Only a few years ago hemp flour appeared in the panorama of health products available in our country. But what are the properties of this flour? Are there already proven recipes to use it and prepare tasty and healthy sweet or savory dishes?
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousOnly a few years ago hemp flour has appeared in the panorama of health products available in our country. But what are the properties of this flour? There are already tested recipes to use it and prepare tasty and healthy sweet or savory dishes?
Hemp flour is obtained from hemp seeds obtained from special authorized seeds of Food hemp Sativa. It is a complete food from the point of view of the amino acid content and particularly rich in vitamins and minerals as well as good fats.
Hemp, in its various forms (flour, oil, seeds), can therefore be an excellent food supplement to be considered almost like a natural supplement. Among other things, being a gluten-free product, hemp flour can also be used safely by celiacs.
But let's find out now the properties of hemp flour.
Index
PROPERTIES OF HEMP FLOUR
Undoubtedly one of the most interesting aspects of hemp flour is the presence in this product of all 8 essential amino acids. This means that it is about an excellent vegetable protein source, recommended for example for those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet.
In addition to this, another property of hemp flour that should not be underestimated is its own richness of Omega 3 and 6, fatty acids very important for the well-being of our organism present in this product in the right proportions (Omega 6 and Omega 3 in 3/1 ratio). These are substances useful for the heart and circulation but also for the brain and in general for the whole body given their antioxidant power.
Read also: OMEGA 3: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE WITH OMEGA 6?
The hemp flour is also rich in fiber and therefore it helps intestinal regularity and can help keep cholesterol at bay. There are also many mineral salts such as magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc but also vitamins, in particular the Vitamin E.
Among the properties of Cannabis Sativa there are also the ability to strengthen the immune system (in fact, there are those who consider this natural product a real "nutritional vaccine").
Finally, remember that hemp flour is a food with fewer calories compared, for example, to wheat flour 00 (about 21% less) and much more digestible also given that does not contain gliadin (it is therefore a gluten-free product).
To recap the main properties of hemp flour are:
• Presence of all essential amino acids
• Right Omega 3 - Omega 6 ratio
• Rich in fiber
• Rich in mineral salts
• Rich in vitamins (especially Vitamin E)
• Strengthens the immune system
• It is less caloric than other flours
• It is gluten free
USES OF HEMP FLOUR
Hemp flour lends itself to various uses in the kitchen given that the nutty flavor makes it suitable for both sweet and savory preparations (preferably mixed with other flours). Among the main uses of hemp flour are the making of bread and rolls, quiches and sweets, biscuits and pasta but there are also those who use it to thicken puddings and soups, to flour and bread or as a protein supplement inside. of extracts or smoothies.
Since it is a gluten-free flour, in preparations that require leavening it is better to use it together with flours that instead contain this protein such as wheat or spelled. But if you suffer from celiac disease it is still possible experiment with gluten-free doughs using this flour and perhaps mixing it with others such as rice or corn.
Keep in mind that generally 5-10% of hemp flour is used in the dough and it takes so little to make what you are preparing darker in color and with a taste that tends to recall that of hazelnut.
Hemp flour can therefore be used to prepare:
• Bread
• Homemade pasta
• Savory pies
• Sweet cakes
• Cookies
• To enrich and make more protein extracts or smoothies
• To thicken puddings and soups
• Gluten-free recipes
But let's see now some recipes with hemp flour to experiment ...
RECIPES
Hemp flour bread
Hemp flour lends itself well to the preparation of bread, not alone but mixed in a smaller percentage with other types of flour for example to the integral one. Then you just need to add the yeast, salt, the right amount of water, extra virgin olive oil and if you want to enrich the dough even more, even roasted hemp seeds. Here you will find a hemp bread recipe.
Photo: canapa.marche.com
Hemp flour pizza
You can experiment too hemp flour-based pizza dough. In this case, the percentage generally recommended to make the preparation tastier and richer in nutrients is 10%. That is, for every kilo of type 0 flour, 100 grams of hemp flour are added. You can see how to make the dough here.
