How to Prepare Wild Oat Grasses for Food

Harvest wild grasses after they have reached maturity and when they turn brown. When to harvest varies depending on the location and the variety of grass; late summer or early fall is typical. Cut the grasses at the stems, close to the ground, by swinging through clusters of grass with a scythe. Hold the scythe handle firmly in both handsr and the blade positioned horizontally. Holding the scythe out to one side, bring the blade around in a quick, horizontal, sweeping motion, swinging in the direction in which the blade points.

Bundle bunches of grass together with twine. Do not create bunches with diameters that exceed 12 inches so that during the process of drying, moisture doesn't become trapped in the center of oversized bunches.

Place the bunches of grass in upright positions and somewhat spread apart in a cool, dry, breezy location. Allow the grass to fully dry, becoming nearly brittle. Depending on the type of grass and the time picked, drying may take up to two weeks.

Untie the bundles and spread the grass on top of a canvas sheet. Strike the grass heads repeatedly with a threshing device to release the grains. Filter out the stems and other debris, leaving only the grains. Use the stems for animal forage, bedding or garden mulch.

Winnow the seeds by bouncing them up and down on the canvas. Grains have papery exteriors known as chaffs, which need to come off before the grains are used for food. Bouncing or tossing the seeds loosens the chaff, allowing it to release from the grains and float away. Rubbing handfuls of grains in the palms of your hands also helps to loosen and remove chaffs.

Store the grains in a well-ventilated container in a cool, dry location.

Soak the grains in water until they lose bitterness and become chewable and add to recipes whole. Run the grains through a grain mill to separate the bran and to create flour for cooking. Hand-crank or electric countertop mills are available.