Johnny over at Sourdough Companion has been experimenting with chia seeds in his sourdough bread. He considers chia seed gel to be the secret ingredient in baking a moist, long lasting bread.
But, I especially like the way the seeds arrange themselves on the crust when he spreads chia gel on the top of the loaf before baking.
Johnny says, "I'm starting to really like these magical little seeds...they're like tiny mottled pebbles full of goodness!"
Awhile back, I received this email:
Nutrition Diva has something to say on this matter. Visit her website for a discussion of value of sprouting in general: http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/sprouted-grains.aspxBasically, this article provides evidence that sprouting does not improve the nutritional value of most seeds in any significant way.
The dietary fiber is part of the seed coat. Because the chia seed coat becomes mucilaginous and sticky, it is left behind, stuck to the sprouting medium, when the seedling spouts. The omega-3s, I believe, are metabolized as fuel for the growth of the seedling. This would leave you with neither fiber nor omega-3s.
I hope this helps!Margaret
This wonderful not-for-profit organization in Sierra Vista, Arizona is a terrific resource for anyone interested in sustainable agriculture, community gardening, and desert heritage foods.
Their website includes an informative page on the history of chia seeds, as well as a page of recipes, including this one:
Oat and Seed Candy Bar
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
2 or 3 Tablespoons chia seeds
½ cup honey or agave nectar
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or tahini
Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Spread oats and seeds on baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring twice to assure uniform toasting. Transfer to a medium bowl. Pour honey into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 7 minutes or until honey reaches 275 F on a candy thermometer. When it starts to condense and thicken it is ready. Stir in butter. Pour hot syrup over oat mixture and stir to combine. Spread in pan evenly. Cut into bars. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper.
NEWS: According to Sarah Enriquez, Lifemax Distributor in Orlando, her pet duck, Mingming, has made a miraculous recovery from an eye infection with the help of chia seeds! She says, "I noticed her right eye wasn't moving. It was shut close for a few days and when she finally opened it, it won't see a thing. It won't respond to any movements and it looked as though there was a clear film on it."
Sarah learned of the reports of ophthalmic uses of chia seeds among native Californians:
"...seeds were dropped into the eye, and rolled around or left
in overnight. The Cahuilla tribe used chia seeds in this fashion
to remove sand in the eyes acquired from sandstorms encountered after
a long day of hunting . Seeds were sometimes mashed
with a rock or hammer and placed in the eye overnight
The film that resulted from the gelatinous seeds in either method absorbed
any foreign body or irritant and helped to ease inflammation." (This is from a USDA document on Golden Chia)
So Sarah sprinkled some MILA (ground chia seed) on Mingming's eye and says, "the next morning, the clear film was gone. Her eye is still not as good as the one on the left but it really did get better with MILA. I will put more tomorrow so it will completely heal."
P.S. Sarah has also used MILA to heal her chick's broken leg!
Chia seeds may be hazardous to your plumbing!!
Blogger Kevin Gannon has been trying to grow a Chia Obama without much success.
But in the process, he's accidentally grown chia seeds in a few other places, for example, in this margarita glass, and, UNFORTUNATELY, in the drain of his sink!!
I've done the same thing. And I almost had to call the plumber!! Draino to the rescue!!
So be sure to clean up after your chia planting experiments.
Don't pour your chia gel down the drain.
Flush it, instead!!
Trader Joe's is a popular specialty grocery store with a dozen outlets in the greater New York, and hundreds more around the country. You can buy vegan nuts, seeds, berries, bars and everything else from Smoked Chicken Apple Chardonnay Sausage to Tom Yum Cashews.
Yesterday, I dropped into our local Trader Joe's to investigate. I spoke with the manager:
Me: What products do you carry that contain chia seeds? Do you carry whole or ground chia seeds?
Trader Joe's Store Manager: Chia seeds? What are they?
Me: Chia seeds are a rediscovered crop, used like flax seeds (we were standing next to the flax tortilla chips at the time.) They don't go rancid or have to be ground. Blah blah, etc.
Me: FYI, Wild By Nature, your competitor, carries chia seeds.
Trader Joe's Store Manager: Sounds interesting. But we got burned with Acai berries. Anyway, there's no demand for them yet. You're the first person to ask.
Is it only the Long Island stores that are so far behind the times? But no, I searched the entire Trader Joe's website for "seeds" and found pumpkin seeds and chocolate covered sunflower seeds, but no chia seeds. (When I searched the site for "chia" I found nothing!!) Other bloggers have reported trouble finding chia seeds at Trader Joe's in Cape Cod and elsewhere.
So Joe! Get with the program!!
OK, we're getting a little punchy here. I recently received a message from Pam from You Are Kidding Me! She wanted us to know about the adventures her Chia Hippo has been having. A few days ago, he found himself in a shopping mall, chatting with elves and drinking chai lattes at Starbucks. Here he is on the escalator. I wonder what he'll be up to next.
