5 minute read
Oats 'n' Groats
By Sarah Stoner
Did You Know...?
The United States is the world’s largest importer of oats, followed by China, Mexico, and Japan. These countries depend on imports to meet their domestic demand for oats and oat-based products. The global trade is a complex network of producers, exporters, importers, and researchers. Canada and Australia are the world’s largest oat exporters, with Poland, Russia, and Finland on the world’s largest growers list. These countries have invested in research and development, improved oat cultivation, and developed new oat varieties better suited to climate and soil conditions. We all benefit from their work.
Over a century ago, oats were one of Skagit County’s main crops, in high demand across the nation as animal feed (before the invention of gas power, replacing horsepower)
The first commercial production of oats in Skagit County circa 1870 was sent to markets in Seattle by barge and horse carriage, and by 1908, the Skagit Delta was producing more oats and hay per acre than any other place in the United States at the time. (source: Genuine Skagit Valley).
Oat seeds are typically planted in summer or early fall and stay dormant through winter. Oats need cold weather to grow: during winter, the seeds store energy until it’s spring and time to grow.
Oats are a nutritional powerhouse, packed with essential vitamins (B1, B5, B6, B9), protein, minerals (iron, zinc, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper), fiber (beta-glucan), and antioxidants.
Oats are a gluten-free grain. (They can be contaminated with wheat in the processing facility, so check first for a gluten-free certification if this is important to you.)
Oats have a higher fiber content compared to other grains.
You can replace breadcrumbs with oats when making meatballs or veggie burgers.
An Oat Lover’s Guide to Summer
Oats in summer? I know, a bowl of soft, warm oats is ubiquitous to winter. But stick with me. Think: energizing easy-to-make bars for a hike or paddle. Hearty griddle cakes for a campout. Granola for a cool summer breakfast on plain Greek yogurt piled with fresh fruit and honey.
Honestly, today, I’m writing about oats primarily to feed my recipe evangelist self. Recipe evangelism is one of my favorite hobbies, likely inherited from my father, who peruses cookbooks for the sheer joy, and don’t you ever suggest that he owns too many… bookshelves and bookshelves, and still room for more.
Perhaps even more than cooking itself, I like to spread the word. Share the love of a healthy, tasty, easy-tomake recipe. Webster defines evangelism as “zealous advocacy of a cause.”
Me. Recipes. Summer.
Thank you for indulging my platform. Happy summer to you! This is also a fine time to understand the various types of oats and their best use.
So! Oats! In their purest, unprocessed form, oats are covered in an inedible hull. All the magic begins once the hull is removed. The different types of oats all originate from the same raw oat kernel—the different names reflect how the oat grain is processed:
Oat Groats
Oat groats are the whole, intact kernel in their rawest state with the hull removed. They are what other varieties of oats are derived from. Soak them overnight if you want to speed things along when cooking; since they’re so unprocessed, they take the most time to soften. They are chewy, toothsome, and nutty. Best for slow-cooked oatmeal, stews, salads, and grain bowls. Use a 3:1 ratio of liquid to oats and cook for about 60 minutes.
Steel-Cut or Irish Oats
Steel-cut or Irish oats are groats that have been sliced into two or three pieces with a steel blade. They look almost like cut-up grains of rice. With more surface area than groats to absorb more water, this style of oat can cook more quickly while still keeping a hearty, chewy texture. Best for a bowl of nutty Irish oatmeal, baked oatmeal, meatloaf, stuffing, and a mysterious dish I’ve not heard of: black pudding. Oh, okay, not making that… Use a 3:1 ratio of liquid to oats, cook for about 15–20 minutes, or longer depending on how creamy you like your oatmeal.
Scottish Oats
Scottish oats are made by milling the groats rather than slicing them. What’s milling? Slowly grinding the grain between two millstones, which in this case, produces paper thin oats. These oats make an exceptionally rich, velvety morning porridge. Best for traditional porridge, pancakes, scones, and oatcakes. Use a 3:1 ratio of liquid to oats and cook for about 10 minutes.
Rolled Oats or Old-Fashioned Oats
Rolled oats are made by steaming groats, then flattening them with a roller into flakes. Hence the name. And guess what! There’s no difference between rolled oats and oldfashioned oats; the names are used interchangeably. They are probably the most common style of oat in the U.S. for a cooked morning bowl. Also best for cookies, quick breads, fruit crisps, and granola. Use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to oats and cook for about 20 minutes.
Quick-Cooking Oats or Instant Oats
Quick-cooking oats are processed just as old-fashioned rolled ones are, but they are rolled thinner, steamed longer, and thus they cook faster. Instant oats are typically the ones found in brown packets ready to microwave, though sometimes they are referred to interchangeably. Best for baking or pulsing into oat flour. Some claim that instant oats produce the clumpiest of granolas without the addition of egg white. Use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to oats, cooking for about 1–2 minutes on the stovetop or in the microwave.
So there you have it. You’ve encountered all the types of dried oats to enjoy this versatile, healthy grain all summer.
U.S. born Skagit writer and eater Sarah Stoner grew up in Uganda, Morocco, Belgium, and Thailand and lived in her passport country for the first time at age 18. sarahjstoner@hotmail.com
