Development of a canned whole wheat product

A canned whole wheat product was developed. The effects of variety, salt and process time on texture, thiamine content and percent moisture were investigated. A minimum safe process was determined. A safe process was calculated to be 9.5 minutes and 11.5 minutes at 121°C (250°F) for Soft Red Winter (SRW) wheat and Kansas Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat, respectively.

The SRW wheat exhibited a more tender texture, higher thiamine content after processing and a higher percent moisture than the HRW wheat. Salt added during canning increased the toughness of the wheat as compared to no added salt and required an increased process time to achieve a texture similar to the no salt added wheat. Thiamine content was not affected by added salt when calculated on a dry weight basis. Length of process time was directly related to thiamine destruction. Water absorbed by the wheat was found to have a diluting effect on thiamine content of canned wheat. Salt had an inhibiting effect on moisture absorption and the percent moisture was related to toughness. Increased moisture tenderized the product. Excessive moisture at the 64 minute process time resulted in a gummy, unappealing product.

Thiamine content of the canned wheat compared favorably with values for other food products such as canned lima beans and peas.