I've been sprouting a lot lately. It makes local, fresh and organic very accessible in the winter. It is also incredibly easy. After weeks of sprouting in various jars, containers and greenhouse trays, I finally invested in a $30 sprouter, and now have three different sprouts going at any given time. Today: spelt, clover and lentil. I have tried anything that is a seed and so far everything is quick and easy: mung beans, chick peas, green peas, sunflower seeds, fenugreek (my favourite).
It is especially good for me since I cannot digest the complex carbohydrates in most beans. However, sprouted seeds (even 2 or 3 days old) produce enough enzymes to digest many of the recalcitrant polysaccharides: get this, I can eat RAW CHICKPEAS!!! Not cooked, raw!
I digress. Since I am deep in raw culture (not personally, but hey, this is Guelph), I have become quite taken with the sprouted seed crackers I see around. They are very expensive. So I attempted my own last week - and the result was better than the original.
Sprouted flax seeds produce a thick glycoprotein mucilage about a day into germination. This is the base for the crackers.
Into this 2-day old ooze of flax seeds (you'll only see a tiny little radicle sticking out of the seed coat at this stage), you add raw sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and I added sliced, raw almonds. Stir in a little sea salt, then spread it out on some parchment paper....
....and leave to dehydrate. I don't have a dehydrater (and don't plan on getting one, however, I am moving to BC...), so I put them in my oven at 150 C for about 2 hours. This should satisfy the requirements for raw foodists.
They are very snackish and beyond healthy. Like I said, I'm really not a raw convert, but these crackers transcend foodie subculture. I think they will become a staple in my house (sorry fishy crackers...)
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ReplyDeleteI'm quite interested in making these. So when I try to get the flax to sprout do I put them in a bowl on the counter with just some water? I would appreciate some proportions.
ReplyDeleteT
Hi T,
ReplyDeleteIt was all willy nilly. I did maybe 1 c flax to .25 cups e/t else.
To sprout without a sprouter, you need to immerse the seeds for several hours. Flax are so small, I would say a couple of hours. Then you need to keep them moist but not wet. I would put them on a moist paper towel and cover with plastic wrap or in a sealed container. You dont want them wet, or dry. And you must be vigilant about contamination. For this recipe, let them go 2-3 days, you will see the mucilage and the radicle. If you wait longer, then you'll have a little plant.
Send me a basket full of these delicacies.
ReplyDeletePS Comments on QMJR would not go unnoticed :P!
the crackers look delicious. How do you ever think up the recipes?
ReplyDelete