What is Oats?

What is Oats?
Oats is cereal grass oats were first brought to the United States in 18o2, when they were planted on an Island off the coast of Massachusetts by a see captain. This whole grain is highly nutritious in all of its many forms.

The type do oats you choose depends on how you plan to use them. Old fashion oats, which have been steamed, rolled into flakes and dried, make a popular hot cereal but also add instant crunch to crumb toppings and supply whole grain nutrition to a soup or stew.

Quick cooking oats, which are cut into small pieces and then steamed and flattened like old fashioned oats, can be used in baking in place of old fashioned oats.

Steel cut oats (Irish oats) are cuts into small pieces but not rolled they took like tiny, irregularly shaped grains and take a bit longer to soften than old fashioned rolled oats.

Instant oats are cut into tiny pieces precooked and then dried, so you can just add hot water to reconstitute them.

Avoid using these in baking; their very fine texture can make baked goods turn out gummy.

Oat flour is a whole grain flour made by grinding the grain to a powder.

It must be combined with gluten containing flour when used in yeast breads because it lacks gluten.

Oats bran is the fiber rich outer coating of the oats kernel; it makes an easy and healthful add-in of cereals quick breads and yoghurt.

When substituting it for flour in baking, replace only about one quarter to one third of the total amount of flour with oat bran, since it can impart a slightly bitter taste when used in large amounts.

Like oats flour, oat bran lacks gluten, so it is not suitable to use in large quantities for bread doughs.

But it makes a great addition to ground meat mixtures such as meatballs, meat loaf, chilies and casseroles. Add about ½ cup oat bran for each pound of ground meat.
What is Oats?