Spelt is harvested green in the hunt for a new Danish quality product

Harsh and salty wind from the west tests the fluttering green spelt plants in a field near the North Sea at Blokhus.

From here, the ancient grain variety will now undergo a series of tests and experiments before it may land on Danish dinner tables as 'green spelt'.

In the windblown experimental field, Lars Egelund Olsen picks ears of spelt that are still green. As a specialist consultant at the Innovation Center for Organic Farming, he checks whether the field is soon ready for harvest.

"The kernel is still inside a lot of husks here – it is still white and milky, so it's a bit too early," he explains while holding the green ears and kernels between his hands.

"Now you can see why we call it green spelt. It’s green when you harvest it," says Lars Egelund Olsen with a smile.

However, he still considers it too green.

In the Danish Food Chain

Spelt from the experimental field near Blokhus will soon be harvested while the grain is still green. Then the kernels must be quickly dried before they become the product green spelt, which is popular in Germany, where it is called 'grünkern'.

"It is a very old and well-known product from Germany. There is something similar in Sweden, where they harvest oats while green and roast them, and in the Middle East, they have done the same with wheat. So it’s something that has been used in cooking across Europe," he explains.

Now, the Innovation Center hopes to introduce green spelt into the Danish food chain.

In Germany, green spelt has become a delicacy and an ingredient in foods – among others, as whole grain, which can add flavor nuances in baking.

Green spelt cannot be used as a flour that can rise on its own.

"I hope we introduce something that can be complemented with traditional flour, providing different flavor nuances, so that we can get whole grains and Danish grain onto the plate in a different way and with different flavors. This also gives chefs more to work with," he says.

Now, the Innovation Center has taken the first steps.

Risky Harvest

The spelt has been sown, and soon about 2000 square meters of spelt near Blokhus will be harvested. This will probably yield around 500 kg, which must then be quickly dried because the green, water-rich kernels risk fermenting and rotting.

"A farmer would normally not harvest at this time. We harvest while the kernels are still far too wet, so they must be roasted quickly to preserve quality," explains Lars Egelund Olsen.

Alliance with Brewery

Therefore, the Innovation Center has allied with Refsvindinge Brewery on Funen, which brews 41 different beers – including the well-known light blue 'Ale no. 16.'

Daily, malt master Kurt Jensen handles large amounts of malted barley in an old oven from the brewery’s founding in 1885 – a facility where bøg wood is burned every morning.

Kurt Jensen is the great-grandchild of the brewery’s founder.

Now, a time has been booked with him for the spelt, but unlike malted barley, the spelt must be dried quickly and thoroughly.

"Lars (Egelund Olsen, ed.) just wants it dry so he can get the kernel out of the hull when he rolls it. Normally, we dry at 80 degrees, but he wants it higher perhaps to make it more porous, so he can more easily extract the kernels," explains Kurt Jensen.

The drying takes place over a kind of iron grate about 20 square meters, where smoke rises through small holes with the heat.

Kurt Jensen points out that spelt must be dried very quickly after harvest – preferably directly from the combine.

"Because it’s so moist, it can mold in a very short time. You must not leave it in a sack – that’s when things go wrong," he assures.

Spelt Can Be Smoked

In Germany, there is also a tradition of smoking the grain to add more flavor.

"That has traditionally been done, and it gives some different flavor notes. You can smoke it in various ways besides roasting. Historically, the smoke was probably just part of the process and became a tradition that gave the grain its characteristic smoky notes. We will also try to experiment a bit with that," says Lars Egelund Olsen.

During normal drying in the malting house at Refsvindinge Brewery, the smoky flavor from the bøg wood automatically infuses.

The brewery has, among other things, supplied smoked malted barley for 'Limfjordsporter' from Thisted Brewery for many years.

The malt master predicts that smoked flavor will also be present in the dried spelt kernels from Blokhus.

"My philosophy is that smoking of grain and alcohol happens at the start, when the product is moist. That’s when it absorbs the smoke. Later in the process, it’s only drying because the kernel becomes hard and then seals everything else out," he explains.

Although they only burn bøg wood at Refsvindinge, there is still an opportunity to vary the flavor. For example, tobacco leaves have been used for a whisky malt from Ærø, which gave a tobacco note in the flavor of the kernel.

So, there is potential for future experiments.

Special Danish Green Spelt

In the field near the North Sea, Lars Egelund Olsen explains that they want to develop green spelt that is unique to Denmark – capable of competing with a finished product from Germany.

"If we are to do something for Danish farmers, we need to get something from Danish fields instead of just importing it. That’s why we want to try to incorporate it into a Danish context and give it a more Danish twist. Maybe it will become something very special – a green spelt from Vesterhavet," he says with a twinkle in his eye.

Lars Egelund Olsen hopes that the special cultivation method – harvesting before the field is ripe – can eventually become widespread as a supplement to organic crop production.

Good Organic Supplement

Spelt already fits well into the crop rotation of organic farmers.

"It has the property of being relatively modest; you can’t fertilize it much before it lodges. It’s tall, covers well, and thus competes effectively against weeds. If you can harvest it early as green spelt, you also have the option to establish an early catch crop and control weeds. So, it’s an extra advantage that spelt is good in itself," he says.

Additionally, it offers the advantage of not having to wait for the grain to dry and ripen.

"If you hit a wet period, you’ve already secured part of the harvest. That’s probably how green spelt originally came about. You harvest the grain before it’s fully ripe, roast it, and thus secure a food source," he explains.

"If you encounter a wet period, you’ve already secured part of the harvest. That’s probably how green spelt originated. You harvested the grain before full maturity, roasted it, and secured a food supply that way."

Now, the first experiments will show whether green spelt has the potential to become a new Danish organic niche product.

In the fall, Danish experiments will also be conducted in collaboration with the Organic Association to use green spelt in Danish meals.

The article is written as part of the project "From Field to Meal" with support from the Plant Duty Fund.