Wild rice is often mixed with long- or short-grain rice to make side dishes.
You might find it surprising to learn that wild rice is not actually a grain but is instead a member of the grass family. Wild rice grows from seed on the edges of marshy lakes or shallow, slow-moving rivers and other tributaries in locations that do not get extremely warm during the summer. Wild rice grows beneath the water's surface and is harvested shortly after growing above the water's surface. Raising wild rice successfully depends mostly on location and climate. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Verify that you have the right conditions for growth. Wild rice grows best in still or slow-moving water that is between 4 and 6 feet deep with a marshy or soft soil bottom of an even mixture of clay and silt. The average ambient temperature of the water should not drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit or rise above 85 degrees. There should not be a glut of other plants growing in the area you wish to plant wild rice. The water should have a low saline content.
2. Obtain wild rice seeds. Seeds can be purchased from many feed and farm supply stores or from several companies online.
3. Plant the wild rice seeds. Once the temperature typically stays above 45 degrees, scatter wild rice seeds from a boat. Scatter them by handfuls as they will float to the bottom.
4. Harvest rice in the early fall before the temperature regularly drops below 45 degrees. Use a boat to travel along the rice field. Use a long stick to collect rice grains and seeds by smacking the ripe heads of the grass toward the bottom of the boat. Separate the wild rice grains from the seeds. Keep the seeds and plant them next season.
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