TIPS FOR COOKING WITH WHOLE GRAINS

A lot of people are starting to add more whole grains to their diets but are somewhat intimidated about how to cook them. All of the whole grains have their own cooking times, etc but here are a couple of tips to remember when cooking whole grains:

• Cook in a large, heavy-bottom pan to avoid scorching and runover.
• Cooking time starts when the liquid starts to boil again after you have add the grains. Don't panic if you need to add more water or cooking time. The older the grains the longer they may take to cook.
• Grains may be cooked in either water or broth.
• Unless you are under doctors orders not to eat salt, don't forget to salt the grains. Salt helps to bring out the flavor of grains.
• Using grains in a salad? Add dressing while grains are still warm.
• Resist the urge to stir grains once they have been cooked. Fluff using a fork.
• If you purchase grains in bulk, keep the unused grains in the refrigerator or freezer.