Popped wheat experimenting and SUCCESS

Our Bishop's very favorite treat is popped wheat. Now I've tried it with the frying pan method and haven't been too impressed so I was quite intrigued. Things weren't working too well with him remembering how -- so search and experiment we've gone. I just knew if it was his favorite treat, it must be good!!

My husband learned what I was trying to do and waa laa -- he did some searching and came up with a couple recipes. He takes very good care of me!

I'm just a little twisted when it comes to more than one recipe and have to find out which one is the best. Causes LOTS of work but I surely learn a lot. And I always remember that practice makes perfect. LOL We finally had it tasting like corn nuts -- except it was wheat. We were pleased. We had the Bishop sample and we were very close. He then gave us a bag of what he buys -- so now we could really compare and back to experimenting we went.

Ya know -- sometimes it just takes many to succeed. We decided to use some white wheat and we considered it even more successful. My son made a suggestion or two and after another batch .......WE ARE SO THERE ....... but still want to do just a little tweaking.

To be quite frankly honest, I think we've succeeded pretty well with all of them because we've eaten about 10 batches and loved every one of them. LOL One recipe said to use soft wheat berries. I've changed my philosophy - which was that if it couldn't be made with hard red wheat, then I wasn't going to make it - and ordered some. I will make a batch or two just to see if they make it even more like the professionally made.

My husband is now eating LOTS of wheat. So typical -- we zap all the life out of it when we do things like this and then love it! WARNING -- this has zero - that's a big 0 - nutritional value.


Notice - there is still a little difference in the puffiness but I think that can be obtained by cooking it just a little longer. You want it to split and it will be kind of sticky.

And now -- the RECIPE!!!

1 cup wheat --- the above was cooked for 1 hr 15 min. If it were cooked longer, I believe it would be the puffiness I desire. Drain and put on a towel and let dry a bit (10-15 minutes). One cup of wheat before cooked will equal about six batches to be fried.

Put a couple inches of oil in a pot large enough for deep fat frying. Heat to 360 degrees.

Put 1/2 cup of the cooked wheat in a wire basket or strainer and put in the oil. Cook for 2 min 20 seconds or until it turns a good (deep) golden brown. (When you use less wheat at a time, the oil temp does not fall and that was a factor in the experimenting.) Drain on a paper towel and salt or season as you desire. Cool completely and store in a glass jar -- if you have any left. LOL (See recipe added on April 19 for the refined, tried & tested recipe)

I do not have a strainer that has small enough holes so the wheat does not fall through. So to get them out, I put a strainer on another pan and poured the oil and fried wheat into it. I then put the wheat on the paper towel and poured the oil back into the cooking pot. Whatever works!!

Some suggestions for seasonings and uses on the recipes we found were: salt; onion salt; garlic salt; barbecue salt; dust with powdered ranch dressing; sprinkle with Kraft Grated American Cheese Food (sharp cheddar flavor); use it as a cereal served with honey, butter and milk; add to dried fruit and chocolate chips for a great trail mix; wonderful on salads; cinnamon and sugar; mixed with granola or any trail mix; as a topping for ice cream and desserts; or just by the handful.

Basak