It's a matter of making Pita's....with Natural Leavening!

I have shared the fact that I had taken a series of classes with "Natural Leavening".  I am enjoying using this new "tool" in my skill set.  It is similar to Sourdough, but you do not use Yeast to begin the starter etc.  

Today, I want to show you how I made Pita's using this wonderful method.  I apologize in the advance...as I cannot give you the exact recipe because it has a copyright.  However, the folks I took the course from are planning to publish a book this fall....so until then:).

After making the dough with the starter, let it sit in the refrigerator to get cool.  Now, if you are like me....about this point I would be thinking "I don't have time for this!".  Believe it or not, this method works around my insane schedule...and I kid you not...my schedule is really insane right now.  To make Pita's having chilled dough is easier to handle.  This dough was made on a Thursday evening, but because of that afore-mentioned schedule I couldn't even get to the Pita's until Sunday.  I love the fact that the dough/starter can wait for me....a serious requirement for me:)

With Natural Leavening, putting the starter or dough in the refrigerator tends to stop the 'process' at that point in time when placed in a cold environment.  So, I took the chilled dough out of my refrigerator...on Sunday....and did the following:

Form the dough into a ball.

Heat your Pizza Stone in a very hot oven at 550 degrees.  I'll be honest, I didn't even know my oven could get that hot.

Divide the dough into even sections.

Roll the dough into a circle.

Notice that I can easily pull the 'disk-of-dough' off my counter.  Also notice that I didn't use flour on the counter surface.  It's not necessary with this dough.  Isn't that great!

Place the disks on your hot Pizza Stone in your oven.

Leave the dough in the oven for 3-5 minutes and watch the magic.  It just 'blows up'.  

Take the pita's out of the oven and let them cool on a towel.  Then cut them in half.

This is the inside of one of the Pita's (Please know that this one really puffed up....and stayed puffed up...which is great for photo's!  The rest acted like they were supposed to!).

Here are the Pita's....all done!

You can stack them to store them.

Here is my dinner.  You may ask about the taste as I only used Whole Wheat Flour....they were delicious.  I had several left over, so I sealed them in Food Saver bags and put them in the freezer for a quick meal when we are having another 'insanely crazy day'.  

I would highly recommend this method. It is one that I can actually do!  It can wait for me if I need it to, and I don't have to babysit it.  I can't tell you how important that really is.

So, watch for their book.....I recommend!

It's week #1 in September and we are focusing on.....Wheat and Grains

(Image courtesy of eatdrinkbetter.com)

When most people think about Food Storage, one of the first things that come to mind is Wheat.  The second and third things are usually "What do I do with it?" and "Where how do I store it?"  We will try to answer both questions this week.

(Image coutesy of grainessentials.ca)

This diagram shows the 3 major portion of the kernel  the Germ, Endosperm, and the bran.   The germ is what 'germinates' when you are sprouting.  It is important that it be viable if you are wishing to use some of your wheat this way.  In order to be viable, you will need to store a portion of your wheat without Oxygen Absorbers and they can kill the germ.  In addition, the germ contains vitamins and minerals.

The Bran also contains vitamins and minerals, but also is the 'fiber' portion of the kernel.  The Endosperm has the 'energy' portion of the grain.

What types of wheat are there?

There are 6 classes of wheat that include:  hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, durum, hard white, and soft white.   Overall they are classified by either "Winter" or "Spring" Wheat.

• 
  
  Hard red winter (HRW) wheat is the dominant class in the United States in acreage, production and use.  HRW is used for bread, rolls and, to a lesser extent, sweet goods and all-purpose flour.
• 
  
  The flour from Soft Red Winter Wheat is used to make cakes, cookies, snack foods, crackers and pastries
• 
  
  Hard red spring (HRS) wheat has the highest protein level among the bread wheats.  It is the premier bread wheat. HRS is often used to fortify hard red winter (HRW) flours for bread making.  Bread-machine flours are generally made of a combination of HRS and HRW flours.
• 
  
  Durum wheats are the hardest and highest protein wheat grown in the United States.  Durum wheat flours are used to produce semolina which is used to make pasta (spaghetti and similar noodle) products.
• 
  
  Hard white (HW) wheat is the newest class of wheat in the United States.  Some can be used in place of hard red winter or hard red spring wheats for bread-making. These varieties can be thought of as hard red wheats with their bran color removed. Others can be used in place of high protein soft white wheats in noodle and snack food products.
• 
  
  Soft white (SW) wheat is used to make flour for bakery products other than bread such as cakes, crackers, cookies, pastries, quick breads, muffins, and snack foods.  SW wheats tend to be low in protein (<10%) but higher protein levels (>11%) are desired for some products such as flat breads and noodles. 

                                              (Source:  Crop and Soil)

Do I have to only store and eat Wheat? 

Heaven's no!  There are many other types of grain which include things like Spelt (which is a good substitute for those who have wheat intolerances), Amaranth, Corn, etc. I will try to highlight some of these for you later.

How do I store Wheat?

Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place


Store up off the floor so that air can circulate around the container, reducing the chance of condensation inside the buckets

Do not store wheat (grains) next to areas where there are strong odors, they can permeate through the container and cause the grain to take on the odor.

I personally use a liner in my buckets.  This is precious cargo, and I want to protect it from pest infestation.

Where do I purchase Wheat?

In our area, you have many, many options.  Here are just a few:

• Lehi Roller Mills
• Allison's Pantry
• Emergency Essentials
• Lindon Family Home Storage Center
• Macey's (particularly when they have their Food Storage Sales)
• Alpine Food Storage
• Five Star Preparedness 
• Good Earth Natural Food Stores
• Aguason Farms (Formerly Blue Chip Group)

How much should I store per person?

Depending upon who you read, 200-300 pounds of Grains (which includes more than Wheat) per adult.  For children under 6 years of age, multiply the adult amount by .5, and for children between ages 7-9 years, multiply by .75.  (From Living Prepared)

Please remember that Wheat is only one of your grains.  Cereals, flour, rice, etc also are included in the "Grain" category.  Look at what your family eats.  Also, learn how to use Wheat in a few recipes (like making basic bread) and determine how much you need.  Just an FYI, 200 pounds of wheat is just 5 bags.  I think that sometimes we get caught up in the 'numbers' of Food Storage and get overwhelmed.  

Now, you can do 5 bags can't you?

It's a matter of ....choosing between purchasing Wheat versus Wheat Flour

In light of the recent caselot sales, I have received inquiries about different food items and how long they store. Here is a recent question:

"Does it take 5 gallons of wheat to make 5 gallons of wheat flour ground? I ask this because Macey's has wheat for $18.99 and wheat flour for $19.99/for 5 gallon buckets. So for one dollar more, I would not have to grind all that wheat. Should I look at it this way?"

Here is my answer:

Wheat versus flour: In regard to volume, you will have more flour after it is milled. However, once wheat has been milled or ground, it needs to be used quickly. Some sources say that it must be used within 2 weeks, others say between 2 months up to 6 months. I believe the 6-months suggestion is really an outlier. However, if the fat content is below 2 percent, you could try to store it for several months.

In general, whole wheat flour cannot be stored long term. However, all purpose flour can be stored for years. The difference with whole wheat flour is that the fat within the wheat kernel is disturbed during the milling process. The fat goes rancid when it is ground and not used. All purpose flour has had the fat removed and it is bleached. If you purchase the wheat flour already milled or ground, you would know that you would need to use it right away. Lastly, wheat can be stored (unmilled) for years and years.

Hopefully this information can help you make an informed decision about what you wish to purchase. Best wishes on your efforts to be prepared.

Wheat Prices ......way down

Last fall, we saw a tremendous increase in wheat prices, and many people were scrambling to find it where ever they could find it. This spring is a different story. See the chart below.


Now is a great time to buy wheat. But, as one member of our ward informed me on Sunday, Lehi Roller Mills (LRM) was out of wheat when he went to get some. LRM was out of wheat on and off last fall as were other retailers in our area. It is the basic law of supply and demand.

There is a sense of heightened awareness regarding food storage staples right now. So, use due diligence and find it if you don't have it. Suppliers in our area to check are are:

• Allison's Pantry



• Lehi Roller Mills



• Macey (Look in the Preparedness "nook" or area)



• Emergency Essentials



• Walton Wheat (Alpine Food Storage is now placing an order with them every 2 weeks, see February posts for more information)

I would encourage you not to wait to purchase this important staple. See these 2 excerpts from the following sources:

Feb 4 - A lack of credit for seeds and fertilizers for farmers over the last six months could limit food production and trigger a new wave of price rises, Nestle Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe has warned. The chairman of the world’s largest food company said: “Many farmers over the world didn't have access in October, November, and December for credits. They were limited in acquiring seed and acquiring fertilizer.” “It is probable that in 2009 we have a decline in production and we will have an increase in demand,” he said. “This will have another push on raw materials.” Some analysts fear plummeting food prices may prompt farmers to lower plantings and investment – leading to drop in crop production in 2009. (Flexnews 2/4/09)

Feb 4- The 400-mile Central Valley (in California) is many things: the world's largest agricultural area; the "salad bowl", where half of the country's vegetables are grown. But this year, with water shortages of a severity not seen for decades, many farmers and others are echoing the recent words of energy secretary Steven Chu: if current weather patterns continue, Californian agriculture could disappear. John "Dusty" Giacone, another fourth-generation Central Valley farmer, was forced to abandon his vegetable crop and divert his scarce water to save his 4,000 hectares of almond trees. “Taking water from a farmer is like taking a pipe from a plumber," Giacone told the Associated Press. "How do you conduct business?" (Dan Glaister in Los Angeles guardian.co.uk

If you are wondering what you will do with it when you get it, contact me and also watch the blog. I plan to include information on grains, milling, and even a few tried-n-true recipes for you.

One of the scriptures that we memorized for ward conference this year applies here:

"For behold, again I say unto you that if you will enter in by the way, and
receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what you should
do" (2 Nephi 32:5)

Best wishes on your quest to be prepared.