Whether you’ve been enjoying raw wheat berries your entire life, recently bought a grinder to make your own flour, or have absolutely no idea what a wheat berry is, getting to know a little bit about these tasty, healthy morsels is an important part to understanding the brainchild that is all flour.

Most flour starts with the wheat berry. This is excluding your gluten-free flour options such as coconut, almond, and amaranth, to name just a few.

Wheat berries are the “edible part of the wheat kernel, including the bran, the germ, and the endosperm, before the grain undergoes any processing.” Because these berries retain all of their original parts, wheat berries also retain their natural nutrient-density. These nutrients include protein, fiber, and iron, as well as decent serving sizes of “magnesium and vitamin E, and [are] low in calories and fat.”

On top of that, you have a variety to choose from, each of which offers a different flavor profile and texture, depending on your personal preference. These include “hard red wheat berries, hard white wheat berries, soft red wheat berries, and soft white wheat berries.” When it comes to choosing, simply take a look at their nutrient profiles. The harder varieties of wheat berry “contain more protein … [while] … the softer varieties [have] more starch.”

Looking to get your hands on some wheat berries? Here are a few varieties that are not only organic but also unrefined, meaning you get all the natural goodness that this plant-based food offers!

1. Bob’s Red Mill Organic Wheat Berries Hard White

Bob’s Red Mill Organic Wheat Berries Hard White/Amazon.com

Bob’s Red Mill is a great company to find a broad range of USDA organic certified plant-based products. This Bob’s Red Mill Organic Wheat Berries Hard White is not only USDA organic certified, but they are also 100 percent whole-grain including the bran, germ, and endosperm. This product is high in fiber, — with 20 percent of your recommended daily value — vegan-friendly, and certified kosher pareve or kosher dairy. A single 28-ounce bag costs $12.22.

2. Quality Organic Soft Red Winter Wheat Berries

Quality Organic Soft Red Winter Wheat Berries/Amazon.com

These Quality Organic Soft Red Winter Wheat Berries are not only certified organic but also non-GMO. These wheat berries are grown, harvested, cleaned, and stored at a small farm in Grundy County Illinois. The farmer himself promises this product to be whole wheat, nutty in flavor, and yet not bitter to the taste. Plus, this product is double cleaned with an air/screen and gravity table cleaner — which is far healthier than using chemicals — and the seeds haven’t been treated or processed. A 15-pound bag costs $14.00.

Willamsburger says “We bought this farmers groats and winter wheat, 15 lbs bags. The products are wonderful, clean and fresh. We have a rice cooker with a delayed timer. We set our groats for breakfast and mix in with an apple and a tablespoon of cinnamon for a sparkling mouthfeel.”

3. Palouse Brand Hard White Wheat Berries

Palouse Brand Hard White Wheat Berries/Amazon.com

These Palouse Brand Hard White Wheat Berries are incredibly unique in the fact that they are field traced (also called identity preserved), which means you can find out the exact field location and date of both seeding and harvesting. Every Palouse Brand bag of wheat berries comes with a code that you can enter into the website to discover this information! These wheat berries are a great source of vitamin B1 and B3. This product is not irradiated and is certified kosher parve, non-GMO project verified, food alliance certified and carries the quality seal from the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council.A 5-pound pack costs $13.95.

Tiffany M. says “So far I have used these Wheat Berries every day and they work great. The product was exactly as described. The biggest advice I can give is that each type of Berry is used for a different type of baking purpose. Red= Bread whole wheat, Hard White=Breads white wheat, Soft White=Pastries.”

4. The Sprout House Non-GMO Certified Organic Hard Wheat Berries

Sprout House Non-GMO Certified Organic Hard Wheat Berries/Amazon.com

These Sprout House Non-GMO Certified Organic Hard Wheat Berries have all the good without any of the bad. These wheat berries are minimally processed, which means they retain their nutrient richness, yet are non-GMO certified and organic certified. These are specific wheat berry seeds for sprouting so you can grow your own wheat to harvest and enjoy! Plus, these wheat berries come in a super easy to store resealable bag. A 5-pound bag costs $16.85.

TonyP says “Great organic wheat berries for growing wheatgrass. I get almost zero mold and perfect growth. The best and easy way to grow is to use a growing kit and grow it hydroponically. It takes a lot of the hassles out. Tribest makes the Tribest SM-350 Kit and that works great for me. Instead of misting twice every day, you can just fit the trays with water and then just drain the water and refill every 2-3 days. I noticed if you don’t spray too often and keep the grass dry on top, it prevents mold. Then there’s no need to use fans to prevent mold.”

5. Grains GMO and Chemical-Free Hard Red Winter Wheat Berries

Grains GMO and Chemical-free Hard Red Winter Wheat Berries

Looking to buy a bulk shipment of wheat berries to get you through the winter? These Grains GMO and Chemical-free Hard Red Winter Wheat Berries come in a huge bulk bag, which saves you the hassle of having to re-purchase every couple months when you run out. These berries are slightly lower in protein but is rich in gluten making these wheat berries perfect for turning into flour and rising bread. A 50-pound bag costs $79.86.