Gallery: silviocicchi.com
Biscuits with hemp flour and cocoa
By mixing hemp flour, rice flour, cocoa powder, soy milk, vegetable oil and sugar, you can make greedy biscuits, completely vegetable and gluten free. Here the recipe.
Photo: baludelicious.blogspot.com
Hemp and nut muffins
With hemp, tapioca and sorghum flour, as well as vegetable oils, eggs, sugar and only bicarbonate to rise, it is possible to prepare sweet muffins. If you want to try this recipe take a look here.
Photo: nonnapaperina.com
Savory pie with hemp flour and onions
By combining wheat flour, hemp flour (in a smaller percentage), eggs, butter, water and salt it is possible to make a dough for a savory pie that can then be filled with onions, cheese or other vegetables to your liking. Here is the procedure to follow.
Photo: emilcanapa.com
Tagliatelle with hemp flour
With hemp flour you can also prepare someexcellent homemade pasta, tagliatelle but also other formats if you prefer them. Just mix together hemp flour, re-milled semolina and water. You can follow the procedure proposed by the hemp tagliatelle recipe that you find here. Then all that remains is to cook and season to taste, preferably with seasonal vegetables.
Gallery: unpezzodellamiamaremma.com
Hemp burger
By combining hemp flour with soy milk (or other vegetable drink), garlic, parsley, oil and spices to taste, you can create an original vegan burger, very rich in vegetable proteins. Here you will find the recipe for the hemp burger.
Photo: veganblog.com
With other variants of hemp, like seeds, we suggest you try these recipes instead:
Hemp tofu
Starting from hemp seeds it is possible to prepare a alternative tofu to the more classic one based on soy. Find the procedure for making it here.
Read also: HEMPFU Hemp TOW
Hemp milk
Also starting from hemp seeds it is possible to make hemp milk, one valid vegetable alternative to traditional milk. Here how.
Read also: ORGANIC HEMP MILK: HOW TO PREPARE IT AT HOME
WHERE TO FIND IT
Hemp flour can be purchased in shops selling organic products and natural food, but also in well-stocked herbal shops or online. More and more often traditional supermarkets also reserve a space for natural and gluten-free alternatives and could also be found, in these dedicated shelves, hemp flour as well as hemp oil and hemp seeds.
ALTERNATIVE
If you are not familiar with hemp flour and prefer to experiment with other uses of this plant, there are two valid alternatives: hemp seeds and hemp seed oil.
HEMP SEEDS
To keep their properties at their best, hemp seeds (which exist both whole and shelled) must be eaten raw. Their simplest use involves adding them as a condiment or real ingredient to dishes such as salads, fruit salads and muesli for breakfast or snack. They can also be used in the decoration of desserts, in the preparation of bread, bread sticks or other hot dishes, taking into account, however, that their nutritional value is kept intact only when they are raw. They can also be used raw as an additional ingredient in the preparation of smoothies. They are also used for the preparation of hemp seed milk as well as hemp tofu, an excellent variant of the classic tofu made with soy. Better keep hemp seeds in the fridge to avoid rancidity.
Read also: HEMP SEEDS: properties, USES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
HEMP SEED OIL
Hemp oil can be considered a real natural supplement useful for the well-being of the organism. Excellent raw dressing especially on vegetables, salads, soups or wherever you prefer, this oil can also be used externally to solve dermatitis, acne and other skin disorders. It is very important to know that in order to maintain all the properties of hemp oil, this it must be used strictly raw. It is not necessary to keep the whole cold chain as it happens for linseed oil, which even if closed must remain in the fridge, hemp oil only once opened it should be kept in the refrigerator to preserve its qualities and consumed within one month of opening. If you are interested in supplementing because of its richness in essential fatty acids and to take advantage of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties, you can also take it as it is like a natural supplement. If it is consumed as a prevention, a teaspoon or two a day is enough, if instead it is used for curative purposes, the recommended dose varies from 1 to 3 tablespoons.
Read also: HEMP OIL: PROPERTIES, USES, BENEFITS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS
You have already tried hemp flour or do you prefer seeds and oil?
