Bulk Foods Wild Rice

Wild Rice - The Caviar of Grains

Wild rice is not only an epicurean delight but is also high in nutritional value. Studies have shown that wild rice is rich in niacin, thiamine and riboflavin. It contains more high quality protein than wheat, yet wild rice has a low fat content, only 65 calories per 125ml (1/2 cup) serving.

12% Wild Rice may be added to brown rice for flavor enhancement! Cooking Instructions and Recipes

Our Wild Rice is of the highest quality grade A (a shiny black long grain).

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Wild Gourmet Blend

We also blend it with long grain brown rice to make our Wild Gourmet Blend.
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15 Minute Quick Cook Wild Rice

A natural delicacy. Cooks in 15 minutes. Our quick cook rice has all the flavor of wild rice with the bitterness removed. Children like this rice due to its delicate and sweet taste. Most quick cook or precooked wild rice available elsewhere does not have the bitterness removed as they have been processed in a less expensive manor. Try this quick cook wild rice and you will be back for more.

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Cooking instructions for quick cook wild rice

12% Quick Cook Wild Rice may be added to white rice for flavor enhancement! For best results every time use parboiled white rice.

Quick cook rice recipe: Add 1 cup quick cook wild rice to 2 cups boiling water, salted to taste, in a heavy saucepan. Boil for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cooking Instructions for natural wild rice

	Stovetop Method
	Oven Method
	Microwave Method

Selected Recipes

	Wild Rice Stuffing
	Wild Rice Salad
	Wild Rice Casserole
	Creamy Wild Rice Soup
	Cherry Wild Rice Fruit Delight
	Cinnamon Wild Rice Pudding

Growing and Processing

	How it Grows
	Harvesting and Processing

Cooking Instructions

Cooking Wild Rice Using the Stovetop Method

Wash 1 cup uncooked wild rice thoroughly. Add to 3 cups boiling water, salted to taste, in a heavy saucepan. Return water to boil and stir. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 50-60 minutes or just until kernels puff open. Uncover and fluff with table fork. Simmer five additional minutes. Drain any excess liquid. For chewier texture cook less time. Yield: 3-4 cups of cooked wild rice. (For additional flavor, try cooking in beef or chicken broth).

Cooking Wild Rice Using the Oven Method

Wash 1 cup uncooked wild rice thoroughly. Combine with 2 cups water in a covered 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 F for 1 hour. Check wild rice. Ad more water, if needed, and fluff with a fork. Continue baking for 1/2 hour. wild rice should be moist, not dry. Yield: 3-4 cups cooked wild rice. (For additional flavor, try cooking in beef or chicken broth).

Cooking Wild Rice Using the Microwave Method

Wash 1 cup uncooked wild rice thoroughly. Combine with 3 cups water in a covered 2-quart glass casserole. Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. Microwave on MEDIUM (50 percent power) for 30 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes, drain. Yield: 3-4 cups cooked wild rice. (For additional flavor, try cooking in beef or chicken broth)

Selected Recipes

Wild Rice Stuffing

1 cup raw wild rice	3 cups chicken broth
1 cup diced celery	1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 cup melted butter	4 oz. can mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon salt	1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sage	1/4 teaspoon thyme
Cook rice in boiling broth. Sauté celery, onions and mushrooms in butter for 2-3 minutes. Combine all ingredients. Makes about 6 cups or enough to stuff a 10 pound turkey. Also great with any wild game.

Wild Rice Salad

2 cups cooked wild rice, chilled	2 large unpeeled red apples, diced
1 Tablespoon lemon juice	1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 stalks celery, chopped	1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Toss apples with brown sugar and lemon juice. Stir in celery and rice. Blend together yogurt and mayonnaise. Toss with salad ingredients and chill.

