Top 10 plants that can be made into flour

Introduction

Have you wondered which are the top 10 plants that can be made into flour? In this blog post we delve into some of the popular and some not so popular plants that we can use to make flour. These plants provide us with the nutrients we need to stay healthy, and give us a variety of flavors to enjoy in our foods.

Criteria:

There are hundreds if not thousands of plant varieties plants that can be made into flour. There are probably many more that you will not find mentioned on the internet. We decided to focus on a couple of different aspects. The first being the availability, how easy is it to grow or collect the desired. The other being the nutritional aspects. The list provide plants that have high nutritional value and which provide an alternative to wheat.

Benefits:

I’ll start of by saying variety is the spice of life. Most of us have grown up with the smell and taste of fresh traditional bread wafting around the house or your local bakery. Alas too much of a good thing can become boring and in some cases unhealthy with the recent rise in gluten intolerance.  It’s time to mix it up, in this post we explore some alternatives to flour. Some may surprise and others you may know.

Another good reason to know which plants that can be made into flour is when things get tough and wheat is not readily available knowing alternatives can sustain a household indefinitely.

So let’s dive in and explore the alternatives one at a time.

Almonds

Almonds are relatively easy to collect, the harvest time is late summer to early spring. The hull begins to split in summer and in a month or two the hull will split wide enough where by a good shaking of the branch will cause the nut to easily fall out. Once you collect the almonds you can decide if you want to grind the almonds blanched or unblanched. To make unblanched flour simply place the amount of almond you require and grind into flour.

Blanched almond flour will require to remove the skin. To do this boil the almond in boiling water for one minute. Remove and once cool enough squeeze the almond to remove from skin. Rinse in cool water and place in baking tray. Then place in pre heated oven at 60 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes. Remove and cool completely. Now your ready to grind the blanched almonds into flour. The texture will be smoother that the unblanched almonds. A popular use is for making walnut caramel tart but the uses are endless.

Almonds are rich in Vitamin E, Protein and Magnesium, read this healthline article for a full breakdown.

Chickpea

Also know as the garbanzo bean, it is a cool weather annual that’s relatively easy to grow. If that’s not your thing then you can use purchased chickpeas to make your own flour. Chickpea flour is popular ingredient in several middle asian countries such as Bangladesh and Indian.

To turn this staple into flour use a coffee grinder or a blender whichever you prefer and pass through a sieve to turn into a fine powder.

Chickpeas are high in dietary fiver to help regularity and helps to lower cholesterol.

Oats

Making flour from oats is another plants that can be made into flour. Just get yourself some rolled oats and use a high speed blender until they are a fine dust. That’s it really!

Another great alternative to wheat that are rich in antioxidants, can lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels.

Quinoa

The next plant on our list is quinoa! Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is an ancient grain that has recently become popular as a “super food” due to its nutritional content. It contains high levels of protein, making it great for vegetarians looking for a meat alternative. Additionally, the leaves from the quinoa plant have been used to produce gluten free flour by those with celiac disease or other forms of gluten intolerance.

The quinoa comes in a seed format which you purchase or grow your own.

To make flour from this seed it’s just a simple matter of passing through a high speed blender.

Quinoa is loaded with fiber, protein and packed with vitamins and minerals and another gluten free option, making it another healthy alternative.

Spelt

The differences between whole wheat and spelt flours can be subtle, but it’s important for you to know which one works best in different recipes. For example: while hard reds have more protein than softer strains of this cereal grains, spelt flour is still a good source of fiber and minerals.

When baking with spelt flour, you might need to add a little more liquid than when using wheat flour because the starch in spelt is less water soluble. Spelt also has a nuttier flavor that some people enjoy. Try it in pancakes, quick breads or cookies for a delicious change of pace!

If you love wheat but can’t stomach it try this alternative. It is just as tasty but not with allergies that some get with wheat flour.

