Step-by-step guide on how to germinate wheat at home

Biotechnology

The company began its activities in 1990. It quickly won the hearts of the villagers. Today it occupies one of the leading positions in the production and sale of seed material of its own production.

All its products have special patents. There is close cooperation with Austrian and German experts in this field.

All proposed planting material is adapted to the climate of the northern and central regions of our country. All products are thoroughly tested in experimental fields.

The branded packaging contains tips on proper cultivation and care. All products are protected by a guarantee. Seedlings of various fruit trees and shrubs are grown on the premises of the enterprise.

Methods for storing feed grains

Storage of grain and seeds can be carried out in three types of granaries: a hangar for floor storage of grain, as well as silos made of concrete or metal alloy. They differ in functionality and have their own advantages and disadvantages.

A ground warehouse provides such advantages as constant storage, a low degree of mechanical damage to seeds, and the ability to store different batches of raw materials separately. The disadvantages of floor grain storage are the lack of mechanization. With this method, raw materials are not stored compactly and occupy large areas.

Concrete silo is a reliable design for temporary and long-term grain storage. It has a high level of thermal insulation, so the quality of the contents will not depend on weather conditions. Such storages are not afraid of frequent reboots. However, maintaining such concrete wells is quite difficult. The proportion of crushed particles also increases due to friction against the walls and bottom.

Metal silos are the most modern bunker and come in many types and sizes.

This storage allows you to:

• equip the bunker with various mechanisms;
• carry out aeration;
• storage quality control.

It is easy to select such a bunker for your own production volumes. The disadvantage of a metal silo is its low level of thermal insulation; it does not protect the contents from low and high temperatures. Such devices are more convenient as drives or temporary storage.

To store large volumes of grain intended for poultry: chickens, ducks, geese, you can use special premises. The walls of which are lined with iron from the inside, and the floors are concrete. In such premises it is stored in bulk. The grain pile must be systematically inspected, checking for moisture and the presence of insects.

If there is not much grain, it is stored in special boxes - lockers. You can make a similar container for storing grain with your own hands using boards and timber. The outside must be lined with tin, and the top of the box must be covered with a lid, this will help protect the grain from both mice and larger rodents.

A box constructed for storage must be installed on stands so that the grain at its bottom does not attract moisture.

When stored in bags, they should not be stacked in more than 15 rows.

But with any storage method, it should be in a closed, well-ventilated area. Because when wet it becomes sour, which makes it unsuitable for either humans or animals.

Raw materials for food and household purposes can be stored for up to 6 years, but those intended for planting cannot be stored for more than 14 months.

In addition, grain seeds belonging to elite varieties are most often stored in bags. Sometimes raw materials are put into bags for transportation. During bulk storage, the process of selecting and rejecting low-quality raw materials is facilitated. This method allows you to save on purchasing consumables such as bags.

Seed requirements

Sprouted wheat is used to improve the health of the body. Therefore, the seeds must be of high quality. You can buy grains at a specialty store. They are required to have a conclusion from the sanitary and epidemiological services. So that there is no doubt about the quality of the seeds, you can ask the seller to show it. If the quality of the product was confirmed during the first purchase, you can subsequently buy it in this place.

In addition to quality guarantees, the document indicates the manufacturer and the main characteristics of the seeds.

Sometimes wheat is bought from farmers. But in this case, you need to know the conditions for its cultivation well. They determine how far from transport routes and industrial enterprises the area where the crop was harvested was located, how many times the crops were treated and with what.

Under no circumstances should treated seeds be consumed. They can only be used for sowing. High-quality wheat seeds germinate within 24 hours. But sometimes about half of the grains remain unpicked. This indicates low grain quality.

How to germinate wheat at home

To germinate wheat at home you need:

• Grain for germination. High-quality grains for germination germinate at the same time and almost all of them. There are such low-quality grains, of which no more than 50% germinate per day. See the section of this article “How to choose wheat for germination.”
• Dishes for germination. Dishes for sprouting wheat should not be metal. It is better to use plastic containers for food, as their temperature is practically the same as the environment.
• Gauze for covering the sprouted grains so that they do not dry out. It is not necessary to cover with gauze if it is possible to wash the grains at least once every 8 hours. You can cover the container with a lid, leaving a gap for air. The only purpose of the covering is to keep the grains moist, but not drenched in water.

