Even though I’m not 100% sold that soaking grains is the best way to consume grains, there’s something about it that feels right. Nearly all the whole grains we eat around here are either soaked or sourdoughed (because I am convinced that sourdough is very, very healthy), but there are some things we just don’t like with sourdough.

Cookies present a problem either way. There usually just isn’t enough liquid in cookie recipes to be able to modify them for soaking, plus one often must cream the butter and sweetener and get the eggs in there before the flour. Sprouted flour, made from whole grain berries that have been soaked overnight, then sprouted into a living plant for a few days, then dehydrated and ground into flour, offer the perfect solution. Not only does sprouting reduce many antinutrients found in whole grains, but it also uses up some of the starch in the grain, making the end product lower carb.

I’ve made my own homemade sprouted flour from time to time, but it’s certainly time consuming and requires two big ticket (and big footprint) appliances. I was pleased to get the opportunity to test out some commercial sprouted flour for the first time this month (could it be a more appropriate month to be playing with baking cookies???).

Essential Eating Sprouted Flour

Shiloh Farms and Essential Eating sprouted flour offers both sprouted whole spelt and whole wheat flours. They take great care with their process, which is where the details really matter, much more so than the flour’s performance in the kitchen. When you’re dealing with these artisanal processes, you want to make sure the company isn’t cutting corners.

Here are three points that set Essential Eating sprouted flours apart (from the company):

1. It is our mission to produce the finest sprouted flour available and to that end we are the only producers who test each batch to assure that the grain has actually sprouted, and not just soaked or drowned. Soaking grain is better for you than unsoaked grain, but it does not produce the nutritional and digestible qualities of sprouted grain flour.
2. We do not stone grind our flour for several sanitary reasons and the fact that stone milling breaks down the integrity of the grain which results in flour that produces dense baked goods.
3. Our flours are produced in the only certified organic sprouted flour mill rated Superior by the American Institute of Baking.  Of the 90-some mills in the country, less than 10 are rated Superior. (Here are 10 Questions to Ask your Sprouted Flour Producer.)

To be honest, I somehow messed up my last batch of sprouted spelt, and “drowned” sounds like a pretty apt description. If I remember right, I let the spelt berries soak a bit longer than 12 hours, just because that was the way my day was going. Didn’t think anything of it because everything looked like “all systems go” at first, but then the berries never sprouted beyond the teeniest spot of a tip. After a few days, I just had to stop waiting for sprouting and dehydrate them, because I was fearful they would start to mold and I’d lose the whole jar. I’m hoping some antinutrients were still reduced, maybe like soaking grains, but I have no idea. My spelt ready to sprout…

So in some ways, it’s really comforting, and a whole lot easier, to just let someone else do it. Of course, flour is best when it is freshly ground, but if you don’t have a grain mill (or a mortal and pestle and lots of extra time), you’re kind of stuck on that anyway. I just store the flour in the freezer in the garage as soon as it arrives (it’s 17 degrees today).

Other Goodies to Review

I also received a cookbook to help me know what to do with my sprouted flour, and it’s packed with healthy recipes including good fats and real sweeteners. It passes my test for a real food book, although I didn’t have time to try a new recipe yet because I wanted to make Sprouted Cinnamon Raisin Spelt Cookies (and then had to do it twice – read that post for the fiasco!).

The final goodie in my review pack was a bag of maple sugar. I’m very excited about this, but it’s totally intimidating me. A 12 oz. bag is over $10, so the price alone makes me want to just set it on the counter and look at it.

The price is comparable to or less than other maple sugars online, like this one at $20/lb. I know it’s a fair price – did you know it takes 40 gallons of sap (which already takes a good deal of labor to collect) to boil down to one gallon of pure maple syrup? Then to get sugar you have to keep boiling until just the right point. It’s a huge process.

It definitely has crossed my mind that in the American Midwest 100-150 years ago, maple sugar was the standard, and “store sugar” was reserved for company. Now it would be the other way around! And yes, my source is Little House in the Big Woods, where else?

I just can’t figure out how I want to use it – I’m tempted to put it into my homemade yogurt, but I figured I could always just put maple syrup there. I’ll have to choose just the perfect recipe, that only my family will be eating (no sharing this precious stuff!) that could only be made well with a granulated sweetener. Until then, I’ll just look at it on my counter in awe!

Want Some?

Shiloh Farms is sharing: one reader will win a packing including 5 lbs. of your choice of either Essential Eating sprouted spelt or sprouted whole wheat flour, PLUS a 12 oz. bag of organic maple sugar and Janie Quinn’s book Sprouted Baking (over $65 value!).

ENTER HERE

Giveaways at Kitchen Stewardship are run via a survey, which means comments on this post do not count (and will be deleted). In the long run, this is quicker for you if you go for extra entries.

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED; THANKS FOR ENTERING. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED AFTER CHRISTMAS…OR IN 2011…IT’LL HAPPEN, FOLKS, JUST DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER GIVEAWAY CONTEST.

There are 8 possible entries! Here’s what you can do to win:

1. *Mandatory entry: Visit Shiloh Farms and find the “Shiloh Farms Promise.” Copy it into the survey form and you’re in like Flynn! (whatever that means)
2. Subscribe in a reader or via email to Kitchen Stewardship (or tell me if you already do).
3. Subscribe via reader or email (enter email address in the box) to the Sprouted Flour Blog.
4. “Like” Kitchen Stewardship on Facebook.
5. Email 5 friends about this giveaway along with the link to it. (Email subscribers can forward their message.)
6. Follow @kitchenstew on Twitter AND tweet this:
   I’m making cookies if I win @kitchenstew ’s #realfood sprouted flour giveaway! http://bit.ly/gNctey.
7. Stumble or Digg your favorite post or recipe at Kitchen Stewardship (you can use the Share This icon at the bottom of the post). What is Stumble?
8. If you have a blog or website, post about this giveaway linking back to this post.

Remember, comments here DO NOT COUNT. You must use the survey form.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER GIVEAWAY CONTEST.

I will use random.org’s integer generator to choose the winner.  The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 22nd, and I’ll post the winners by, you know, 2011 sometime.

If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

Disclosure:  I received products for my review at no charge, which of course did not affect my opinion in the least. Giveaways are paid advertising and a great thing for my readers, so I’m happy to include it separately from the review. See my full advertising disclosure here.