Wheat berry cooking question

Question

If using a hard wheat berry is it possible to overccook or just summer it for a few hours to get it soft. Could cooking it longer and putting it in food processor or immersion blend make it that oatmeal consistency ?

Lori T. · Answer

Yes, you can.  The cook time might change some, but pearled barley ought to give you a similar texture and chew.

Hanne · Answer

Would it be okay to use barley grains in stead of wheat?

Emiko · Answer

I agree soaking really helps! And also don't blend them, that isn't the right consistency that you want for this. If you are having trouble with the wheat berries you can try using spelt/farro instead or even rice, though farro will get you closer to the original!

Lori T. · Answer

Personally, I prefer to soak wheat berries overnight in the fridge, and then cook them in a pressure cooker to get them soft enough for desserts or other uses that require mushy grains.  You don't want to put them in a food processor, because you want them to provide some chew and texture.  It should thicken to a consistency of oatmeal, but not dissolve entirely.  There should still be a slight bite to the grains, easy to chew but with a bit of resistance so you know you bit something.  You could also use quick cook forms or either barley or farro as well, which won't require quite as much cooking to soften.

Wheat berry cooking question

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