Storyboard: Oats

Oats

Oats are comforting, hearty, and nourishing. We’re all familiar with quick cooking oatmeal for breakfast, but that’s just the beginning of the story for oats. This crop prefers the cool, wet climates of the northern hemisphere. Think of oats, and you most likely think of the United Kingdom, Germany, and Switzerland, who all have unique traditions for preparing this cereal grain. The Swiss have their muesli, which is oats combined with dried fruit, nuts, and a splash of fresh-squeezed orange juice. In the U.S. we’re into granola. My Irish husband says his father would soak Irish steel cut oatmeal overnight so it would be tender for his breakfast in the morning. Scotland is famous for many dishes from ground oat flours used in farls (a flatbread) to whole oats used in cranachan (a whisky spiked dessert). Oats have many purposes as a pantry ingredient. They can be used as a thickener for soup or a filler for meat loaf and sausage. Oats retain moisture and so extend the shelf life of baked goods like cakes, breads, muffins, and scones. Keep a muesli or granola mix in a jar ready to enjoy for breakfast. Oat flour adds flavor to pancakes and breads, while whole oats can be used to coat a loaf of bread. Cook oats like a rice pilaf and serve them with roast chicken or pork. Crackers made with oats and cheddar are tasty with Guinness. As you can see, there are a lot of things you can do with oats. It’s a free for all! It’s a chance to experiment and try something new!

All Types of Oats

This little grain comes in several forms, from the least processed most whole grain oat groats to pre-cooked instant oats. Let’s break it down now:

– Oat Groats

With a name like that who’s gonna want to eat you? Poor little oat groats. Don’t get put off by their weird name. According to The Splendid Grain, oat groats are the untreated whole grain with the inedible husk removed. They are also known as whole oats. Oat groats are revered for their sweet, oaty flavor and toothsome texture, as well as their nutritive value. They take the longest of all the oats to cook, about 35 minutes. Oat groats can be prepared as a savory pilaf or stuffing, as well as hearty oatmeal for breakfast. Make your own oat flour by grinding whole oats. Because it is low in gluten, oat flour must be combined with high-gluten flours like white bread flour if you are planning on baking bread.

Tips for Cooking Oat Groats

In Whole Grains Every Day Every Way, Lorna Sass advises against overnight soaking or toasting, stating it causes the grain to burst open and does not shorten cooking time or benefit flavor. She suggests salting the cooking water to keep the grains from bursting open. By cooking then steaming the oats, she is left with plump, chewy grains that aren’t sticky.

– Steel Cut Oats

Often referred to as Scottish or Irish oats, these are unrefined whole oats cut into 2 or 3 small pieces. Steel cut oats have a chewy texture and take much longer time to cook than rolled oats. Use steel cut oats for oatmeal, oat cakes, cookies, and scones.

Tips for Cooking Steel Cut Oats

To toast or not to toast? As you read above, Lorna Sass advises against toasting. However, The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean advocates toasting steel cut oats in the oven for twenty minutes to shorten the time spent boiling these oats to 15 minutes. According to this book, toasting also gives the finished oats a nutty flavor.

– Rolled Oats

Rolled oats are probably pretty familiar to most of us who don’t live under a rock. Also known as old fashioned oats, these are whole oats steamed and flattened with rollers. Use them in oatmeal, cookies, muffins, and other baked goods to add density and flavor. Rolled oats are common in granola and as a part of a fruit crisp topping.

– Quick-Cooking Rolled Oats

These are oat groats that have been sliced into pieces before being steamed and rolled into flakes. According to the book, Baking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America, old fashioned rolled oats and quick cooking rolled oats can be used interchangeably in cookie recipes without adversely affecting texture. Do not bake with instant oats though, that would not work out well for you.

– Instant Oats

Instant oats have been pre-cooked and dried before rolling into flakes. They come in little packages, often with added sugar and other stuff. However, instant oats are whole grain just like rolled oats. They have the same nutritional make-up as other oats. According to Dr. Jampolis over at CNN, the difference in instant versus slower cooking oats is glycemic index. Because instant oats have been processed to cook quickly they have a high glycemic index. This means your body is able to digest the oats faster and blood sugar spikes. Very interesting!

Spring Flavor Pairing with Oats

Sweet

cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, honey, maple syrup, sugar, chocolate, dried fruit, fresh fruit, berries, rhubarb, citrus, cherries, stone fruits

Herbal

fennel seed, fresh herbs such as chives, basil, and thyme

Vegetables

celery, carrot, beet, radish, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes (especially sun-dried)