oats
In the 1700s the English writer Samuel Johnson wrote a dictionary in which he defined oats as “a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.” Johnson meant to make fun of Scotland, but the Scots had the last laugh. Oats are actually a highly nutritious source of protein, minerals, and vitamins.
There are several different species, or kinds, of oats in the scientific group Avena. The common oat was first used a food plant in Europe and Asia in ancient times. The red oat is grown in warmer climates. The wild oat pops up as a bothersome weed in fields of other grains. That is why a young person who behaves recklessly is said to be “sowing wild oats.”
Oats are now grown in many parts of the world, but they do best in climates that are moist and cool. They can grow in many different types of soil, including poor or sandy soils. Russia, Canada, Poland, Australia, France, Germany, and the United States are major oat-producing countries.
Oat plants are 2 to 5 feet (0.6 to 1.5 meters) in height. A plant generally produces more than one stem. The oats are seed kernels that grow on little branches at the end of each stem. One plant can produce dozens of kernels.
Farmers use a machine called a grain drill to plant oats in rows. Winter oats are planted in the fall in regions with mild winters. They develop a short stem and a few leaves in the fall and then stop growing until spring, when they produce more stems and leaves. Winter oats are usually harvested in early summer. Spring oats are planted in the early spring and harvested in late summer.
In North America farmers harvest oats when the plants are dry and golden brown. The farmers use a machine called a combine. The combine cuts down the plant and removes the grain. Oat plants may also be cut down for hay while they are still green.
Most of the oat crop grown throughout the world goes to feed animals. Oat plants make the best hay of all the grains, and farmers sometimes graze their animals on oat plants. Farmers also use the plants as straw for animal bedding. Cosmetic manufacturers use oats in some skin-care products.
Oats are commonly eaten by people in the United States in the form of rolled oats. Rolled oats are made from whole grains that have been steamed and flattened between rollers. They are cooked in water for oatmeal or used in breads, cookies, crackers, and snack foods such as granola bars.
Oat flour by itself is not suitable for making bread. However, it is often mixed with wheat flour and used in breakfast cereals and baked goods. Whole kernels without husks are known as groats. They are cooked as hot cereal. Oat bran, the outer covering of the oat kernel, is a nutritious substance that is sometimes added to foods.s, grain, and other crops are grown at oases as well.
