MORE INFO ON WHEAT MONTANA PRODUCTS -
In 2001, Wheat Montana Farms were voted the #1 farming operation in the U.S. by Farm Progress Companies.
This rates the nation’s best farms.
HERE’S A BIT MORE INFO ON THEIR PRODUCTS - __________________________________________________
ARE WHEAT MONTANA PRODUCTS "ORGANIC"?
No, but they are tested to be "chemical free".
In a newsletter, they write,
"Wheat Montana products are tested for chemical residues and carry a chemical free guarantee.".
They go on to say, "Our "Better Than Organic" guarantee. All grains are grown under strict management practices. We then test each lot for chemicals in an extensive 120 chemical screening process done by an independent laboratory......Plus, all of our grains are stored without the air of fumigants or chemical protectants. Only natural-air drying is used to maintain quality. Our grains are dry and resist bug infestation naturally. Also, we guarantee all of our grians to be GMO free."
I believe Wheat Montana’s facilities are State, USDA, OCIA, FDA and US Army inspected. They write, "We give tours of our plant often, and are proud of our sanitation standards." They even have a bakery at Wheat Montana, which I’ve been told by a visitor, makes delicious stuff!
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IS THEIR HONEY RAW?
Yes, and the beekeeper said he would say the honey’s enzymes are intact, too. Their honey is Sweetgrass Bees Honey and it’s harvested mostly from clover.
Wheat Montana wrote,"This is the purest Montana honey we’ve ever seen. It’s all grown in the shadow of the Crazy Mountains in Sweetgrass Country. This is pure clover honey, light in color and sweeter than any other.....This honey is absolutely premium quality."
If a honey is thin and easily pourable, there’s a good chance it’s been heated to the boiling point. This honey is never heated to the boiling point, but rather is raw, warmed only enough to be able to pour it into jars, and strained.
So, it’s as raw as you can get it, and delicious! Very light, delicate taste! My children love it!
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHEAT MONTANA’S DIFFERENT WHEATS?
Prairie Gold is high-protein, hard white spring wheat.
Bronze Chief is high-protein, hard, red, spring wheat.
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN WHEAT MONTANA’S FLOURS?
Natural white - is like white flour except it is not bleached. They use Bronze Chief red wheat but it is white because they sift out the bran.
Prairie Gold - tan color; 1 sifting of bran & wheat germ.
Bronze Chief - darkest color and heaviest.
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DOES FLOUR LAST AS LONG AS THE WHOLE BERRY?
WHAT ABOUT "CRACKED" GRAINS?
Anytime you open the outer "shell" of a wheat berry, you expose it to air and it begins slowly losing nutrients. So, cracked or rolled/flaked grains lose their nutrients faster than whole, and ground up flour loses it the fastest.
I’ve gotten two different answers on how long the flour lasts. One said 6 months if cool & dry and another said 2 year shelf life, and I think that’s because there’s so many variables that can change things. I’ve also heard rolled and flaked grains should be used within a year.
I believe their flour is stone ground, doesn’t have preservatives and if you freeze it, you can keep it longer.
A pail of grain might have an indefinate shelf life if
* never opened
* kept out of water
* dry and cool
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WHAT ARE "CRACKED" GRAINS USED IN?
Some like it in their bread (½ c.), for a crunchy bread. It softens with cooking so don’t soak them.
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ARE WHEAT MONTANA’S ROLLED OATS QUICK OR OLD FASHIONED?
Old Fashioned - my personal preference!
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CAN YOU COOK OAT GROATS FOR BREAKFAST LIKE OATMEAL?
Yes, but the texture might be a bit "different".
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IS 7 GRAIN MIX READY FOR GRINDING INTO FLOUR?
Yes, but if making yeast rolls or bread, use only 20% Seven grain and 80% hard white wheat flour to make a loaf that will rise well.
Rolled and flaked 7 grain mix is a substitute for oatmeal so use like you would old fashioned oatmeal. If it’s too "hearty" for your family, try mixing it with more oatmeal.
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IS RED WHEAT THE DARK FLOUR IN BROWN BREADS?
Yes, it’s a heavier wheat. Bronze Chief is a hard, red wheat and Prairie Gold is a hard, white wheat. I was told, "The difference between those is simply the color. The Prairie Gold is lighter, so bakes up to be lighter and sweeter in taste and lighter in color. Both of these wheats are high in protein and gluten and therefore are premium bread flours."
"We also carry soft white wheat, which is lower in protein and gluten. This would be more appropriate for pastries such as cookies, cakes, pie crusts, etc. You would not want to try this for breads simply because you would have a tough time getting it to rise because of the low gluten content."
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WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO STORE MY GRAINS, ESPECIALLY WHEN AVOIDING BUG INFESTATION?
Dry and cool and don’t cut the seals on the lids so you can keep a tight seal. Instead buy a pail opener from me and open it at intervals around the lid, placing your knee in the center if you need leverage to pry it off. I also keep dry bay leaves in my opened pails as bugs don’t like bay leaves. Just be careful NOT to grind the bay leaves with your grain!
With heat and moisture comes bugs, so a hot garage here in the deep south is asking for critters! I keep my grain in pails, and the grain I buy for long-term storage I buy in a pail so it’ll be packed with oxygen absorbers.
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CAN I STILL USE GRAIN THAT’S GOTTEN BUGS IN IT?
I’ve gotten mixed reviews on whether to use "buggy" grain.
Some say to freeze it, the dead bugs fall to the bottom of the pan and you can sift them out, or blow them off with a fan. But when I asked my rep at Wheat Montana, the answer I got was, "I usually recommend that customers not eat grain that’s had an infestation. Most of the time the grain has been eaten to a certain degree and there could always be larvae attached to the kernels. Of course it’s the customers final decision."
You could call your local extension agency to see what they’d suggest, also.
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DO WHEAT MONTANA’S GRAINS HAVE THEIR SPROUTING CAPACITY?
Yes, except their rice. Hybrid grains will not sprout. Non-hybrid grains will sprout. All Wheat Montana’s grains are non-hybrid, which means they still have their sprouting abilities. I once spilled winter wheat in my front yard and had the nicest green spot you’ve ever seen, all winter long!
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WHAT ABOUT SPROUTED BREAD?
I believe you’d have to sprout, then dry in the sun or a warm oven, but I wouldn’t recommend grinding it in the K-Tec. I’d do it in a blender.
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I’VE HEARD IT’S BEST TO GET GRAIN THAT’S TRIPLE-CLEANED. DOES WHEAT MONTANA TRIPLE-CLEAN THEIR GRAINS?
Yes. They have a state-of-the-art cleaning facility that actually takes grains through MANY cleaning stages, including a de-stoner, a magnet for BB’s, and gravity tables with air to remove the dust! This has been a really clean grain!
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Well, that’s about all I can think to expound on!
Email through the "Contact Us" link at the top of the home page if you come up with more questions!
* By the way, to the best of my ability, every effort has been made to insure accuracy, however I will not be held liable in any way. Thank you for understanding.
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