If you’ve ever received a package from us, you’ve likely encountered some of our packing peanuts (see right). Over the years, we’ve received many emails from concerned customers with questions ranging from environmental impact to worries about whether the peanuts have gluten in them.

The packing peanuts we use in our shipments are made from potato starch and will completely dissolve in water, making them both environmentally and allergen friendly. They are biodegradable and non-toxic, so if your dog is like mine and happens to chow one down, don’t sweat it. The peanuts are not food-grade, but they will decompose unlike those nasty Styrofoam peanuts. Next time you receive a box of these peanuts, you can rest a little easier knowing they won’t hurt you or the environment.

As I pushed the loaves of daily bread forward, an unfamiliar smiling face asked, “This might be a stupid question, but what is spelt?” I explained to her my knowledge of baking with spelt and all that I have learned about this ancient grain through studying on my own. After satisfying her question, it occurred to me how many times I have been asked this question. “What is spelt?”

At Bob’s Red Mill we are not only grinding spelt, but constructing cookies, breads and pastries for all to enjoy. Spelt originated about 8,000 years ago when two grains, a wheat and a grass decided to become one. Being a hybrid of wheat it carries some of wheat’s gluten properties, though it has a lower gluten content. Although, gluten intolerant individuals cannot consume spelt, many people find it much easier to digest than wheat.

Often, people consume this grain for it’s distinct sweet nutty flavor, as well as it’s fabulous nutritional benefits. Did you know that the high level of riboflavin in spelt is believed to alleviate migraine headaches, lower your risk for diabetes, heart disease and many types of cancer? Spelt’s high fiber content keeps things moving. Why wouldn’t you want to try it?

At the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store I hear many conversations about spelt and it’s different uses. You can find spelt in various forms here at our store and on our website. Available in our bulk bins, we have rolled spelt, whole grain spelt flour, light spelt flour and spelt berries. Oh the possibilities! So come on down to the store and try a loaf of bread, some spelt rolls or maybe even a spelt cookie. Be sure to take some treats home for the family!

Not sure what to do with spelt? Try some of our recipes using spelt.

If you are new to Gluten Free Baking you may find yourself wondering, “What is the difference between Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum?” Both ingredients are frequently called for in gluten free recipes and can seem exotic at first, but they both serve the same general purpose as thickeners and emulsifiers. Quite simply, both these ingredients help keep your mixes mixed. They keep oil droplets from sticking together and separating, and solid particles from settling to the bottom. You can use just one or the other; or sometimes for the best results, you can use them in combination together.

In conventional recipes containing wheat, rye, barley or triticale flour, the protein, gluten in these fours serves the same purpose that guar gum and xanthan gum do in gluten free baking. Gluten protein is what traditional recipes rely on to thicken dough and batters, and trap air bubbles to make your baked goods light and fluffy. Xanthan gum tends to help starches combine to trap air, while guar gum helps keep large particles suspended in the mix.

One of the differences between the two products is where they come from. Guar gum is made from a seed native to tropical Asia, while xanthan gum is made by a micro organism called Xanthomonas Camestris.

In the kitchen, there are also important differences in using xanthan gum vs. guar gum. In general, guar gum is good for cold foods such as ice cream or pastry fillings, while xanthan gum is better for baked goods. Xanthan gum is the right choice for yeasted breads. Foods with a high acid content (such as lemon juice) can cause guar gum to lose its thickening abilities. For recipes involving citrus you will want to use xanthan gum or increase the amount of guar gum used.

In general, it is best to add both xanthan and guar gum to the oil component in a recipe, making complete mix of oil and gum before adding to the rest of liquid ingredients. Using a blender or a food processor is a great way to get the gums to dissolve properly.

The final difference between the two gums is the variation in quantities you will need for different foods. There are no hard and fast rules as to how to combine the two gums together, you’ll have to experiment yourself to see what works best in your recipes.

If you decide to use just one or the other, here are some helpful measurements for popular foods:

How much Xanthan Gum for Gluten Free Baking?
Cookies………………………………¼ teaspoon per cup of flour
Cakes and Pancakes………………..½ teaspoon per cup of flour
Muffins and Quick Breads………… ¾ teaspoon per cup of flour
Breads……………………………….1 to 1-½ tsp. per cup of flour
Pizza Dough…………………..…… 2 teaspoons per cup of flour
For Salad Dressings…Use ½ tsp. Xanthan Gum per 8 oz. of liquid.

How much Guar Gum for Gluten Free Baking?
Cookies………………………………¼ to ½ tsp. per cup of flour
Cakes and Pancakes………………..¾ teaspoon per cup of flour
Muffins and Quick Breads………….1 teaspoon per cup of flour
Breads……………………………….1-½ to 2 tsp. per cup of flour
Pizza Dough…………………..…….1 Tablespoon per cup of flour
For Hot Foods (gravies, stews , heated pudding)…Use 1-3 teaspoons per one quart of liquid.
For Cold Foods (salad dressing, ice creams, pudding) Use about 1-2 teaspoons per quart of liquid.

