Parched Green Wheat Fetches A Premier Price

Parched Green Wheat Fetches A Premier Price CROPS New Crops Anthony and Carol Boutard harvest wheat about a month early at Ayers Creek Farm in Gaston Ore and then invest propane labor and time to process it into parched green wheat that sells for as much as $9/lb to local restaurant owners     Called Freekeh Anthony Boutard says parched green wheat has been a staple of Arabic culture for centuries Like other ancient grains it has seen a recent resurgence Chefs interested in adding new flavors and textures to their menu appreciate the grain’s smoky slightly sweet “with a hint of grassiness” flavor and tender texture that has a bit of a pop when chewed     Ayers Creek Farm which is certified organic processes between 1 000 and 1 500 lbs of parched green wheat each year in addition to growing hull-less barley milling corn chickpeas dry beans and soy as well as fruits and vegetables on 140 acres     “Wheat and barley provide a valuable rotation crop in our mix of vegetables and legumes We grow an old race of soft red winter wheat It’s a long-straw wheat growing about 3 to 4 ft tall For us the tall stalks are easy and efficient to harvest by hand and the abundant straw adds organic matter to the soil ” Boutard says He adds that though heritage varieties are good candidates for parching most any wheat will work     The challenge is timing     “To get the perfect texture and underlying grassiness the wheat is harvested at the green stage when the endosperm is moving from milk to the soft dough stage We squeeze the kernel between the thumb and forefinger and if just a drop of milky endosperm is released it is the perfect time ” he explains “There is a critical harvest window of 72 hrs or so Then the texture becomes doughy and the flavor shifts to that of mature grain ”     After the wheat heads are hand harvested they are burned with a propane weed burner which stops the sugar from turning to starch and adds a smoky flavor After threshing the wheat is placed on wire trays for about two weeks until the grain dries It’s a challenge to dry the moist wheat without it molding Boutard notes Fans blow through the trays to keep the air moving     “The process we follow is based on a carefully researched and well-illustrated article in the academic journal Economic Botany It details the process used by the traditional green wheat parchers in Lebanon and Jordan Over time we have made a few adaptations necessary for our climate but we have always kept the integrity of the final product in mind It is a craft and rewards the farmer who takes the time and has the patience to do it right ” he says     Even if people aren’t interested in marketing parched green wheat Boutard encourages people to plant a small patch and parch the heads with a plumber’s torch Before drying it he suggests eating some of it fresh     “It’s a treat to eat but we never sell it fresh because it’s prone to molding even when refrigerated ” Boutard says “It is cooked like pasta or sweet corn using plenty of water and boiled until the desired tenderness about 20 to 30 min ”     The dried parched green wheat from the farm ends up on plates in Middle Eastern Italian French and Japanese restaurants as well as in business class bento boxes for Delta airline flights from Portland to Tokyo     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Anthony and Carol Boutard Ayers Creek Farm 15219 SW Spring Hill Rd Gaston Ore 97119 ph 503 985-0177; aboutard@easystreet net; #ayerscreekfarm

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