Wild Rice Casserole

1/2 lb. bacon (diced)	1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup celery (diced)	1 can cream of chicken soup
1 medium onion (diced)	1 can mushrooms
1/2 green pepper (diced)	pimento (optional) adds color
1 cup wild rice	MSG and/or seasoned salt
Wash wild rice and place in boiling salted water. Boil about 20 minutes or until partially done, drain. Fry diced bacon; pour off grease as necessary. Leave enough grease to sauté onions, celery and green pepper--add when bacon is nearly done. Place in casserole, adding water to cover. Place in medium oven (350 degrees F) for approximately one hour. Serves 6. Optional: Chopped chicken can also be added.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup

14 cups water	1 cup green pepper (optional)
3-4 lbs. chicken	1/4 cup white wine (optional)
1 Tablespoon salt	3 cubes chicken bouillon
1-1/2 cups wild rice	1/2 cup flour
1 small onion (diced)	1 cup water
1 cup celery (diced)	1 pint half-and-half
Combine water, chicken, and salt in large kettle. Cover and simmer 1-1/2 hours until meat is tender. Remove chicken and strain. Add chicken bouillon to broth. Add wild rice to liquid and simmer 30 minutes. Add onion celery and green pepper; simmer an additional 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, add white wine. Bring the liquid to boil and thicken with 1/2 cup flour and 1 cup water. Stir in half-and-half. Heat thoroughly on low heat about 5-10 minutes. Serves 6.

Cherry Wild Rice Fruit Delight

3/4 cup raw wild rice	3/4 cup cherry brandy
2 cups water	2 bananas (sliced)
1 lb fresh bing cherries (pitted/sliced)	1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup cream (whipped)	1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cook wild rice in a covered saucepan until very tender (almost mushy) about 40-60 minutes. This is very important because the cherry brandy seems to harden the wild rice. Add cherry brandy and simmer uncovered until excess moisture is evaporated. Refrigerate. This will keep in the refrigerator for a week--in the freezer for months. Pit and slice cherries, slice bananas. Combine with wild rice and almonds. Whip cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until thick. Set some aside for topping. Fold whipped cream and wild rice and fruit mixture together. Refrigerate. Before serving, stir mixture and serve. Top with whipped cream, topped with almonds and cherries.

Cinnamon Wild Rice Pudding

2 cups cooked wild rice	2 cups hot half-and-half
1/2 cup maple syrup	2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla	3/4 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon	1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
additional sugar/cinnamon
Combine all. Turn into a 1-1/2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 (F) for 1 hour or until set. Serve warm or chilled. 8-10 servings

Growing and Processing

Wild Rice: Minnesota's State Grain, is almost as old as history itself. This highly nutritious grain is not actually rice, but an annual water-grass seed, "zizania aquatica". Naturally abundant in the cold rivers and lakes of Minnesota and Canada, wild rice was the staple in the diet of the Chippewa and Sioux Indians, native to this region.

Growing: A deepwater environment is necessary for the wild rice plant. A seed with very high protein. The seeds mature at different times, some early to miss all frosts, some late missing migrating birds.

When the seeds matures it shatters during the slightest wind and falls to the ground. Uneven maturity and shattering make it difficult to harvest the crop.

When the seed germinates in the Spring, a tiny hair root anchors the seed in place and the stalk grows to the water surface, picking up air to float itself. When the plant reaches the surface, it joins and forms a long float leaf on the water surface.

The leaves produce plant food, the stalk and root system strengthen and create a good strong base to support more vegetative growth of the plant. With this strong base, the strong plant goes aerial, that is, it stands up. the floating leaves rise above the water and spread out in the sun.

Harvesting: September is the usual harvest time for wild rice.

When the crop is in, a very unique process of curing and packing begins. The Indians had found wild rice to store indefinitely if the seeds were parched in fire. Today, we still follow the same process.

Curing: Wild Rice is harvested green, and placed in long narrow rows about 10 inches in depth in a curing yard. While the wild rice is in the curing rows, the chlorophyll dissipates from the plant. To prevent damage to the seed, the process involves turning constantly, and adding water to closely approximate its natural watery repository.

Parching: From the curing yard the browned rice kernel with its seed hull still intact is parched as the moisture is dried out. During this process, the starches gelatinize and the characteristic roasted nutty flavor is developed.

Hulling: The fibrous hulls are then removed from the rice exposing the shiny black wild rice seed.

Packing: The wild rice is then graded, checked for cooking times and packaged.