How is flour harvested?

Harvesting is the process of gathering ripened crops from the fields.

Milling is the process of grinding grains into flour.

Here is a brief explanation of how wheat flour is milled:

1. Harvesting:

- Wheat is harvested when the grains are ripe and dry.

- Farmers use combines to cut the wheat stalks and separate the grains from the chaff (the outer covering of the grains).

2. Cleaning:

- The harvested wheat is cleaned to remove any remaining chaff, dust, and other impurities.

3. Tempering:

- The wheat is moistened and allowed to rest to increase its moisture content, making it easier to mill.

4. Milling:

- The wheat is passed through a series of rollers that crush and grind the grains into smaller pieces.

- Each pass through the rollers produces finer and finer flour.

- Different types of flour (e.g., whole wheat, all-purpose, bread flour) are obtained by varying the grinding process and the parts of the wheat kernel used.

5. Sifting:

- The milled flour is sifted to separate the fine flour particles from the bran (the outer layer of the wheat kernel) and germ (the innermost part of the kernel).

6. Packaging:

- The flour is packaged into bags or other containers and distributed to stores for sale.