PAGE HIDDEN- Heirloom Red Fife Hard Red Winter Wheat & Flour
Red Fife is an heirloom wheat highly valued for its excellent baking quality and wonderful flavor. It was the standard grain for the baking and milling industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is even listed on the Slow Food’s Ark of Taste.
This hard wheat has a higher protein content the our Bess soft wheat. It averages about 11.3% protein. Making it slightly better then Bess for yeasted breads. We find that is still excellent for pancakes, muffins, and quick breads too.
Info on Wheat Grain:
Whole unmilled wheat grains are called wheat berries. (They are not actual berries, just grains of wheat. I don’t know why they are called berries.)
Wheat berries can be cooked and eaten like rice or other grains. To cook, simmer 2 parts salted water with 1 part rinsed grains for 45min-1hour, until tender but still nicely chewy. Many people make a grain salad with cooked wheat berries, fresh herbs, nuts, dried fruit, oil and vinegar, and fresh or roasted veggies.
Grains are viable seeds can be used to plant in the garden, grow wheat grass, or make sprouted flour. Since this is winter wheat, it is normally planted in the fall for harvest the following summer. I have heard of local farmers successfully planting Red Fife in the spring for late summer harvest.
If stored in a cool, dry, air tight location, the grain will keep for years.
Info on Milling:
Grain can be ground at home using a blender, food processor, grain mill, or coffee grinder.
Grain can be stone milled on farm for an extra .50/lb. It will be milled fresh to order to ensure the best quality. Once milled, the flour should be stored in the fridge or freezer for up to a year. If stored on the countertop, it is best used within about 2 weeks. This is because the flour contains all the natural oils of the grain, no preservatives, and is not heat treated.
The grain is not sifted, meaning we do not separate out any of the bran, germ, or other parts the grain. Our flour is truly 100% whole wheat.
Grain is milled in our home kitchen under the Michigan Cottage Food Law. This flour is ”Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development.”
The wheat and flour is a raw food that should be cooked before consuming.
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