KAMUT (ancient khorsasan wheat) is a very special wheat that I have really loved using this past year, 2012. As I have mentioned before, I am always trying to use several different types of grains to my diet instead of just whole wheat and KAMUT is one I find easy to add to the things I make. The taste is unlike any other wheat I have tried yet, to me KAMUT has a slightly buttery & nutty taste. It does not seem to have the slightly bitter taste that most wheat has from the bran.
I usually only use KAMUT flour as a portion of the flour in yeast breads because it is low in gluten. I hope to try making 100% KAMUT bread soon to see if I can make it light enough to use as sandwich bread, right now I am looking for a recipe that looks good to me (update: I found a good recipe). I have used KAMUT in bread, rolls, tortillas, pancakes, and muffins; I hope to try it in several other baked goods in 2013.
KAMUT wheat can also be cooked as a whole grain for cereals, salads, or soups but I have yet to try this. I am sure that it would cook up fast in my pressure cooker. I could even make cracked KAMUT with my hand grain mill for oatmeal-like cereals.
KAMUT wheat has not been modified like most modern wheat and the farming of KAMUT is highly controlled for the highest quality wheat. Because of this, KAMUT is superior in nutrition and is easier to digest than modern wheat. KAMUT is also considered a high-energy wheat and it has higher protein levels than modern wheat, which keeps your body going longer.
Like other wheat, KAMUT can be stored almost indefinitely if stored properly, this makes it great for preppers and your food storage. A good example of KAMUT’s ability to be stored for a long time is the story of how it was re-introduced to the world. Khorsasan wheat was commonly used by ancient Egyptians and was found in an Egyptian tomb in the mid 1900’s. It is estimated that this wheat was 4,000 years old. That 4,000 year old wheat was planted, farmed, and became what we call today “KAMUT”. Amazing that this wheat seed was preserved this long and was still good. I’m sure my stored KAMUT will last my life time, except that I will eat it all before then.
I buy my KAMUT wheat in bulk from Kitchen Kneads in Ogden, Utah. I store it in 5 gal food-grade buckets in my basement storage room, which is always below 76 degrees even in the summer. I always have a Gamma twist-off lid on the bucket of wheat that I am currently using so that I can access it easier.
When I grind KAMUT in my grain mill, I find that the flour is slightly coarser feeling than my whole wheat flour. KAMUT flour also tends to adsorb a little more water than whole wheat flour. I grind KAMUT wheat between the pastry and bread settings on the WonderMill grain mill. Fresh ground KAMUT flour, like all whole grain flours, will begin to loose it’s nutrition fast. I like to grind my flour the same day I use it and I don’t keep my leftover whole grain flour more that 2 weeks from the day I milled it, the flour is still good but I like fresher flour.
Some Recipes to Try
KAMUT Buttermilk Rolls
100% KAMUT Bread
Grain Mill Wagon Challenge Recipes
I recently started participating in a Grain Mill Challenge and I made some KAMUT recipes that you might be interested in (click the image to see the recipe).
Kamut Pumpkin Pancakes
KAMUT Breakfast Muffins
Whole Wheat Tortillas with KAMUT
Some of these recipes have been featured on Kamut.com, the official website of KAMUT.