Cooking with Emmer 101

Introduction

Emmer wheat is the grain of the month in this series on Cooking with Whole Grains 101.

Names for Emmer

Emmer is frequently referred to as farro in the United States.

This is cause for confusion because of the Italian names for three related ancient grains:

• Einkorn or farro piccolo (” small”)
• Emmer or farro medio (“medium”)
• Spelt or farro grande (“large”)

Indeed, the size of the grains are different as can be seen in picture below.

Einkorn is shorter and has the least pronounced middle indentation.

Emmer is longer than einkorn.

Spelt is chunkier than the other two grains.

History of Emmer

Emmer has been around for more than a hot minute. 

While it may not be a household name, emmer is actually an ancient grain that is in the family tree of spelt, modern wheat, durum and khorastan (Kamut) as can be seen in the chart below.

Emmer is the second most ancient cultivated wheat variety, following einkorn.

The wheat family is a result of crossing the original einkorn grass with wild goat grasses.

The above chart shows the relationship of the cultivated wheat varieties – for simplicity, the wild goat grass parents have been left out.

The newer wheat varieties inherited the genetic code of both einkorn and the wheat grasses, thus increasing their genetic code.

Just like einkorn, emmer wheat has beautiful long spikelets as shown in the title picture.

While emmer is not as high yielding as modern wheat, it thrives in difficult climates from arid to excessively wet. 

Often, for people with gluten sensitivities, einkorn is touted as the grain of choice because of its simplest genetic code. 

Why would anyone bother with emmer at all if einkorn has the simplest genetic code?

Good question.

Well, for one thing, flavor. 

Emmer has a pleasant, mild, nutty flavor. 

Emmer is said to have been a favorite of the Egyptian pharaohs and emmer grains have even been found in King Tut’s tomb. 

Some people even believe the name farro may refer phonetically to the Egyptian name pharaoh.

If emmer was good enough for the pharaohs, perhaps it is good enough for you and me as well.

It helps that emmer does also have a simpler genetic code than modern wheat and is well tolerated by many with gluten allergies.

Emmer Nutritional Value

It is difficult to provide exact nutritional information for any grain because those properties vary based on soil, climate, etc.

Certain comparative studies are helpful however to provide a broad overview.

According to one study, emmer is higher in protein, fat and minerals than modern wheat while being lower in starch and fiber.

Not only is emmer lower in starch, but it contains a greater proportion of slowly digestible starch than modern wheat which is beneficial when trying to reduce blood sugar spikes.

In general whole grains help with blood sugar because the fiber they contain helps to slow down the digestion of starches.

The starch in grains can be grouped into three categories: rapidly digestible starch, slowly digestible starch and resistant starch.

Rapidly digestible starch is typically considered the culprit when people have blood sugar spikes, especially when consumed in refined grain products.

Grains with a greater ratio of slowly digestible starches help better moderate blood sugar levels.

The ancient grains einkorn, emmer and spelt all have a higher proportion of slow to digest starch than modern wheat as can be seen in the table below created with data from this study.

Therefore, emmer is among the ancient grains that could be of interest to diabetics.

Emmer has been noted as having the highest levels of vitamin E relative to other ancient grains and modern wheat.

It is also especially high in vitamins B6, Zinc and Magnesium.

Common Forms of Emmer

The name farro in the United States can typically refer to five different forms of emmer which all have had the hull removed: whole, cracked, sprouted, semi-pearled and pearled.

Whole, cracked and sprouted emmer are considered whole grains.

Cracked emmer can be made at home using a spice grinder, high speed blender or mill:

1. Grind emmer grain coarsely
2. Sift out finer flour and keep for other uses.

Sprouted emmer has been sprouted and then dehydrated below around 110° Fahrenheit to preserve nutrients.

Sprouted emmer is quicker cooking than whole or cracked emmer.

The pearled forms of emmer are also quicker cooking but considered refined, less nutritious versions because the bran has been removed in whole or in part.

Culinary Uses of Emmer

Emmer has culinary uses similar to other grains in the wheat family but it outperforms other wheats in some specific areas, as will be detailed below.

Considering this website is dedicated to whole grains, the focus will be on the whole grain forms of emmer.

Toasted Emmer

Toasting enhances the nutty flavor of emmer.

It can be done prior to using another cooking method such as boiling and it will reduce total boiling time.

To dry toast emmer over stovetop:

1. Place emmer grains one layer deep in a skillet and have ready a wooden spoon or crepe rake for stirring.
2. Toast on medium heat (stirring often to avoid burning) for about 5 minutes until grains are slightly darker and emanate a nutty fragrance.
3. Transfer grains from skillet immediately to prevent burning.

