Flavor of the Month

January is Oatmeal Month!

Oatmeal Month is celebrated each January, the month in which we buy more oatmeal than any other month of the year. Eighty percent of U.S. households have oatmeal in their cupboard. In January 2001, we stocked our pantries with 34.6 million pounds of oats; enough to make 346 million bowls of oatmeal.

Over half of U.S. domestic oat production is grown in South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. In 2003, South Dakota ranked third in the nation for oat production. Almost half of the acreage planted for oats is harvested for grain, with the remainder being utilized for hay.

Oats were one of the earliest cereals cultivated by man. They were known in ancient China as long ago as 7,000 B.C. The ancient Greeks were the first people known to have made a recognizable porridge (cereal) from oats.

The oat is called a groat after the hull has been removed. Old Fashioned Oats are groats that are steamed and rolled but not cut. They cook in 5 minutes on the stove-top or 3 minutes in a microwave oven and can be used for baking. Quick Oats are groats that are cut into two or three pieces, then steamed and rolled. They cook in just 1 minute on the stove-top or microwave oven and can also be used for baking.

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup applesauce
2/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoon cooking oil
1 egg

Combine oatmeal, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Add applesauce, milk, sugar and egg; mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened. In an oiled muffin tin, fill muffin cups 2/3 full.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Makes 18 muffins.

Credits: Images courtesy of the USDA and the Quaker Oatmeal. Resources: www.grainguide.com and the South Dakota Diabetes Prevention and Control Program.