SC - Glaedenfeld Centre Doins

[BalthazarBlack at aol.com]

In a message dated 00-07-25 01:29:45 EDT, The Ubiquitous Lord Stefan li Rous 
scribbled....

<< 
 What do you have to do to turn these fresh sunflower seeds into the ones
 like you get in the grocery stores? Dry them? Salt them?

To which I reply:  The way I do it is as follows:  Boil the seeds for about 1 
minute in a heavy brine solution, and then dry them off with a towel.  Then, 
spread them out flat on a baking sheet and roast them in a 350 degree oven 
for about 20-25 minutes.  They will not be just like the ones you get in the 
store (which are not really all that roasted, but nummy anyway...).  In fact, 
the seeds prepared this way taste much better, as they take on a more roasted 
flavor.  Exceptionally good when served warm, right out of the oven.
  
 > As for the barley, if you do it again, let me know.  I may be interested 
in 
 > buying a few 50# bags from you.  I don't malt my own barley for brewing 
(too 
 > complicated for my active, on-the-go lifestyle...), but I do use it for 
 > baking, cooking, and eating for breakfast (with heavy cream, honey, and 
dried 
 > apricots or sun-dried cranberries...)
 > 
 > Balthazar of Blackmoor
 
 >>And again, what do you need to do to turn these fresh barley seeds into
 the stuff you eat for breakfast? Do you have to bake them? shell them?

And again I reply:  The only thing I do with them is boil them in water, just 
like oatmeal.  Of course this takes a bit longer (about the same length of 
time as rice). Once the barley is tender, I mix in butter, Heavy Cream, Honey 
and either dried apricots or sun-dried cranberries.  Very tasty, and very 
hearty fare on a cold Winter's Day.
 
 >>And if it is easy to turn this fresh barley into breakfast cereal, why
 did it take until the late 19th century for the cold breakfast cereal
 to become common? Is there some advantage of gruel over cold breakfast
 cereal? Is there some industrial process that needed to be invented?

And finally, I reply:  You know, I'm not really sure why barley never really 
became popular (or fell out of favor) as a breakfast cereal in the States.  
As far as the advantage of barley over cold breakfast cereal, I would have to 
say there are numerous advantages:  No sugar, high fiber, high bran, full of 
nutrition, warming-stick-to-your-ribs texture...  And, as for the industrial 
process required to make barley edible?  I don't think there is one.  I just 
think most Americans are leary of something they didn't grow up with for 
breakfast.  Pearled Barley certainly cooks faster, which may be why it seems 
to have won out over whole barley in the culinary game.  Plus, some folks 
don't like the fiberous bran (or husk) surrounding whole barley.

Balthazar of Blackmoor
 
 --  >>