Grandpappy's Basic Recipes
A Collection of
Wheat Berry Recipes
Copyright © 1976,2006 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All Rights Reserved.
During serious famine conditions when food was extremely scarce, people would NOT make bread. Instead they would sprout whatever wheat berries they had in order to increase both the volume and vitamins of their meals. Sprouted wheat weighs twice as much as wheat berries and it has three times the volume of wheat berries.
The sprouting directions below will work for wheat berries, beans, or seeds with the following adjustments to the sprouting times:
wheat berries - Allow 2 days.
sunflower seeds - Allow 2 to 3 days.
flax, lentil, mung, or soy beans - Allow 3 days.
alfalfa - Allow 4 or 5 days.
Wheat Sprouts
In the evening, put four ounces of wheat berries in the first jar (or plastic bag or container). Cover the wheat with water. Put the top on the container but don't tighten it. The wheat must have fresh air. Let it soak overnight. Drink the soak water the following morning (it is full of vitamins). Turn the container upside down and let it drain. Cover with a small towel to put the wheat in the dark. Four hours later, half fill the container with water, wait two minutes, drain and cover with a towel. (Note: If water is scarce, then you can save the soak water and reuse it again each time you soak the berries.) Every 4 hours, half fill with water, wait 2 minutes, drain, and cover with a towel. The purpose is to keep the wheat moist but not water logged.
If all the extra water is NOT drained off the wheat berries, they will begin to ferment instead of sprouting.
Just before going to bed at the end of the day, start the second container (4 ounces wheat covered with water). You now have a system that will keep you in healthy, nutritious food every day.
The following day, fill the first jar with water every 4 hours, wait 2 minutes, drain and cover. At the end of the day, the wheat in the first jar will have small white sprouts extending from the ends of the kernels. It is part grain and part fresh vegetable. It has a high protein and vitamin content and it is a more complete food. Remove the sprouted wheat from the first jar, and refill it with fresh grain and start the process over again.
Prepare the sprouted wheat using one of the cooking methods for wheat berry cereal (below).
Wheat Berry and Wheat Berry Sprout Recipes
Wheat Berry or Cracked Wheat Cereal (Pot Method) (Two Servings)
| 1 cup wheat berries | 1 tsp. salt | 4 cups water |
Combine the wheat berries and the water in a cook pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for one hour. Return to heat and simmer for one hour. Eat it plain, or serve with milk, sugar, honey, or melted butter. If desired, add salt to taste.
Wheat Berry Cereal (Thermos Method) (One Serving)
| 1/2 cup wheat berries | 1/2 tsp. salt | 1 cup water |
Put wheat berries, salt, and water into a pot or saucepan and bring to a rolling boil, stirring the entire time. Quickly but carefully pour the contents from the pot through a wide mouth funnel into your thermos. Put the cap on the thermos firmly, but not too tightly, and lay the thermos on its side to evenly distribute the contents in the boiling hot water. Wait 8 hours or overnight. Pour the contents of the thermos into a bowl. Four ounces of dry wheat berries will yield about 12 ounces of cooked wheat and several ounces of vitamin and mineral enriched water. Be sure to drink the water. It has a pleasant taste and many valuable nutrients.
Wheat Berry Cereal (Microwave) (Two Servings)
| 1 cup wheat berries | 1 tsp. salt | 3 cups water |
Soak the wheat berries overnight. Then blend all of it on high for 20-30 seconds in a blender. Then cook it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk and sugar to taste.
Chilled Wheat Berry Salad (Four Servings)
| 1 cup uncooked wheat berries | 16 oz. can beans |
| 2.5 cups water | 16 oz. can mixed vegetables |
Heat wheat berries in water until boiling in 2-quart saucepan, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 50 to 60 minutes or until wheat berries are tender but still chewy. Drain the berries. Mix with the beans and vegetables. Refrigerate for 2 hours to blend flavors and then serve.
Option: Drip 2 tbsp. olive oil over salad before serving.
Popped Wheat
Soak wheat berries overnight in water and then spread them out on paper towels to dry. Then fry them in hot oil. It is easier if you use some sort of wire basket or strainer to dip into the hot oil instead of trying to remove them with a spoon. Season with either plain salt or with garlic salt.
Sauteed Sprouts
| 1 cup sprouts | 1 tbsp. butter | 1 tbsp. onion powder or flakes | 1 tsp. soy sauce |
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion powder and stir. Add the sprouts and stir gently. Stir in the soy sauce.