Max says “fast delivery & so far I’m liking it!!!”

6. Jovial Organic Einkorn Wheat Berries

Jovial Organic Einkorn Wheat Berries

Einkorn wheat berries are amongst the oldest forms of wheat available! These Jovial Organic Einkorn Wheat Berries are not only 100 percent USDA organic certified, — meaning that every part of the processing is done according to strict organic guidelines — but they are also 100 percent whole-grain wheat. These wheat berries are perfect to add to soups or for porridge. Jovial promises their wheat berries to retain a natural sweet nutty flavor, as well as a helping of protein. A 12-case of 16-ounce boxes cost $57.09.

Cigar Smoke says “Best flour ever. If you have a gluten sensitivity you may actually be able to eat this without problems at least some times. My wife is gluten intolerant and can eat this flour. You have to get used to how it bakes but not hard with the cookbook. The old way is the right way.”

7. Cache Harvest Co. Non-GMO Hard White Wheat Berries

Cache Harvest Co. Non-GMO Hard White Wheat Berries/Amazon.com

These Cache Harvest Co. Non-GMO Hard White Wheat Berries promise to make incredible, strong bread! These wheat berries are grown and harvested from the high mountain valleys in the Rocky Mountains and packed with nutrients. Cache Harvest Co. promises their product to be non-GMO, non-irradiated, farm-fresh, and organic. A 10-ounce bag costs $9.06.

Amazon Customer says “I love wheat berries as a fuel food, as a cereal, salad component, etc. This company has a great fresh delicious product. Good packaging and reliable service. I’ve ordered the small bag twice. Will up the size on my next order.”

8. Be Still Farms Organic Hard Red Wheat Berries

Be Still Farms Organic Hard Red Wheat Berries/Amazon.com

These Be Still Farms Organic Hard Red Wheat Berries are sourced from an independent, family-owned homestead in North Carolina. These wheat berries are not only certified USDA organic, but are minimally processed and retain a high fiber content, as well as vitamins and minerals including manganese, copper, and magnesium. A 5-pound bag costs $19.29.

Amazonin’ says “I purchased this product a while ago, but I wanted to grind the grain and make some recipes first. This is the cleanest batch of wheat berries I have even seen! No sticks or stones or different seeds in the bag with the grain (which deterred me from buying different brands here on amazon). I baked some bread with this after hand grinding it and it was amazing, the smell, the flavor, and the taste! It was so cool to create bread from “scratch” using these Hard Red Wheat Berries. Would buy again and every time from this seller. Super Fast Shipping!”

9. Palouse Brand Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries

Palouse Brand Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries

Yet another Palouse Brand wheat berry for you to consider! Along with the hard white wheat berries, these Palouse Brand Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries are identity-preserved — meaning you can enter a code into their website and find out when they were seeded and harvested — as well as certified kosher parve and non-GMO project verified. Palouse Brand promises their wheat berries to be non-irradiated! A 5-pound pack costs $13.25.

Boomerbristol says “These wheat berries are so versatile: sprout ’em, grind ’em, or pop ’em, they taste great no matter how you prepare them! I am so happy with this product! In addition to these hard red wheat berries, I have bought soft white wheat berries, split peas, lentils and garbanzo beans and I’ve enjoyed them all. The quality is exceptional and the taste, wonderful! Grown in America and Non-GMO is a major plus and I’ve raved about Palouse Brand to all my friends and family – I really love this family-owned company and I feel that they deserve a glowing review!”

10. Bob’s Red Mill Organic Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries

Bob’s Red Mill Organic Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries/Amazon.com

It’s fitting to end this list with another Bob’s Mill product. This company is a highly trusted USDA certified organic brand that offers a great quality product that you can consume with safety in mind. If Bob’s Red Mill Organic hard white berries simply don’t fit your palate, try these Bob’s Red Mill Organic Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries. They are great for grinding into flour in your home mill, soaking overnight for a fermented breakfast, or even boiling to consume as you would with rice or any other grain. A single 28-ounce bag costs $9.40.

Eric H. says “These are my go-to berries for milling into flour at home for 100% whole wheat bread, and with Prime shipping on these it’s the best price I’ve found for organic wheat berries. The very high protein content makes a highly extensible, strong dough with superb gluten development. I also sprout them to dehydrate and mill into sprouted wheat flour, with excellent results. The finished bread has a very nice flavor. I use this product mostly for everyday sandwich-style bread, as I often prefer the heartier flavor of hard red winter wheat berries for the occasional artisan-style loaf. But the superior protein content of this hard spring wheat is hard to beat for everyday whole grain bread. The quality has been very consistent; I’ve ordered about 40 pounds’ worth over the past year, and each new bag has been as good as the last.”

We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

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