Millet

This tiny seed was once considered sacred by the Incas and Aztecs. Millet is gluten free and easily digestible, making it a good choice for those with food allergies or sensitivities. It’s also high in protein and B vitamins as well as magnesium, potassium and zinc.

This seed is another loaded with dietary fiber, B vitamins, calcium, iron, protein and all those goodies.

To make millet flour grind some millet seed, it is the same process as other seeds mentioned.

Flaxseed

Some call it one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. There’s some evidence it may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. That’s quite a tall order for a tiny seed that’s been around for centuries.

Flaxseed is another gluten free plant food. It’s also high in lignans, a type of fiber and antioxidant that may help prevent heart disease and cancer, as well as omega-fatty acids like those found in fish oils to support brain health.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is not a grain, but rather an easy-to grow plant that can be harvested and eaten. Its flowers attract bees which will pollinate your crops for you in return! Buckets of bucky seeds are great when planted at home with the goal being suppress weeds while attracting beneficial insects to feed on them – plus these pesky bugs really love this stuff so they’ll keep coming back time after time until their favourite food source gets scarce (or replaced).

Buckwheat shouldn’t just stay found as agricultural byproducts; it should also become one its own best features through cultivation practices like those advocated here: growing locally sourced produce without sacrificing flavor or nutritional value because

For those who are looking for a gluten free and nutrient rich flour, buckwheat is the perfect option. It has many vitamins that can be beneficial in infant diet from 6-7 months of age onward such as iron niacin folate vitamin k with high fiber content making their first foods more satisfying plus we all know how much babies love eating fruits!

Buckwheat is also a very good source of magnesium which helps regulate blood sugar levels and keep our energy levels stable.

Chia Seeds

Chia is a plant that can be grown easily and offers plenty of health benefits. Like so many other seeds there are full of anti oxidants, protein, vitamins and minerals, omega-3 fatty acids. They are considered as super foods in some circles.

This is another seeds that is easily converted to flour by using a coffee grinder or blender. Like all flours store them in a sealed container and store in a cool, dry, dark place and it will last weeks if not months.

Chestnuts

Chestnuts may not be as popular or well known in America but they’re a unique fruit that can trace its roots back to Italy. These sweet treats come from the castanea tree and have been enjoyed by people all over Asia since time immemorial! chest nut trees produce an exquisite treat called “castanets”

Chestnuts are my favorite, there flavour is nutty, unique and I can eat tons of them. The nut doesn’t contain gluten and therefore is not sticky like wheat flour. So it can be challenging cooking your regular favorites, none the less there are countless ways to use chestnut flour.

To process chestnuts into flour is easy.

First remove the nut from the shell. Score the nut using an X shape. Use a small peeling knife and to be safe place the nut on a wooden board to do this. Peel the nut back with the knife and remove the nut.

When they are fresh it requires a lot of work to remove the skin. The easiest and best way to remove the skin is to dry them either in the oven or using a dehydrator. A couple of hours in the oven on very low heat will do the trick.

Once dry and skin removed place in a blender using 1 part water and 2 parts chestnuts. This will produce a puree so we now have to dry again to get our precious flour. Again using an oven or dehydrator will work. Spread the puree on and oven tray and on low heat. Heat until completely dry and now back into the grinder or blender it goes to get it into a fine dust.

As you can see turning chestnuts into flour requires some effort but like most alternatives it is well worth it.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it – 10 vegetables plants that can be made into flour. You may never see a regular grain again and this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to plant-based food processing. Knowing how to grow and make your own flour from easily available and easy to grow plants is invaluable knowledge when wheat flour is scarce or unavailable at the time. It’s time we expanded our thinking and began thinking outside the circle. Just because we have done something all our lives does not mean there are not alternatives. This is not an exhaustive list, in fact it’s only touched the surface. Try experimenting with whatever you have on hand and try the flours in different recipes. It would be my pleasure to hear your experiences, successes and failures alike.