To germinate wheat at home, rinse the grains with water, remove other debris and floating grains - they are not suitable for germination. Place the washed grains in a bowl and fill with clean drinking water to swell. After about 8 hours, when the grains have swelled, rinse them under running water, drain all the water, spread the grains evenly on the bottom of the dish, cover with damp gauze folded in several layers and leave to germinate at room temperature (about 20°C). After about 8 hours (sometimes longer), small white sprouts will appear on the grains. If the grains are not covered with gauze, wash them with water from time to time to wash away any mucus that appears and prevent the grains from drying out and the development of various bacteria. It is convenient to use a small strainer to rinse germinating wheat under running water. After washing, the sprouted wheat should give off a pronounced fresh aroma .

Wheat for germination at home

Wheat is considered sprouted and ready to eat when noticeable white sprouts have emerged. The most useful is wheat with sprouts up to 2-3 mm long. After washing, the sprouted wheat should give off a pronounced fresh aroma.

As a result of germination, the volume of wheat doubles.

It may not be possible to germinate wheat correctly the first time at home.

The main mistakes when germinating wheat at home:

• too much water during germination (the water must be drained);
• too large a layer of grains, due to which it begins to overheat (“suffocate”);
• Germination takes too long;
• drying of grains that have begun to germinate.

Important!

• Although you should wash the grains twice a day during the germination process;
• so that the grains have a fresh aroma;
• so that the grains do not dry out.

It is necessary to distinguish grains that burst due to swelling due to an excess of water from those that actually germinate. With experience, wheat germination becomes very simple. The usual germination cycle: soaked in the morning, washed in the evening, washed in the morning, and by lunchtime the sprouts are ready to eat. High-quality wheat for germination germinates to a state ready for consumption within a day.

If the wheat has not sprouted within 2 days, then it is not suitable for consumption, even if the sprouts appear later. It is also not recommended to eat grains that have darkened or if the sprouts on them have grown more than 3 mm.

What to germinate and how to choose the right raw materials

Sprouted grain sprouts

Beneficial properties of sprouted grains:

• increase immunity;
• normalize metabolism;
• rejuvenate the body;
• improve digestion;
• cleanse blood and lymph;
• stabilize the activity of all body systems;
• increase the performance and vitality of the body.

You can germinate almost any cereal, legumes and vegetable seeds. Recently, it has become fashionable to sprout nuts. Wheat, rye, barley and oats germinate quickly and are very nutritious.

Legumes include chickpeas, mung beans and lentils. Sunflower and flax seeds germinate quickly. Everyone decides for themselves what suits them best. Some grow only buckwheat or wheat for themselves, others grow several crops at once.

Wheat and oats can be bought at the market. Already when purchasing, you need to pay attention to the quality of raw materials. If there are a lot of weedy and unripe grains, then it is better not to take them. Mung beans and lentils are found in grocery stores.

Buckwheat has been known since ancient times for its medicinal properties. Read about the calorie content of buckwheat and its beneficial properties in our article.

Echinacea is a flower of health and has valuable immunomodulatory effects. Here you can read how this plant is useful for boosting immunity.

It is advisable to purchase grain from regular suppliers who guarantee the environmental purity of the product. You can buy by the kilogram or for future use. Store grain in a dry place inaccessible to rodents.

Sprouting is a process that involves washing, soaking, draining and regularly washing the grains until sprouts appear. The grain is carefully inspected and removed with visible signs of spoilage: unripe, black, damaged.

First, the dead seeds are sifted out. To do this, immerse the grain in a container of water. Any floating “empty” seeds and debris are thrown away. Then the grain is washed and disinfected. Prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate, pour in the raw materials, mix thoroughly and leave for a while. After 5 minutes, the water is drained through cheesecloth and the grain is washed three times in running water.

