wild rice?

[Gordie]

I got three 1lb bags of freshly picked wild rice from a friend and want to know what is the best way to dry it out or what do I do now type question (other than eat it).

[Jim Uran]

You can't eat it like that buddy!!! Not if it's freshly picked off the lake. There is quite a process after that to get it to the table!

[Jim Uran]

I suppose I should let you know what that process involves!

First, you have to parch it! Which basically dries it out enough(usually in a kettle over a fire, while constantly keeping the rice in motion)to be able to do the second part of the process. Which is to thresh it, which knocks the husks off, than you must seperate the husks and the "kernals", or the edible part of it. Than that gets a little drying time before it's ready to boil!

[Gordie]

thanks leechbait I know I couldnt eat it that way I mean fresh, so by parching do you mean like in a steel barrel over a fire stirring the rice so it dont burn.

whats the best way to thresh the rice

[Jim Uran]

Yeah a barrel works great, and a paddle for stirring it. As for threshing it, they way they do it around here is to dig a pit, line it with plastic, get a fresh pair of moccasins in a kid, or some thick socks or whatever, dump the rice in and let the kid "dance" on it. Work it over with there feet, that will loosen the husks.

After that, we use what's called a winnowing tray. Basically a elongated tray with short side walls made out of birch bark, but you can use a cake pan I guess. Get out on a windy day or in front of a decent fan outside, and toss the rice up in the air and the wind or the fan will blow the kernals away and the rice should come down into the pan if you throw it up straight . Hope this helps.

[PEATMOSS]

You can see this process on you tube.

[Jim Uran]

I'm not sure on what the turn out would be on 3 pounds! Me and my ricing partner got 880 pounds over two days. The last days haul was 532 pounds, it was very very ripe and heavy so we should get back 275-300 pounds of finished rice!

[Gordie]

no wonder its so expensive and thanks for all the info also good luck with your yeilds

[Scott M]

I've got a great spot to get some wild rice, but the prep work looks like it would take awhile!! Maybe if I could take it to a finisher or something...

[TonkaBass]

I spear a lot of suckers every spring but can honestly say I have never had sucker head soup... Not sure if I ever will either! They are awesome smoked though, one of my favorites!

[merkman]

It is amazing how much we take for granted.

I eat pounds of wild rice every year and never would have guessed it took that much work!!!

The cream of sucker head soup though.... well let's just say I wouldn't invest the time in that.

[Jim Uran]

Dude, it's HARD work. I riced every year since I was a kid!!! And on a side note, that video of that guy ricing and the whole soup thing was shot like 2 miles from my house!!!!