1 cup cooked = $.67

Freekeh
Cook Time:  35-45 minutes
Water: Grain ratio:  1.25:1
Description:  A small spelt berry, harvested while immature and roasted over hot coals while still in the hull producing a beautiful green-colored grain; a traditional Middle Eastern preparation of grain.  A subtle tangy flavor surrounded by the perfume of smoked green tea.
Uses:  Middle Eastern, American, and Eastern European cuisine; in salads, bean dishes, stuffing, soup, bread, crackers, meat kabobs, and hot cereal.
Cost per serving:  1 cup cooked = $.72

Live Oats Groats
Cook Time:  35-45 minutes
Water: Grain ratio:  1.25:1
Description:  A medium size light brown grain; our variety of oats are naturally hulless and sproutable, because we don’t have to roast or steam to remove the hull.  A nice rich milk flavor with an earthy finish.
Uses:  American and European cuisine; hot cereal, sprouted, raw oatmeal, soup, salad, puddings, meat loaf, and bread.
Cost per serving:  1 cup cooked = $.24
Spelt Berries
Cook Time:  45-60 minutes
Water: Grain ratio:  1.5:1
Description:  Spelt is a long golden grain with a long cleft down the middle;  it is also an ancient variety of wheat originating in Central Europe. When cooked it has a sweet honey flavor with a plump and squeaky texture.
Uses:  American, Mediterranean, and European cuisine; soup, hot cereal, puddings, bread, salad, veggie burgers, stuffing, and bean dishes.
Cost per serving:  1 cup cooked = $.24

Rye Berries
Cook Time:  45-60 minutes
Water: Grain ratio:  2:1
Description:  A slender grain with an olive green tint; used widely in Central and Eastern Europe. Earthy, woodsy flavors with an underlying hint of mushrooms and a very subtle sour finish; wonderful chewy texture.
Uses:  American and European cuisine; stews, stuffing, grits, bread, salad, veggie burgers, and soup.
Cost per serving:  1 cup cooked = $.19

Wheat Berries
Cook Time:  45-60 minutes
Water: Grain ratio:  2:1
Description:  A medium sized, dusty red and tan colored grain; used widely in Europe.  A nice sweet flavor bordering on spring flower honey; a chewy texture which explodes with flavor on impact.
Uses:  European and American cuisine; soup, bread, salad, hot cereal, pudding, and stuffing.
Cost per serving:  1 cup cooked = $.19

Basic Instructions
1)Submerge grains in a few changes of water, removing any hulls or floating pieces; soak for 1 hour; add water, oil, salt, bring to a boil; cover with a lid and turn down heat and simmer until the water has evaporated

 Cooking Tips
1)All of our grains, except Freekeh, can be sprouted
2)The longer grains are soaked (up to 24 hours-should change the water every 8 hours) the less water and cooking time they require; they will also be easier to digest because they will have started to sprout
3)Toasting grains in a dry pan increases the nutty flavor; this can be done even after grains have been soaked
4)Grains will freeze well for up to 6 months; they will refrigerate well for up to 1 week
5)For cooking larger amounts of grains the ratio of water to grain will gradually decrease; to make it easier just add enough water to cover grains by 1 inch
6)For al dente grains cook less with less water, for softer grains cook longer with more water
7)If too much water was added, remove lid and cook until water had evaporated or strain out excess liquid
8)To make risotto with the grains, crack them slightly in a food processor (blender or coffee grinder), this will help release the starches and yield a more risotto-like dish
9)For porridge, puddings, or grits; crack the grains a little more
10)It is hard to overcook these grains; they hold up better in soups and reheat well
11)Use these grains in place of rice in any recipe