How to Make Cracked Wheat Cereal

Wheat is an ideal emergency storage item. It stores better than just about any other food. It also packs a lot of nutrients and has been a staple of many people for thousands of years. Turning your storage wheat into bread however, is a long and difficult process. Almost all bread recipes require other ingredients that do not store well, such as oil and yeast. You also need an oven, that may not be available if there's no power. Making cracked wheat cereal from your storage wheat is quick and easy. It takes less than 20 minutes, and that includes grinding the wheat. This recipe makes 4, 4-ounce servings. This article is part of my "Survive the Collapse of Civilization" series.

Things You'll Need

• 1 1/2 Cups Water, 3/4 Cups Wheat, 1/8 Tbs Salt, Wheat Grinder

Instructions

1. 

   Purchase a hand grain grinder if you don't already have one. They can be found on the web for about $75. Check the links on this page. It doesn't take long to grind wheat by hand, and if the power is out, an electric grinder will be of no use.

2. 

   Attach the Grinder to a sturdy table. You may need to place a small piece of cardboard under the foot of the grinder to prevent damage to your table.

3. 

   Grind the wheat into a coarse flour. Use only what you will need for the next week or so. In a cool, dry place, wheat stores for about 30 years. Once it's "cracked" or ground into flour, it's shelf life is much less. Using the grinder in the picture, it takes me less than 1 minute to grind a cup of wheat.

4. 

   In a small saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil.

5. 

   Quickly stir in the cracked wheat and continue to stir to prevent lumps.

6. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cool about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

7. 

   I add milk and sugar, but you can serve with a variety of condiments such as chopped apples, raisins or other dried fruit, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon sugar, coconut, fresh berries or bananas.

Tips & Warnings

• Nutrition: One 4-ounce serving provides approximately: 76 calories, 3 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mcg folate, 1 mg iron, 76 mg sodium.