Northern Wild Rice Harvesting and Processing

Northern wild rice can be harvested and processed with modern machinery, using more traditional methods, or by a combination of these methods

Natural Stands

Harvest of northern wild rice from Minnesota lake and river systems is by hand with no mechanical equipment.

Cultivated Crop

At harvest, the water in irrigated paddies is drained over ~4-6 weeks starting in August, until the land is dry. Then a combine is utilized to separate the grain from the rest of the plant and collects the seed.

Harvesting

A man moving through wild rice waters in a canoe and the tool used to move

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Traditional harvest involves the use of a canoe propelled by a long, forked, pole. Cedar knocking sticks (or flails) are used to drop the mature grain into the canoe.

A wild rice harvesting machine dispensing grain into a bin

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Processing

Historical photos of people parching, jigging and winnowing wild rice

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Parching: Heating slowly over a fire to dry rice and break down hulls

Jigging: Dancing on rice with moccasins to break hulls

Winnowing: Tossing rice into the air to remove the hulls from the grain

Cured vs uncured wild rice as well as the curing process under plastic rows

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Curing: The biological and chemical process that breaks down hulls and changes the color and flavor of wild rice.

Hulling: Removal of hulls, usually using machinery

Grading: Separating grains by size and color

References

Oelke, EA (2007) Saga of the grain : a tribute to Minnesota cultivated wild rice growers. Schumacher, J., Schreiner, R., and Council, M. C. R. (Eds.) Lakeville, Lakeville : Hobar Publications.