Any time I hear someone say they don’t like oatmeal, I want to say “come to my house and try it!”. Until not that long ago, about the only oatmeal I knew anything about was the kind that you open the little paper packet, dump in hot water and stir and I didn’t like oatmeal either! Probably 15 years ago, a friend was telling us about steel cut oats and we tried them and it totally changed my view of oatmeal.
Besides being quite filling, tasty and fairly inexpensive, oats are touted as having health benefits. Depending on how you eat your oatmeal, there may be absolutely no health benefits . . this was my oatmeal yesterday morning. I was celebrating Vince going back to work after being off for 2 weeks! My oatmeal this morning did not have whipped cream but I thought about it.
Breakfast
There are quite a few different types of oats, really it’s all a different treatment of the oats, and there’s a good explanation here. This is also a great article about oats.
There is a report that says oatmeal stored in an airtight, oxygen reduced environment still retains many of the nutrients after being stored for 28 years. We’ve all had oatmeal go rancid but apparently proper storage, as with so many food items, makes all the difference. I’ve found that once the oats are cut or flaked, they seem to get rancid more quickly than whole oat groats. Therefore, for any oatmeal I plan to keep for long term use, I purchase the oat groats in the 36 pound buckets from Pleasant Hill Grain. They come in a food grade pail and once opened, I add a gamma seal lid. Once the oats are gone, I’m left with a pail with a sealing lid that can be re-used for other food storage.
These are whole oats that have been hulled and “received a minimal kilning treatment that prevents fats from becoming rancid”. This process does prevent the oats from sprouting so for any sprouted oat recipes, I keep these:
Sprouting Oats
Those are the only two types of oats I buy — whole oat groats from Pleasant Hill Grain and sprouting oats from Sun Organic Farm.
For rolled oats, I use a flaker and roll them as I need them. Even with this hand flaker, it takes no time at all to roll enough oats for our breakfast. There is a flaker attachment for the Family Grain Mill but so far, I haven’t seen the need for it.
Flic-Floc
For steel cut oats, I use the Family Grain Mill, on the coarsest setting and the oats come out fine – cracked but not ground or rolled.
It’s amusing to me to think that for so many years, the only kind of oatmeal I knew was the instant oatmeal in packs. If you haven’t tried steel cut oats, please give them a try!
Torina from Tubaville says
What do you add to them to make them not gross? I can’t imagine that you are eating them by themselves. Cinnamon? Apples? Something. (Please don’t say raisins LOL) My son eats the oatmeal in the packets. I just…can’t. But you have me curious now. I’m always willing to try anything.
Quilterbee says
I’ve seen recipes online for the steel cut oats that you make overnight in your crock pot. Have you tried them this way? I haven’t because I’m the only one at my house who likes oatmeal.
Susan Feist says
I use a crockpot for making steel cut oatmeal. I use a 1 quart glass measuring cup with half water and half milk and the oats. Place in crock pot fill with water to at least half way up the glass cup. At least a little higher than the liquid line now. Turn on low about 10 pm. Lovely oatmeal at 6 am. My crock pot does not have a flat lid so all the moisture drains off to the side and not into the glass measuring cup. It does leave a residue (from the water) on the side of the pot but I sometimes use a crock liner. The 1 quart size container is fine for about 1-2 servings.
Karen says
I grew up on “old fashioned” oats and hate them – despise them – we had them almost every morning for breakfast when I was a kid – I hate all soft cereals – must be a texture thing.
Melody says
Love oats. I don’t cut my own but buy my oats already cut. I make a large batch and then rewarm portions because they take so long. Do you cook your steel cut oats in the pressure cooker?
SaraF says
Oatmeal looks and smells so good to me. And I love it in anything baked. But I just can’t seem to eat it – it’s a texture thing for me. I triggers my gag reflex. Same with bananas. Different texture but same response. I do make it for my husband though, and he likes it for lunch on cold days.
Debi says
Hi Judy, what is in your oats in the picture with whipped cream – for some reason to me it looked like onion????
Sherrill says
Mine doesn’t come in paper packets but it does come in a tall round box. I STILL love it!! Microwave a couple of minutes, add a little brown sugar and raisins then a touch of milk and it’s all good! LOL
Donna says
Love oatmeal with walnuts and dried cranberries. Yummy in my tummy and sticks with me.
Karen says
Judy, thanks for the recommendation for steel cut oats. I was used to the instant package but they left a lot to be desired and they weren’t particularly healthy. I bought a can of steel cut oats and they are so much better. Depending on my mood and what’s handy I may add brown sugar, diced apples, any kind of berry, sliced almonds – the options are endless. I haven’t tried whip cream yet but since I have some in the fridge I may have to experiment!
Theresa says
I love oatmeal. My husband doesn’t like the texture unless it’s baked into cookies. I liked your article, it made me feel better about using rolled oats. I add flax seeds, butter, walnuts and blueberries, and raw honey or maple syrup. Wish I could eat it everyday, but mostly it’s farm eggs and veggies for breakfast.
Diana says
My grandmother was doing oatmeal when it wasn’t cool LOL .. I used to remember waking up to : Time to get up ..Oatmeal, bananas, and OJ are on the table .. YUMMY !!! OJ was always fresh squeezed and the oatmeal was steel cut and there was butter (real stuff), jams & jellies. Of course milk for the oatmeal (fresh from the cow). Toast if we wanted it, but we would have to take turns as her toasted only did 2 pieces (unless of course the whole family was there .. then Grandma did the skillet toast!). Ahhh.. those were the days .. Thanks for that memory !!
Carolyn S says
Judy, while in CA a couple months ago, I had the best oatmeal! Oatmeal brûlée with fresh berries. It was the best!