DIY Bulgur
As long as you have a grain mill to crack cooked and dried wheat berries there is nothing simpler than making your own bulgur. This Middle Eastern invention likely extends back to the dawn of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent. All that one needs to do is boil wheat berries until soft, drain, and spread out to dry for a few days in the sun. According to Paula Wolfert in her 1998 Mediterranean Grains and Greens, a typical rural Turkish village will take a week out of their year just after the wheat harvest to make up their bulgur needs for the rest of the year. After cracking these cooked berries into smaller pieces, they are then ready for eating after a quick 30 minute or so soak in water. Here’s the full process: 2 pounds wheat berries Cover wheat berries with ample water and bring to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat to simmer, cover pot, and cook until the berries are tender, at least 1½ hours. Drain cooked berries, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Let sit in the colander for a half hour to allow the berries to fully drain. Place drained cooked wheat on a fine screen and let sit in the sun – or some other dry place – for 3-4 days until fully dried.
Run the dry cooked wheat through a grain mill to crack the berries into small pieces. If you prefer you can sieve the cracked grains and store by size: extra coarse (used in soups); large (used for pilaf); medium (used in stuffed grape leaves and other vegetables); and fine (used for tabbouleh and kisir). Archive |
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