To toast emmer in the oven:

1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
2. Place grain one layer deep in an oven safe skillet or pizza pan.
3. Toast for about 10 minutes until grains are slightly darker and emanate a nutty fragrance.
4. Transfer grains from skillet immediately to prevent burning.

Boiled Emmer

Whole emmer can be boiled, steamed or pressure cooked in the same amount of time as brown rice.

Cracked emmer will cook in about the same time as white rice.

Instructions below are for whole emmer, you can divide cooking time by half when using cracked emmer.

Stovetop boiling

1. Normal liquid to grain ratio is 2 to 1, plus a pinch of salt.
2. On the stovetop, it takes about 40 minutes of simmer time to cook emmer. 
3. When the grain is cooked, it will be a uniform color throughout when cut in two.

Notes:

1. If presoaked, liquid to emmer grain ratio can be reduced to 1 ½  to 1.
2. Toasting emmer beforehand will reduce cooking time by about 5 minutes but liquid to grain ratio will be unchanged at 2 to 1.

Pressure Cooking

1. Pressure cook for 20 minutes at high pressure with at least 20 minutes of natural release.
2. Soaking overnight will reduce pressure cooking time by about 10 minutes.

Pasta Method

1. Emmer can also be cooked like pasta by being placed in a large volume of boiling water (about 5 times grain volume).
2. Start checking for doneness after 30 minutes. 
3. Drain using a strainer or remove grains with a spider.

Farrotto

Emmer easily releases starch in water and it is therefore ideal to cook in a manner similar to risotto.

Whole or cracked emmer can be used and need not be rinsed beforehand unless the grain contains debris.

If making cracked emmer from scratch, no need to sift out the finer flour as it helps to thicken the farrotto.

A large amount of flavorful broth, in a liquid to grain ratio of 7 to 1 is slowly incorporated by stirring to allow the starch to be released.

The basics of farrotto are:

1. Sauté some aromatics over stovetop in saucepan, typically using butter or olive oil, for a few minutes.
2. Add emmer grains and coat with aromatics.
3. Stir emmer grains for a few minutes until they brown slightly.
4. Add in one cup of broth and stir until it is absorbed by the grain.
5. Repeat previous step until all the broth has been added – cooking time should take about 40 minutes.

A few things can be done to speed up this process:

1. Soak grains overnight.
2. Crack some of the grains if using whole emmer.
3. Pressure cook emmer in broth for about half the time then finish by stirring over stovetop as suggested in this video.

Sprouted Emmer

Emmer is a hardy grain that sprouts well.

Emmer can be sprouted to make sprouted emmer flour, diastatic emmer malt or added to salads.

The length of the sprout (acrospire), not the rootlets, will be different depending on your intended purpose as explained below.

To sprout emmer:

1. Rinse emmer wheat several times until the water runs clear.
2. Soak half a cup of emmer in 3 times its volume of water overnight.
3. Drain the emmer and place in a half gallon mason jar at a 45 angle.
4. Rinse three times daily to minimize fermentation from starchy grain.
5. Per this post:
   • for sprouted flour, it is sufficient for the sprout to barely emerge.
   • for diastatic malt or salads you will want to let the sprout grow to slightly less than the length of the grain

While some people consume sprouts raw, it is often advised to at least blanch the sprouts in boiling water for one minute and then place in ice water. 

This method insures the destruction of pathogens that can sometimes appear if sprouting is not done in optimal circumstances.

Sprouted Emmer Flour

Sprouted emmer can be dehydrated and ground up to make sprouted emmer flour or diastatic malt.

To dehydrate sprouted emmer:

• Air dry with a mesh cover or mesh drying rack for a day or more

OR

• Dehydrate in dehydrator below 110° Fahrenheit until dry to the touch (12 hours or more).

For an in depth discussion on milling flour, please see this post.

Diastatic and Non Diastatic Emmer Malt

Diastatic malt has been dried at low enough temperatures for the enzymes to still be active (below 110° Fahrenheit is safe).

Diastatic malt is used in small quantities in bread baking to help with leavening.

Diastatic malt can be turned into non diastatic malt by roasting at higher temperatures.

Non diastatic malt is used in brewing beer and a post related to emmer malt can be found here.

Emmer Wheatgrass

Emmer can be grown into wheatgrass just like any other member of the wheat family.

Wheatgrass contains vitamin C and chlorophyll which is not present in the dry grain form. 

Thanks to its strong root system, emmer will grow into grass well.

The process of growing emmer into wheat grass is a matter of placing it in a well drained and well ventilated growing medium after it sprouts. 

While soilless wheatgrass can be grown, using a growing medium will ensure optimal success.

The grass will be ready to harvest when it reaches about 4 inches.

Wheatgrass can be juiced or used in smoothies.

Wheatgrass is very powerful and should be used in small quantities – in particular if you are not used to it.

Emmer Rejuvelac

Because emmer releases starches into liquids easily, it is particularly suited for making rejuvelac as the starches help feed the enzymes.

Emmer Rejuvelac is an enzyme rich beverage with a mild lemony taste and a cheesy fragrance.

Emmer can be made into Rejuvelac by placing sprouted emmer in filtered water for one to two days. 

And in depth post on making rejuvelac can be found here.

Emmer Flour

Whole emmer berries and dehydrated sprouted emmer berries can be ground into flour.

This post contains an in depth discussion on milling grains.

Emmer flour is more similar to modern wheat flour then einkorn.

While einkorn is a sticky flour that absorbs water slowly, whole emmer flour absorbs flour more quickly and it coalesces into a dough more easily.

In fact, emmer flour is surprisingly strong with fantastic gluten development as can be seen in this video (around minute 5:11) on making an artisan emmer sourdough loaf.

Emmer Bread

Despite the strong gluten development, emmer is said to make a denser loaf than modern wheat.

Therefore, I trialed my standard sourdough bread recipe in mini, narrow loaf pans to get a better rise.

The bread results were very good in terms of texture and flavor.

Emmer Pasta

After watching the video on emmer bread baking, I thought I would try making pasta with emmer wheat.

I was surprised how well the emmer pasta dough held up.

In fact, I was able to make angel hair pasta, the thinnest setting on my pasta machine, with 100% whole wheat emmer flour without any tearing!

This was extremely impressive to me.

Typically, when I make pasta with durum or Kamut using the recipe provided in this post, I make a thicker pasta (next to last setting on my Imperia pasta machine) because the whole grain dough does not hold up as well. 

This is because the hard vitreous bran in durum and Kamut grinds into larger particles when milled. 

In contrast, emmer’s softer bran grinds into very fine particles. 

Finer bran particles = less tearing of the dough. 

I even compared emmer bran with a hard winter wheat bran (Quanah), which is not as hard as durum wheat and the emmer bran particles were noticeably smaller.

I milled both my emmer and Quanah wheat berries (both from Barton Spring Mills) using my Nutrimill Classic Micronizer mill.

Because the emmer bran is softer, it is also likely easier to digest.

Did I mention how delightfully mild and nutty the pasta tasted? 

We have a winner!

Cookbooks about Emmer

Surprisingly, there are not many books dedicated to emmer by itself. 

You will find emmer/farro included in several cookbooks on whole grains. 

A few popular ones are listed below though keep in mind they are not plant based cookbooks.

Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck

Grains for Every Season by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg

In regards to emmer flour, The Homemade Flour Cookbook by Erin Alderson contains a section on emmer flour.

In terms of sprouted emmer flour, I couldn’t really find a specific emmer resource but Peter Reinhart’s book Bread Revolution: World-Class Baking with Sprouted and Whole Grains, Heirloom Flours, and Fresh Techniques is a useful guide for baking with sprouted flours.

Where to Buy Emmer

You can likely find pearled farro in your grocery or health food store, including Bob’s Red Mill.

However, whole or cracked farro/emmer are harder to find locally and seeking out online sources will be a better option.

Online Vendors

As always, it is best to seek out vendors closest to where you live to get the lowest cost shipping.

This post on where to buy whole grains contains 23 online sources of emmer/farro wheat berries and/or flour listed by the U.S. state the vendor operates from.

Lastly, you can also search on Amazon for “emmer”, “sprouted emmer flour”, “farro” or “khapli” (Indian name).

Vendors with Drop Off Locations

If there is an Azure Standard drop off location near you, their price for organic emmer berries is among the lowest I am aware of due to the drastically lower shipping costs.

Azure also sells whole emmer flour, sprouted emmer berries and sprouted emmer flour.

Azure Standard is particularly competitive if you have many heavy organic bulk items to purchase and I am happy to count them as an affiliate partner.

Another online affiliate partner with some drop off locations and competitive pricing is Country Life Natural Foods.

Currently, Country Life Natural Foods only sells Bob’s Red Mill Pearled Farro.

Emmer Seed Sellers

There are some particularly beautiful emmer varieties which you may want to have in your home garden as ornamentals and to have a better connection and understanding of the grains you consume.

Rare emmer varieties can be purchased online, notably from Great Lakes Staple Seeds and seedsave.org.

Storing Emmer

Once you have purchased your quality emmer grains, you will want to store them well to optimize their freshness.

This post on storing whole grains provides various options depending on the quantity and length of storage time you have in mind.

Conclusion

Emmer is a wonderful whole grain which many people with gluten allergies can tolerate better.

Emmer flour is less sticky than einkorn flour and is a pleasure to work with.

If you haven’t tried emmer yet, I highly recommend it, particularly for making farrotto and pasta.

Wishing you a most delicious experience!

All information in this post is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute nutritional, medical or health advice.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.

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