Wheat berries
vary in color, size and texture
All wheat products are made from wheat berries. Wheat berries are unprocessed wheat in its most natural form. These grains are an extremely nutritious source of vitamins and minerals with many health benefits. They are commonly ground up to make flour for breads and pastries, but can also be sprouted as a veggie or cooked as a grain, like rice. They vary in color, size and texture and are usually named after their growing season, gluten content and color.
Hard Red Spring
Hard red spring wheat berries are most commonly found in health food stores and some supermarkets. Hard red wheat berries are high in protein and used in bread making. They are brownish in color and, if cooked as a grain, they are more textured and very chewy. If ground in a flour mill, hard red spring wheat keeps all its nutritional value. Hard red spring wheat has a higher protein and stronger gluten content than winter wheat and is a better substitute for bread flour when making sandwich loaves. If eating as a grain or side dish, the hard varieties take much longer to cook and soften.
Hard Red Winter
Hard red winter wheat has a slightly lower protein content than the spring red variety. This makes it great for mixing with other flours, such as rye, and for producing Old World and artisan style breads. The lower protein content provides for a crisper crust, improved yeast fermentation and flavor. Many people prefer the robust flavor of the red wheat berry varieties.
Soft White
Soft white wheat berries are higher in starch and used for things such as pastries and cakes. They have a softer kernel and are often used to make pastry flour. They have a milder taste for those who do not prefer the robust flavor of the red wheat berries. The soft white variety contains less protein and more carbohydrates than the hard variety.
Hard White
Hard white wheat berries were developed from hard red wheat berries by eliminating the gene for the reddish bran color but keeping the characteristics of the red wheat. Fewer tannins and fewer phenolic compounds were the result of this gene elimination, therefore reducing the bitter taste some people find in the flour milled from red wheat. The nutritional content is the same for red and white wheat berries.
Tags: wheat berries, spring wheat, wheat berries, white wheat, white wheat berries