Simmered Sprouts
| 1 cup sprouts | 1 tbsp. butter | 1/2 cup water | 1/4 tsp. salt |
Add the salt to the water and heat. Add the sprouts and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain off the water. Add the butter and stir.
Nutritional Information for
Wheat Berries and Sprouted Wheat
Note: One ounce of wheat berries by weight is approximately equal to One ounce of wheat berries by volume.
Serving Size:
Wheat Berries: Weight 1 ounce (28.4 grams)
Sprouted Wheat: Weight 2 ounces (56.8 grams)
(Weight Note: 1 ounce of Wheat Berries will yield 2 ounces of Sprouted Wheat by weight)
(Volume Note: 1 ounce of Wheat Berries will yield 3 ounces of Sprouted Wheat by volume)
(Average Analysis based on Several Samples)
| Category | Berry Amount
| Berry % RDV | Sprout Amount
| Sprout % RDV |
| Weight | 1 Ounce | 1 Ounce | 2 Ounces | 2 Ounces |
| Calories | 97.1 | 5 % | 113.3 | 6 % |
| Total Fat | 0.6 g | 1 % | 0.7 g | 1 % |
| Total Carbohydrate | 21.5 g | 8 % | 24.3 g | 9 % |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.6 g | 18 % | 0.6 g | 3 % |
| Protein | 3.1 g | 6 % | 4.3 g | 9 % |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 % | 0 mg | 0 % |
Vitamins
| Vitamin | Berry Amount
| Berry % RDV | Sprout Amount
| Sprout % RDV |
| Vitamin A | 0 IU | 0 % | 0 IU | 0 % |
| B1, Thiamin | 0.117 mg | 7 % | 0.125 mg | 8 % |
| B2, Riboflavin | 0.031 mg | 2 % | 0.088 mg | 5 % |
| B3, Niacin | 1.362 mg | 7 % | 1.78 mg | 9 % |
| B5, Pantothenic Acid | 0.243 mg | 2 % | 0.55 mg | 5.5 % |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.108 mg | 5 % | 0.15 mg | 7.5 % |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0 % | 0 mcg | 0 % |
| Vitamin C | 0 mcg | 0 % | 0 mcg | 0 % |
| Vitamin D | ? | ? % | ? | ? % |
| Vitamin E | 0.411 mg | ? % | 0.028 mg | ? % |
Minerals
| Mineral | Berry Amount
| Berry % RDV | Sprout Amount
| Sprout % RDV |
| Calcium, Ca | 9.7 mg | 0.9 % | 16.0 mg | 1.5 % |
| Copper, Cu | 1.00 mg | 50 % | 0.15 mg | 7.5 % |
| Iron, Fe | 1.53 mg | 7.5 % | 1.23 mg | 6 % |
| Magnesium, Mg | 25.7 mg | 6.5% | 46.88 mg | 11.8 % |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.97 mg | 48.5% | 1.05 mg | 52.5 % |
| Phosphorus, P | 111.9 mg | 12 % | 114.3 mg | 12 % |
| Potassium, K | 124.3 mg | 3.2 % | 96.58 mg | 2.5 % |
| Selenium, Se | ? mg | ? % | 24.3 mg | 34.8 % |
| Sodium, Na | 0.57 mg | 0.8 % | 9.15 mg | 13.0 % |
| Zinc, Zn | 1.00 mg | 6.6 % | 0.95 mg | 6.3 % |
Amino Acids
| Amino Acid | Berry Grams | Sprout Grams |
| Alanine | ? | 0.168 g |
| Arginine | ? | 0.388 g |
| Aspartic Acid | ? | 0.258 g |
| Cystine | ? | 0.078 g |
| Glutamic Acid | ? | 1.070 g |
| Glycine | ? | 0.175 g |
| Histidine | ? | 0.113 g |
| Isoleucine | ? | 0.165 g |
| Leucine | ? | 0.290 g |
| Lysine | ? | 0.140 g |
| Methionine | ? | 0.068 g |
| Phenylalanine | ? | 0.20 g |
| Proline | ? | 0.385 g |
| Serine | ? | 0.195 g |
| Tryptophan | ? | 0.065 g |
| Threonine | ? | 0.145 g |
| Tyrosine | ? | 0.158 g |
| Valine | ? | 0.208 g |
Other
| Other | Berry | Sprout |
| Ash | 0.4 g | 0.55 g |
| Folate | 11.7 mcg | 21.7 mcg |
Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com