How to Husk Oats
Husking is the act of removing the hard outer layer, called the husk or the hull, from the oat. The husk does not taste good and must be removed before consumption. This process is also known as dehusking or dehulling. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Use a commercial dehuller if you have access to one. A commercial dehuller is a machine that spins the oats in a cylinder while hitting them with pieces of rubber attached to a central axle. This aims to remove the husks without breaking the kernels. These machines range in price from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, but dehusking is very simple if you have one because you just turn the machine on and feed the oats through.
-
2
Use a flour or roller mill if you do not have a commercial dehuller. When using a mill, you heat the oats first so that the grain swells enough to make the husks come apart. Then, you run them through the mill and filter the husks from the oats with a fan. If you are using a flour mill, make sure it's on a coarse setting. While this method is more plausible than using a commercial dehuller, it is still a big investment as these mills cost hundreds of dollars. There is also a dehuller attachment made to fit certain mills, which is a cost-effective option for people who want to upgrade to the performance of a commercial dehuller without the expense.
-
-
3
Use your blender to husk the oats. This is the easiest and cheapest way to husk oats at home because you don't need any expensive equipment. As before using a mill, you should first heat the oats at 180 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour and a half. Then, put them through a blender on medium to high speed. Once blended, manually sift out the hulls from the oats. While this method is significantly cheaper than using a dehuller or a flour or roller mill, it is only moderately effective.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you are not husking oats on a large scale and don't want to pay for a mill, consider purchasing husk-free oats. These oats typically require sorting before being used for cooking because they are not 100 percent husk-free. However, you'll still probably have better results than if you use a blender.
