Wheat bran flakes

I think my wheat bran flakes are off … rancid maybe, but I wouldn’t know for sure. It smells different, not pleasant, so I assume that is what rancid smells like. Does the same thing hold true for wheat bran as it does for brown rice when you suggest heating in the oven trying to lose the off smell? Is it then safe to eat, or safe for animals? Do chickens or cows eat bran? If so, how much and does it need to be wet down first?

C. Hickman
Brush Creek, Tennessee

Yes, sometimes, warming rancid foods in the oven will drive off the smell/taste. It’s an old remedy. A reader shared recently that rancid oils are carcinogenic. I checked this out and found conflicting reports. I, personally, don’t believe that eating a small, occasional bit of food that has been oven-treated against rancidity would be a health hazard. I would NOT use rancid cooking oil or the like. First, that’s what the tests were done on. Second, the taste and smell of rancid oil does not go away.

Chickens and cows eat bran. You can simply mix it with their regular feed, crushed up, if you are meaning your rancid bran flakes. No, it does not have to be wet down first. — Jackie

Cold-hardy grape vines

I live not to far from you. Reading your articles in Backwoods you mentioned planting grape vines. I have tried three kinds. They survive but freeze back to the ground. So no grapes. Do you know of grape vine that will survive our cold winters?

Mary
Aurora, Minnesota

Grapes are a definite crop even for northern Minnesota. The key is to choose the RIGHT varieties. Most of the varieties sold by local nurseries, stores, etc. and even seed catalogs are not vine hardy here. We’ve had good luck with two companies for truly useful grapes for northern Minnesota and also other climate-challenged areas of the country. They are St. Lawrence Nurseries and Fedco. Both sell several truly hardy grape varieties. We have planted several different varieties and so far, the most vigorous one has been Valiant. Others that have done well for us have been King of the North, Louise Swenson, and Beta. These survive with no extra care. These companies also sell Zone 3 hardy fruit trees including apples, pears, cherries, blueberries, and nut trees. Fedco’s spring order deadline has passed, but you can order a catalog and order early next spring. St. Lawrence’s deadline is approaching soon. — Jackie

3 COMMENTS

  1. Cindy,

    We used to buy trees from Millers, too, but first off, a lot of their rootstock is not hardy way up here in zone 3. Then we got trees that had the tap root severely whacked off to fit in the postal packaging. The trees all died. So I quit and went to Fedco and St. Lawrence Nurseries. All their trees lived with the same care.
    Yep, we’ve got two feet of wet snow on the ground, but it’s going and we’re tickled. It was a long winter! No beavers yet….18″ of ice and two feet of snow on top of that. But soon…..

  3. I get a lot of fruit trees, bushes etc from Miller’s Nursery out of Northern New York State. They are definitely cold hardened there too. They have an excellent guarantee too. They also have a sale every May. We have tons of snow on the ground yet. I am sure you do too. Pretty soon our houses will be full of green plants just waiting for warm soil!!! Did those beavers come out yet? (chuckle)

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