8/30/11 UPDATE: We are so pleased with the awesome response we get from this post and will do our best to answer any of your remaining questions. However, we have found that there are a lot of questions here that we don’t know much about- like ice cream making and salad dressings. Again, we will do our best, but we’re really only experts at baking with these two products.

6/11/12 UPDATE: Regarding corn in xanthan gum: The microorganism that produces xanthan gum is actually fed a glucose solution that is derived from wheat starch. Gluten is found in the protein part of the wheat kernel and no gluten is contained in the solution of glucose. Additionally, after the bacteria eats the glucose, there is no wheat to be found in the outer coating that it produces, which is what makes up xanthan gum. The short answer here is, there is no corn used at all in the making of xanthan gum.

Here at Bob’s Red Mill, it seems like there are two types of cycling enthusiasts, the truly devoted and the fair weather friend. For the truly devoted, there is never really a bad time of year to tune up your bike and head out for a long ride. But for the rest of us who have been waiting for clear skies and longer days, now is the time of year to really get started biking around town again.

If you’re like me and haven’t pulled your bike out of its hiding place since last fall, chances are it might need a little bit of a tune up before you’re ready to start commuting to work again. Otherwise you might not make it very far from your house before you realize your tires are almost flat, and that people on the street are stopping to stare at you because of all the creaky squeaky noises coming from your gears. But regardless of whether it has been a few months or more than a few years since you last attempted a bike ride, if you’re in Portland, you’ll love the Portland By Cycle Campaign! They have a full schedule of free classes and group rides designed to get you back on the road again.

If you’re lucky enough to live in the green line target area this year, you can sign up online to receive a free goodie bag full of maps, coupons and transit information. I was lucky enough to live in the last year’s target area, and enjoyed getting goodies like a pedometer and a fabric bike route map

By getting your gear together and your legs ready now, you’ll be ready for all the fun and exciting biking events of summer here in the city. Two of the best ways to keep up on all the local biking news are by checking out the Bike Portland bike blog and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance website. Both are full of helpful links to important bicycle related resources, and will keep you up to date on all sorts of exciting bicycle events all summer long.

When I met my husband over 8 years ago, his bachelor diet consisted of cereal, cereal and more cereal. On a good week there were a few meals of noodles and cheese mixed in. As time went on, we ate a variety of foods together, but his cereal habit stayed pretty consistent. He ate good, whole grain cold cereal, but it wasn’t the nutritional aspect that bothered me- it was forking over $5 a box for cereal that would disappear in a day or two. About the time when I was belly-aching about buying $15 worth of cereal, my sister-in-law told me that she had recently resurrected a family recipe from their childhood for a healthy, homemade cereal.

I tried it one weekend and we were hooked. We haven’t looked back since! This recipe is easy to make and can be adapted for what you have on hand. A big batch will last about two weeks in our house, but there is only two of us. I should mention that this is not granola. It will not be crunchy like granola. I call it Health Cereal- but you can call it whatever you want.

Health Cereal from the Stockton family

10 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup Wheat Bran
1/2 cup Wheat Germ
1/2 cup Flaxseed Meal
1/2 cup Hemp Seeds
3/4 cup Oil
1 cup Honey
1 cup warm water
1 cup Nuts of your choice
1 cup Dried Fruit of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 290°F. Spray a big roasting pan with cooking spray, then  mix together oats through hemp seeds until thoroughly combined. Start by drizzling the oil over the cereal (do not mix it in), then honey, then water. If you want, you can add 1 tsp of Vanilla or Almond extract (or some other type) to the water to increase the flavor. Do not mix the cereal.
2. Bake the cereal for 25 minutes, then stir. Stir minimally to avoid breaking up the clumps that will form.
3. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Add nuts and dried fruit, stir to combine. Bake for another 15 minutes. Remove cereal from oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Some fruit and nut combinations that we like are:
*Raisins and chopped walnuts
*Dried cranberries and slivered almonds
*Dried blueberries and chopped hazelnuts
*Dried coconut and sliced almonds

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for patiently over the last month… the winners of our giveaway! Each winner will receive an autographed copy of Carol Fenster’s 1000 Gluten Free Recipes, a package of our Gluten Free Oat Flour and a package of our Gluten Free Quick Rolled Oats. All winners have been contacted directly via email, but we haven’t heard back from everyone. New winners will be selected if the previous winners fail to step forward to claim their prize. All winners were selected randomly.

Katie N from Michigan
Meaghan M from New York
Eleanor B from Massachusetts
Anne H from Pennsylvania
Lynda F from Washington
Jennifer B from Illinois
Maureen M from Ohio
Kara H from Maryldan
Sandy S (slsmith): We haven’t heard from you!
Allan (northwardspirit): We haven’t heard from you!

Thank you to everyone who participated. We had over 550 entries for this giveaway and I wish I could have sent everyone a prize. We have some more fun giveaways coming up, so don’t give up if you weren’t a winner this time.

