Flour Power

Years back, we purchased a grain mill.  We poured wheat berries in and cranked and cranked until we had flour for bread-making.  We purchased our wheat berries from Azure Standard Co-op that came in 25 lb. bags.  We generally buy two types of wheat - Kamut and Spelt.  Here, I have a few grains of Spelt in my hand.

The grain mill has a hopper on top that we pour the wheat berries in.  In just a bit, they'll be turned into flour.

The flour comes out of the mill and fills a container that we put underneath it.  As I look at the photo below, there's a lot of activity going on in the background other than flour being made.  You can see onions on a drying rack that are curing in the kitchen as it is too hot and humid outside.  There are also tomatoes on a tray under a paper bag that are ripening inside, away from the stink bugs.

For years, we used 'elbow grease' to grind the wheat berries into flour.  The grain mill had a crank on it.  We could grind a cup of flour in exactly 3 minutes.  It wasn't a bad job.  Because of the novelty of it, we'd leave it loaded on the counter.  When we'd have guests, it always caught their eye.  They'd walk over to it and start cranking.  It was new for them and a challenge and fun, so our guests ended making a lot of flour for us.  Ha ha.  

After a few years, we purchased a small electric motor attachment that fits on it once you remove the crank.  Now, you plug it in and electricity does the job for you.  I guess we're getting soft and lazy!  Never fear, if the electricity ever goes out, we will put the crank back on the grain mill.

The flour has all the bran and germ on it.  It's healthy for you - not white, refined, and processed.

It makes GREAT bread and other things we love to eat.  For example, just this weekend, we had some extra cream.  Tricia made some butter and so she had some buttermilk.  She made homemade buttermilk pancakes made with the spelt flour with pecans in them.

Our grain mill has had many pounds of wheat berries and corn run through it.  One problem we're finding now, however, is that the wheat berries are getting harder to get your hands on.  They've been out at our co-op.  We've heard that wheat berries that are available are very pricey!  We're living in interesting times, for sure.

Oh, by the way, Happy Father's Day, all you Dads out there!