It is important to choose the right dishes. For soaking, you should take glass, enamel, porcelain or earthenware that does not emit toxic substances. If a plastic container is used, it must be made of food-grade plastic.

Clay pots are best. They have the ability to absorb up to 10% moisture and gradually release it to the sprouts, eliminating molding of the seeds. The walls of the pot breathe, providing air access to all grains.

Types of elevators

Elevators are special structures where the harvested crops are stored. They are divided into several types. Each has a purpose and features.

Procurement

The procurement type of elevators is designed for temporary storage of wheat. Such structures are built near agricultural enterprises that can provide a sufficient amount of grain.

These warehouses are used to prepare crops for sowing, primary processing of the crop and its storage. The dried and purified raw materials are then sent to their destination by road, water or rail.

Basic

In basic complexes, the crop is cleaned more thoroughly. Wheat is sorted in accordance with the requirements of the enterprises that will process it. Grain is stored here for further consumption, raw materials are distributed in uniform batches and in large volumes. Such elevators are located near major transport interchanges.

Transshipment

Granaries of this type are often used for short-term storage of crop supplies. The structures are located close to large farms, water and railway routes for further transportation of crops over long distances.

Production

Industrial elevators are built on or near processing plants. These structures serve as an auxiliary complex for the production of flour, cereals, etc.

Such granaries constantly supply factories with wheat. The size of the structures depends on the capacity of the enterprises.

Stock

Stock buildings are used to store wheat for a certain period of time (usually several years).

Such procurement complexes are filled only with the highest quality raw materials. They replenish stocks or send them for processing only in cases where there is a shortage or a decision is made to renew the grain. Such complexes are built only near large railway junctions.

Port

After the base and transshipment elevators, the wheat is brought to the port elevators, where the grain is temporarily stored before being sent for export.

After undergoing the next processing, the wheat is loaded onto ships and sent outside the country. Port elevators are also used to receive imported grain before being sent to the domestic market.

These are large complexes, the volumes of which will satisfy the demand of the domestic and foreign markets.

Implementation

This type of elevator is required to provide food enterprises with raw materials. Here they receive grain from farms and then sell it to factories.

Wheat is kept in sales granaries for a short time and is sold in small batches.

Storing Boiled Grains

Separate grains can be stored for an incredibly long time. There are two interesting ways to do this.

• Boil the cobs.
• Carefully cut off the grains.
• Place them in jars to the top.
• Pour boiling water with salt (a teaspoon of salt is placed in one liter of water).
• Place in the refrigerator.

In this form, boiled grains will not spoil for three whole months. But a few weeks after the start of storage, you must add salted water to the jars, since the corn absorbs some of the salt.

• Dip the cobs a couple of times, alternately first in hot and then in cold water.
• Dry.
• Separate the grains.
• Place the corn in sealed plastic bags and place in the freezer.

In this form, the product can be stored for up to one and a half years. Corn retains its usefulness and pleasant taste.

Thawed grains should be used immediately. You cannot put them in the freezer again: the product becomes harmful to the stomach.

Rules for drying barley

In order for barley to be safely stored for a long time, it is dried. The process is carried out in special dryers using hot air or in vacuum units. It is necessary to ensure that the moisture content of the barley is about 10%. In shaft-type installations operating with heated air, barley is fed into the upper compartment, from where it flows down.

Did you know? Barley contains complete protein, which is why it is in great demand in vegetarian cooking.

At this time, heated air is supplied through horizontal blinds, drying the grains. The temperature of the air masses largely depends on the humidity of the original barley: the lower its value, the more heated the air supplied by the firebox should be.

Counterflow shaft dryer for barley.

You can track the indicators using the table below:

Once at the bottom, the grain is blown with cold air and cooled. The Granifngor cooler from Sulzer Escher-Wyss shows good results. During its operation, air is supplied from below, due to which the base of the embankment is cooled first, and then the upper layers.

Find out also how buckwheat is harvested from the fields.