Whole Grains

[missy'smom]

Can anyone recommend types of whole grains and sources to obtain them. I am looking for a few new ones to rotate in my diet and would appreciate your help to see if I've overlooked any.

I am already consuming quinoa, brown rice, soon to start wild rice. I know of a source for buckwheat, gluten-free oats of course. Our local asian market sells millet but I am undecided if it will be CC'd. Anyone have any luck with whole grain millet? Any others?

[RiceGuy]

I've yet to find a safe buckwheat, and thus the flour from every source I've tried has also proved unsafe for me, with one exception. That exception is the buckwheat flour from Bouchard Farm. They grow and mill their own, and that's all they grow, and that's all they mill. It's a different variety of buckwheat than I've ever found anywhere else too. However, not everyone will react to less than 20ppm gluten, so you might have an easier time finding one that is safe.

What is the buckwheat source you've located?

I think I did get glutened by millet once or twice. Difficult to tell sometimes, and haven't tried in awhile. But I've certainly had less trouble with millet than with buckwheat. One thing to note about millet, is that some say it is a bit goitrogenic, so if you're dealing with low thyroid issues, you may find it drags you down in that way. Eden's Organics sells certified gluten-free millet, though their certified gluten-free buckwheat is no safer for me than the others I've tried. So choose your sources carefully. I don't know if the millet from an Asian market is produced in an Asian country, or if it's domestically grown, but that might influence the chances of it being contaminated. The US is so wheat-centric, it's practically impossible to find a major grain crop grown domestically which isn't contaminated. I think the less popular it is, the better the chances of it being safe, just because the growers are more often catering to a relatively small market.

Sorghum grain is another, and there's also amaranth, teff, Job's Tears, and kaniwa (relative to quinoa, but not bitter). Incidentally, there's also red quinoa.

HTH

[missy'smom]

I've yet to find a safe buckwheat, and thus the flour from every source I've tried has also proved unsafe for me, with one exception. That exception is the buckwheat flour from Bouchard Farm. They grow and mill their own, and that's all they grow, and that's all they mill. It's a different variety of buckwheat than I've ever found anywhere else too. However, not everyone will react to less than 20ppm gluten, so you might have an easier time finding one that is safe.

What is the buckwheat source you've located?

I think I did get glutened by millet once or twice. Difficult to tell sometimes, and haven't tried in awhile. But I've certainly had less trouble with millet than with buckwheat. One thing to note about millet, is that some say it is a bit goitrogenic, so if you're dealing with low thyroid issues, you may find it drags you down in that way. Eden's Organics sells certified gluten-free millet, though their certified gluten-free buckwheat is no safer for me than the others I've tried. So choose your sources carefully. I don't know if the millet from an Asian market is produced in an Asian country, or if it's domestically grown, but that might influence the chances of it being contaminated. The US is so wheat-centric, it's practically impossible to find a major grain crop grown domestically which isn't contaminated. I think the less popular it is, the better the chances of it being safe, just because the growers are more often catering to a relatively small market.

Sorghum grain is another, and there's also amaranth, teff, Job's Tears, and kaniwa (relative to quinoa, but not bitter). Incidentally, there's also red quinoa.

HTH

I thought Birkett Mills was a good source for buckwheat. No?

Have you seen the other grains, sorghum etc. as whole grains and not flours?

[dilettantesteph]

I've been eating Birkett Mills (Wolff's) buckwheat without problems and I am very sensitive. I've sorted quite a bit and haven't found anything looking like a gluten grain in there yet. Twin Valley Mills is the best whole sorghum source I have found, but I have found what looked like wheat berries so you do need to sort. I found only one after sorting 60 lbs of the stuff, so it's not bad. If you aren't sensitive, maybe you don't have to worry about that amount. On their website, to see the whole grain sorghum, click on the order form. I got millet from a millet only facility "without any wheat within 100 miles". When I sorted it, it was full of what looked like wheat berries. Sigh! Eden Organic also has millet. I haven't found anything else in it but I haven't sorted much.

To me, sorghum tastes most like wheat and makes nice baked goods.

[ravenwoodglass]

I've yet to find a safe buckwheat, and thus the flour from every source I've tried has also proved unsafe for me, with one exception. That exception is the buckwheat flour from Bouchard Farm. They grow and mill their own, and that's all they grow, and that's all they mill. It's a different variety of buckwheat than I've ever found anywhere else too. However, not everyone will react to less than 20ppm gluten, so you might have an easier time finding one that is safe.

What is the buckwheat source you've located?

If it is available in your area Pocono Buckwheat is grown and processed near me. They only grow buckwheat and only process buckwheat so there is no CC issues with it. I even buy the hulls to use as mulch and the dry ones to stuff pillows. I think they have a website where you can order it but I am not sure.

