To: ansel12
Wheat and beans and rice are the basis of real food, it is better to have to forage and scrounge, and hunt, for meat and greens, than it is to have an occasional rabbit or apple, and desperately need big bowls of real, filling, food, that cant be found easily.
A grain and bean combination can form a complete protein, so meat won't even be necessary. I've stored wheat berries, rice, and beans just for that reason. That, and they can store for 30 years under the right conditions.
Wheat berries are marvelous; with a wheat grinder and some yeast, you can make marvelous whole wheat bread. I started practicing doing just that after storing some wheat berries, figuring I needed to know how to use them. The nutritous value of the whole wheat degrades right after grinding, so fresh ground wheat is much better than anything in the store. There's plenty of manual grinders on the market as well; I got one that can go either manual or electric.
A cast iron dutch oven will work just fine to bake bread over coals from a fire, if there's no other heat source available. You can also add some ground bean flour to the bread, not too much though or it will be too dense. But it increases the protein content.
BTW, I've had no problem getting 100% whole wheat to rise - the secret is vital wheat gluten, about 1 tablespoon per cup of flour. Vital wheat gluten can be stored with oxygen absorbers and will last 5 years, according to the LDS website. I personally think it would last longer than that. Oh, and wheat berries can be sprouted, if you're missing some fresh veggies.
To: yorkiemom
I do like to grind my wheat and make bread and sprout the wheat and beans, but being single and lazy, I only do it for short periods every few years, just to keep familiar with it.
I will get on a jag of making candy and yogurt, marshmallows, making beer, doing the wheat thing, sprouting, making fresh pasta, liqueurs, curd cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, canning, and so on, but then put the stuff away and not do it for years at a time.
135 posted on
11/15/2012 1:37:34 AM PST by
ansel12
(Todd Akin was NOT the tea party candidate, Sarah Steelman was, Brunner had tea party support also.)
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson