The Best Way To Prepare Spelt & Bulgur Wheat!

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In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!

As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!

So, no question/request too big or small 😎

❝Would love to know how to prepare spelt and bulgur❞

Well then, we won’t go against the grain!

On which note, before we begin: Grains: Bread Of Life, Or Cereal Killer?

And since spelt and bulgur are both forms of wheat and do contain gluten, we will also point interested readers to: Gluten: What’s The Truth?

Now, without further ado, let’s get to it:

Preparing spelt

There are two main things to know in advance about preparing spelt:

• It takes longer than you think, and even tries to trick you by looking done about 10 minutes before it’s really done, so you’re going to want to taste a little to check it’s really done, no matter how appetizing it already looks
• It doesn’t absorb water so evenly as rice, so all-absorption methods of cooking aren’t what you want here; you’re going to want to give it its freedom of movement, as though you were cooking pasta

So, step by step:

• Rinse and soak: rinse the spelt under cool water, then:
  • soak whole spelt berries overnight for 8–12 hours, then drain
  • pearled spelt requires no soaking, so they’re good to go already
• Cook thoroughly: which means different things for different kinds; in each case you’ll want 3:1 parts (volume) of water to grain, and the water is generally recommended to be salted, so if you’re looking to reduce your salt intake, you might want to use low sodium salt and/or MSG, and then…
  • simmer pearled spelt for 20–25 minutes
  • simmer semi-pearled spelt for 30–35 minutes
  • simmer pre-soaked whole spelt berries for 50–60 minutes
• Check it’s really done: the grain should have a tender outer layer and a slightly chewy centre; it will look ready before it is fully cooked, so do taste a grain before draining!

Don’t want all that fuss? You can do it in a pressure cooker! Cook whole spelt berries for 22 minutes at high pressure followed by a 10-minute natural release, or pearled spelt for 8 minutes at high pressure.

About low-sodium salt: Why the WHO has recommended switching to a healthier salt alternative

About MSG: Monosodium Glutamate: Sinless Flavor-Enhancer Or Terrible Health Risk?

Preparing bulgur wheat

Rather than being a specific species of wheat (as spelt is), bulgur wheat is a whole grain made from wheat kernels that are partially cooked, dried, and cracked into different sizes; it has a nutty, earthy flavor and a pleasantly chewy texture.

This time, in terms of ratios, you’ll want to use: 1 cup of fine bulgur to 2 cups of hot water, or 1 cup of medium or coarse bulgur to 1½ cups of water or broth.

Unsurprisingly given that it’s by its nature already partially cooked, bulgur is much quicker and easier to cook than spelt is:

• Cooking fine bulgur: put 1 cup of fine bulgur in a heat-safe bowl, pour over 2 cups of hot water, and soak for 10–12 minutes
• Cooking medium or coarse bulgur: rinse 1 cup of bulgur and drain thoroughly; bring 1½ cups of water or broth to a boil, add the bulgur, 1 tablespoon of olive oil if you like (we recommend), and salt (which can be the low-sodium alternatives we mentioned in the spelt section), then cover and simmer for about 12 minutes.

In either case, remove the pan from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes without lifting the lid. Thereafter, fluff with a fork and garnish if you like (we recommend parsley).

Of course, this has all been preparation methods and not recipes per se; we encourage you to experiment with herb and spice blends for your perfect seasonings!

Want to learn more?

To get even more out of your grains, see: Sprout Your Seeds, Grains, Beans, Etc

You also might want to check out our recipes section 😋

Enjoy!