Buckwheat Groats

by Cat, Nov 2011 (image, right, from SproutPeople (4)

I’m exploring cold cereal ideas that I can make in my own kitchen, because commercial boxed cereals have damaged nutrition from high heat. I want something that is sprouted and dried to maximize nutritional value, and I’d prefer non-gluten grains.

See also: 1. Kasha porridge; 2. “Buckwheaties” (kasha cold cereal) 3. World’s Healthiest Foods (1,2) for more about nutrition of buckwheat

Sprouted Buckwheat (Kasha) Granola

Most granola recipes involve heating in an oven, which can oxidize the fats and denature the protein in the seeds, reducing the nutritional value of the granola. But none of the ingredients in this granola are exposed to baking-heat, just the dehydration heat to dry the sprouted buckwheat groats, and soaked nuts and seeds.

This recipe is from Home n’Stead (7) website. You can follow their instructions for sprouting the buckwheat:

“To sprout, soak in water for 2-4 hours, drain and rinse in colander. Leave colander on a plate and occasionally toss the top layer lightly to keep it moist (at least a few times a day). In 24 hours small sprouts should appear. If they are not visible by 36 hours, your buckwheat is dead.. try a different source. After 36 hrs, unused sprouts should be refrigerated or dehydrated”

Or you can use my instructions for Sprouted & dehydrated buckwheat (based on those from Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon (8). When combining with water to sprout the buckwheat as kasha, it can get slimy like flax seeds. To counteract this, you need to rinse it really well (5 times or so) for each rinse/drain cycle, and before dehydrating.

To soak and dry the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and nuts of your choice, see my instructions: How to Soak and Dry Nuts and Seeds.

The Home n’Stead recipe provides no actual amounts for each ingredient, so you’re on your own. I haven’t tried this yet, but when I do, I’ll update with my learnings on amounts.

The storage info is not part of the original recipe; it’s my best guess on how to store this.

Ingredients & Equipment:

8 cup (2-quart) mixture of the following; the links are to pages on Cat’s Kitchen:

• Solids:
• Sprouted & dehydrated buckwheat
• Soaked & dried sunflower & pumpkin seeds (6:1 ratio is best)
• Soaked & dried nuts (your choice)
• shredded, unsweetened coconut
• raisins or chopped dates
• Sauce:
• honey
• sesame or coconut oil, or melted butter
• vanilla
• unrefined sea salt
• cinnamon (optional)
• Equipment:
• small & large bowls
• wooden spoon
• jar(s) with lid(s) for storage

Method:

1. Prep: Sprout and dehydrate the buckwheat (about 24-36 hours); soak or sprout and dehydrate the sunflower, pumpkin seeds and nuts (12 – 48 hours).
2. Combine prepped ingredients in large bowl.
3. Sauce: Whisk ingredients for sauce in small bowl (honey and oil first, then salt and flavorings), and mix well. (From Home n’ Stead (7): “½ c. sauce would be plenty” for a 2 quart batch). Then stir into kasha mixture until well combined; use a food processor if desired.
4. Store in jar or other container with lid, in a cool, dry place.
5. Serve with milk and sliced banana or berries. Sprinkle bee pollen on top, if desired

References

1. whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11, on Buckwheat
2. whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrientprofile&dbid=81; nutritional analysis of buckwheat
3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat
4. sproutpeople.org/bwgroats.html
5. asiteaboutnothing.net/f_kasha.html
6. quotes about buckwheat: naturalpedia.com/Kasha.html
7. Home ‘n Stead recipe: home-n-stead.com/homestead/tipsandrecipes/raw_breakfast.html
8. Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon (see Beloved Cookbooks for more about this book)