Rolled oats
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rolled oats are traditionally oat groats that have been de-husked, steamed
and then rolled into flat flakes under heavy rollers before being stabilized by
being lightly toasted. The oat, like the other cereals, has a hard, inedible outer husk that must be removed before the
grain can be eaten. After the outer husk (or chaff) has been removed from the still bran-covered oat
grains, the remainder is called oat groats. Oat
groats are a whole grain that can be used as a breakfast cereal. Steel-cut oats
are oat groats that have been chopped into smaller pieces before any steaming
and thus retain bits of the bran layer. Since the bran layer, though
nutritious, makes the grains tough to chew and contains an enzyme that can cause the oats to go rancid,
raw oat groats are often further steam-treated to soften them for a quicker cooking
time (modern "quick oats") and to denature the enzymes for a longer
shelf life.
Rolled oats that are sold as oatmeal
usually, but not always, have had the tough bran removed. They have often, but
not always, been lightly baked or pressure-cooked or "processed" in
some fashion. Thick-rolled oats are large whole flakes, and thin-rolled oats
are smaller, fragmented flakes. Oat flakes that are simply rolled whole oats
without further processing can be cooked and eaten as "old-fashioned"
oatmeal, but more highly fragmented and processed rolled oats absorb water much
more easily and therefore cook faster, so they are sometimes called
"quick" or "instant" oatmeal. Oatmeal can be further
processed into coarse powder, which, when cooked, becomes a thick broth. Finer
oatmeal powder is often used as baby food.
Rolled oats are also often the main ingredient in granola
and muesli.
Rolled oats can be used to prepare
oat flour at home by pulsing rolled oats in a food processor.
[1]
Whole oats are an excellent source
of thiamine,
iron,
and dietary fiber. Whole oats are also the only source of antioxidant
compounds known as avenanthramides; these are believed to have properties which help to
protect the circulatory system from arteriosclerosis. Oat products also contain beta-glucan,
which may help people with Type 2 diabetes
control their blood glucose level, and might also help stimulate the immune
system to fight off bacterial infections.
Fineness
and properties
Oat grains can be sold whole (groats), ground into oatmeal
or Scottish oats, steamed and rolled into flakes of varying thickness, or cut
into two or three pieces, steel-cut. Groats can be used as other whole grains;
they are a little softer than wheat berries. Rolled oats can be used for many
purposes; the bigger the flakes, the chewier the result. They may be
precooked—instant varieties. Steel-cut, as a cereal, are much chewier. They are
suitable as a breakfast cereal, but less so for baking, as they do not soften
well.[2]
If oat flour, prepared from rolled oats, is used alone, baked goods will not
rise or hold together; oat flour must be mixed with other flours in baking.[3]
See
also
The original wiki link can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolled_oats
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