Oats

Oats are available in several forms.

• Oat Groats are the whole seed with only the outer hull removed.

• Oats Flakes are Oat groats that are steamed, rolled, and flaked.

• ‘Old fashioned’ Oats are the Oat groats that are steamed, pressed with a roller and then dried without further processing. They contain all parts of the oat grain including the bran, endosperm and germ portion.

• Quick Oats are steel cut oat groats that are flaked to .014 to .018 inches thick. They require minimal cooking but, as a result, sacrifice some of the nutty flavor and texture; they are most often used in baking.

• Steel Cut Oats are whole oats that have not been rolled into flakes. Instead, they are cut approximately into thirds. These oats are chewy and often used for oatmeal and muesli. Steel Cut Oats are also known as Scotch Oats, Pinhead Oats (in Great Britain because they resemble the size and shape of the head of a large pin) and Irish Oats.

• Oat Bran is the outer coating of the oat grain which is even higher in fiber. It is usually available at health food stores.

• Oat Flour comes from ground oat groats and contains no gluten (gluten-free). Oat flour contains natural antioxidants that can actually prolong the shelf-life of baked goods. It is usually available at health food stores.

• Oatmeal Powder is the processed coarse powder prepared from Oatmeal, which, when cooked, becomes a thick broth. Finer oatmeal powder is often used as baby food.