Topic: will you be growing you own grain in 2010

[plainleaf2]

I will growing wheat again this season so to go for fair prize and to make my own bread again.
Has anyone else grown there own grain or wheat for making bread.

[amphibian]

Never, but then we don't have enough space; if I had enough space I'd probably grow spelt.

[Flighty]

A rather academic question for many of us here in the UK as our allotments and gardens are far too small to even contemplate trying that!

[Little Bee]

I disagree and do not think it's a pointless question,infact it's a very interesting question because it's something different to grow and you don't need acres of space to grow it,just a small area after all you are growing it for yourself and not the nation  ;)

I am always looking for a new challenge and will give it a go.
Will be good to grow some of my own produce for my chickens too ;)

[earlypea]

I will, more for interest than sustenance though.

This year I accidentally grew amaranth (for the leaves but it bolted) - which is threshed but waiting for the right wind to winnow.  I think I've got a good bagful out of several plants.

Next year - I'll grow a bit of quinoa and some buckwheat.

I've always loved cooking and eating different types of grain and want to see if they taste any different home grown and it's just interesting to see how they grow too.

[plainleaf2]

flighty how much area do think you need to grow enough wheat to make 5 lbs of flour?

[Baccy Man]

how much area do think you need to grow enough wheat to make 5 lbs of flour?

Based on average yields in the UK an area 4' x 8' would produce approximately 5lbs of flour, it would then have to be threshed which is very time consuming & finally ground which is only possible if you have a grain mill or know of a commercial mill who will grind it for you. I have grown it before & won't be bothering again as flour is cheap & grain cheaper still, I can think of better uses for any available growing space I have.

[plainleaf2]

beccyman you incorrect about threshing being time consuming you just need to know the easy way.
as for grinding you can use spice grinder instead.

[redimp]

I am going to be growing barley which I shall malt and roast and add to my mates hops to see what the resultant beer is like.  How's that?

If I get round to it that is.

[Flighty]

I agree with what Baccyman has said, especially the last sentence!

[reddyreddy]

beccyman you incorrect about threshing being time consuming you just need to know the easy way.
as for grinding you can use spice grinder instead.

a SPICE GRINDER??? For 5lbs of flour???!!!!  :o

[Columbus]

I grow lots of beans for drying on enormous bean fences. I let them dry on the plant. This way I can preserve a crop with no energy inputs, unlike freezing, pickling and jamming etc.
Wheat or grains for drying would also preserve food for long periods without energy inputs, unless you milled it, but you could sprout it as food.

Unfortunately as pointed out the area of land needed to raise a crop of wheat makes this unrealistic for most of us. Maybe other types of grain could be raised in small amounts and then used to enhance home made bread?

Col

[Baccy Man]

beccyman you incorrect about threshing being time consuming you just need to know the easy way.

Rather than just telling me I am wrong it could be helpful if you expanded on what you believe to be the correct way to thresh wheat, that way anyone who is intrested in growing wheat would be able to learn from your experience.

as for grinding you can use spice grinder instead.

I assume you are joking about the spice grinder as it would never give a consistent or satisfactory result & would only be able to process very small quantities of grain at a time.
FWIW I do have a grain mill which is used on a regular basis for grinding maize which I grow & various other grains I purchase so I haven't given much thought to alternate grinding methods.

[qahtan]

 
I think you would want some thing larger than a 'spice grinder" for your grain.
 I buy  organic hard wheat berries and mill/grind them as I need. but I use the grain mill that is an attachment on my UK Kenwood mixer. It does a good job, well good enough for me.
 It is not good to mill whole wheat flour to store, as it starts to go rancid very quickly. This is why many people say they don't like whole wheat bread...

                   qahtan.                            spice grinder,,,,,Q Q

[Digeroo]

I grew some by accident a few years ago which came in a batch of mature.  Managed to course grind it in a liquidizer and add it to a bread mix.  Result not very successful gave the rest to the G-pigs.

But if I want a little bit of fresh wheat I think I could go and do a bit of gleaning - the machines never get right into the corners, instead of using up precious space on my lottie. 

[plainleaf2]

yes i was joking about spice grinder. I use coffee grinder.

[qahtan]

 That's just as bad,
 How much grain at a time , a cupful....  and can you vary the grind????

 qahtan

[Jeannine]

I have just seen this and have been trying to picture someone  grinding wheat in a coffee or spice grinder, surely this is a joke or a typo maybe. Yonks years ago when I did this regularly even my heavy duty mill  would get a tad warm if I tried to do too much at a time.

I have an excellent coffee grinder but I think it would blow up if I tried to grind enough  wheat to grow even 1 loaf of bread.

2 tablespoons at a time maybe, it sounds completely off the wall to me,

I think our leg is being pulled here

Come on fess up, this is a bit of kidology,right XX Jeannine

[plainleaf2]

it no joke : Jeannine. when can find the link i will post it.

[Jeannine]

Thank you, I would appreciate that XX Jeannine