The USDA recognizes eight classes for wheat in the United States: Durum wheat, Hard Red Spring Wheat, Hard Red Winter Wheat, Soft Red Winter Wheat, Hard White wheat, Soft White Wheat, Unclassed wheat and mixed wheat.
Wheat is named for the season (winter or spring) in which it is planted, its texture (hard or soft) and the color (red, white and amber).
Regarding season, winter wheat is planted on cold seasons (fall and winter) and harvested in June or July.
Examples of winter wheat include – hard red winter, soft red winter or white winter wheat. Soft Red Winter wheat grown in the area of the greater rainfall.
The soft red winter wheat belt extends from central Texas northeastward to the Great Lakes and then east to the Atlantic coast.
Soft red winter wheat is generally grown in a subhumid climate no conducive to the production of hard wheat.
Part of the so-called ‘corn belt’ is also a region of high production of soft red winter wheat.
This type of wheat accounts for approximately 15% of the total wheat acreage of the United States.
The flour milled from the soft red winter wheat is used chiefly in the domestic trade for pastry, cake, biscuits and cracker baking and to some extent in the manufacture of breakfast foods.
Soft Red Winter Wheat has a lower protein content than hard red winter wheat. The softer the wheat, the lower the protein content.
What is Soft Red Winter Wheat?