[dilettantesteph]

If it is available in your area Pocono Buckwheat is grown and processed near me. They only grow buckwheat and only process buckwheat so there is no CC issues with it. I even buy the hulls to use as mulch and the dry ones to stuff pillows. I think they have a website where you can order it but I am not sure.

That's not what they told me. Pocono Buckwheat is made by Birkett Mills. They contract with outside growers and they don't keep track of what else they might grow. They separate the wheat by size and shape differences.

Open Original Shared Link

[ravenwoodglass]

That's not what they told me. Pocono Buckwheat is made by Birkett Mills. They contract with outside growers and they don't keep track of what else they might grow. They separate the wheat by size and shape differences.

Open Original Shared Link

Years ago I was told they buckwheat came from dedicated fields but that may have changed. However I have never have any issues with their products.

This is from the link to their site:

"The Birkett Mills processes its pure buckwheat food products in a self contained mill dedicated solely to buckwheat grain. No other substances are processed in our buckwheat milling systems.

In addition, all buckwheat received from the farm is thoroughly cleaned of foreign matter to maximize the purity of the grain prior to milling. Fortunately, wheat and other glutinous grains are a very different size and shape than buckwheat, which is actually triangular. Any glutinous grains, which may rarely be present in buckwheat when received from the farm, are quite easily removed in our cleaning process.

After milling, our pure buckwheat food products are packaged immediately on totally dedicated equipment."

[RiceGuy]

I thought Birkett Mills was a good source for buckwheat. No?

Have you seen the other grains, sorghum etc. as whole grains and not flours?

From what I can tell, it's not produced by dedicated growers and transported with dedicated equipment. Every source I've found is basically purchased bulk from whomever they can get it from. The milling process may be dedicated, but by that time it's too late. At least it is for me.

I've seen most of the other grains I mentioned both whole and as flour.

I've been eating Birkett Mills (Wolff's) buckwheat without problems and I am very sensitive. I've sorted quite a bit and haven't found anything looking like a gluten grain in there yet. Twin Valley Mills is the best whole sorghum source I have found, but I have found what looked like wheat berries so you do need to sort. I found only one after sorting 60 lbs of the stuff, so it's not bad. If you aren't sensitive, maybe you don't have to worry about that amount. On their website, to see the whole grain sorghum, click on the order form. I got millet from a millet only facility "without any wheat within 100 miles". When I sorted it, it was full of what looked like wheat berries. Sigh! Eden Organic also has millet. I haven't found anything else in it but I haven't sorted much.

I've never found a gluten grain in any of the buckwheat I've tried either, but I still get glutened by it. Rinsing it doesn't make it any safer for me. The contamination varies from time to time, so it might be fine for a few weeks or months. Then, along with starting a new bag comes a glutening, and I end up narrowing it down to the new bag of buckwheat. Apparently all it takes is the dust from a gluten grain left behind in some equipment, storage facility, etc. Or maybe it's wheat pollen drifting in from a neighboring field. I don't know by what method it gets in there, but I know it does.

Years ago I was told they buckwheat came from dedicated fields but that may have changed. However I have never have any issues with their products.

This is from the link to their site:

"The Birkett Mills processes its pure buckwheat food products in a self contained mill dedicated solely to buckwheat grain. No other substances are processed in our buckwheat milling systems.

In addition, all buckwheat received from the farm is thoroughly cleaned of foreign matter to maximize the purity of the grain prior to milling. Fortunately, wheat and other glutinous grains are a very different size and shape than buckwheat, which is actually triangular. Any glutinous grains, which may rarely be present in buckwheat when received from the farm, are quite easily removed in our cleaning process.

After milling, our pure buckwheat food products are packaged immediately on totally dedicated equipment."

Yeah, but when the growers aren't using dedicated equipment and storage facilities, it gets contaminated, at least enough to get me. Their equipment apparently can't filter out wheat dust.

[dilettantesteph]

I've never found a gluten grain in any of the buckwheat I've tried either, but I still get glutened by it. Rinsing it doesn't make it any safer for me.

Rinsing doesn't do it for me either. I wash with soap and sometimes even that doesn't work. Thanks for the heads up. I'll be more watchful. I'm going to try growing my own buckwheat next summer, but till then, I have to make due with what's available now.

Have you found a rice that you can tolerate? With a name like RiceGuy, I thought maybe.

[RiceGuy]

Have you found a rice that you can tolerate? With a name like RiceGuy, I thought maybe.

As far as I know, I've never been glutened by Lundberg's rice. They only grow rice, and do all their own processing, milling, packaging, etc. Sure wish there were companies doing that for buckwheat!