As we continue our celebration of the Whole Grains Council’s Grain of the Month Calendar, we are joining with them again to spotlight amaranth for the month of May. At Bob’s Red Mill, all of the amaranth we sell is completely organic and packaged in our separate gluten free facility.

If you haven’t tasted amaranth yet, it is a grain known for its subtle slightly nut-like flavor and a natural, earthy aroma. It is an exceptionally nutritious addition to any meal, having huge amounts of protein, amino acids, and fiber. In fact, amaranth is higher in protein than milk, soy, barley, wheat, peanuts, and corn.

At first glance, whole grain amaranth looks almost like golden poppy seeds. The tiny seeds have a resilient bran layer that stays crunchy no matter how long you cook it, and it’s earthy and assertive flavor pairs well with the spicy, herbal seasonings of its South American home. Amaranth cooks to a hearty porridge or polenta, and can even be popped like tiny popcorn.

We offer amaranth as both Whole Grain Amaranth and stone ground Amaranth Flour for baking. If you haven’t given amaranth a test run in your own kitchen, now is perfect time to give this tiny grain a try.

If you’re looking for inspiration be sure to check out this beautiful Millet and Amaranth Gluten-Free Artisan Bread recipe created by Janice Mansfield, owner and operator of Real Food Made Easy.

I have read that it takes an average of 10 years for someone to reach a diagnosis of celiac disease; 10 years of suffering with no clear cause. Ten years is far too long, in my opinion. Part of what contributes to the lengthy time to diagnosis is the wide array of symptoms. Some people have severe, debilitating digestion issues; others simply feel cranky and are not sure why. Doctors do seem to be catching celiac disease earlier in children whose parents or siblings have celiac disease… but for those of us who might be within our 10 year period, let’s take a look at the most common symptoms of celiac disease.

The Celiac Disease Foundation lists these as the most common symptoms of celiac disease:

• Recurring bloating, gas, or abdominal pain
• Chronic diarrhea or constipation or both
• Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
• Pale, foul-smelling stool
• Unexplained anemia
• Bone or joint pain
• Behavior changes/depression/irritability
• Vitamin K Deficiency
• Fatigue, weakness or lack of energy
• Delayed growth or onset of puberty
• Failure to thrive (in infants)
• Missed menstrual periods
• Infertility male & female
• Spontaneous miscarriages
• Canker sores inside the mouth
• Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel

Any one of these symptoms could be indicative of a problem, but combined they could indicate that you have celiac disease. If you think you may have celiac, the first step… THE VERY FIRST STEP… is to talk to your physician or naturopath. The reason your doctor and not the gluten-free aisle should be your first stop is that the tests that determine celiac disease rely on you continuing to ingest gluten. If you cut gluten out of your diet, the test results may be incorrect or inconclusive.

After you get the test results, even if they come back negative, you may still want to explore the gluten free diet. Even if you don’t have positive celiac disease, your symptoms might still benefit from a gluten free diet. Gluten intolerance and wheat allergies can still display many of the same outward symptoms. For more information about celiac disease diagnosis, please visit The Celiac Disease Foundation website.

An ingredient that receives a great deal of use in our bakery (and lots of interest from customers!) is our whole wheat pastry flour. Here’s a little information on a great product to add to your home bakery and kitchen.

Whole wheat pastry flour is produced from soft white wheat and has a fine texture with a high starch content. It has a slightly higher gluten content than cake flour but lower than all-purpose flour. This makes it ideal for biscuits, pies, cookies, tarts, pancakes, waffles and a portion of the flour content in lots of breads.

Whole wheat pastry flour is similar to refined white pastry flour but not all of the bran and germ portions of the wheat kernel are removed during milling. Because of this, baked goods made with whole wheat pastry flour are not quite as light and airy as white pastry flour but they are much more nutritious and will add a heartier characteristic to both the flavor and texture of your finished products.

You can find whole wheat pastry flour at our Online Store as well as our Visitor’s Center. Try substituting a percentage of some whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose or white pastry flour in your favorite recipes and let us know your results!

Here’s our scratch biscuit recipe to practice:

Bob’s Red Mill Buttermilk Biscuits

3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached White Flour
3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
3 Tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Baking Powder
1 ½ teaspoons Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda
3 Tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Evaporated Cane Juice
3 teaspoons Bob’s Red Mill Sea Salt
¾ Cup Butter, Unsalted
4 ½ cups Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450° F. Mix white flour, wheat flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda thoroughly. Add butter and mix until evenly distributed. Add buttermilk and evenly mix until dough forms. Roll dough out on a floured surface, sprinkle on 1 to 2 Tablespoons Flaxseed Meal and cut with a 2½-3 inch cutter. Place biscuits on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Wow! Here we are, almost May! Time really does fly by when you’re having fun. Lucky for all of you, the month of May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month and here at the Bob’s Red Mill Bakery we have a wide variety of wheat-free goodies to choose from. Everyday we strive to fill our Wheat-Free case with the best tasting pastries and treats possible.

One of the many W.F. specialties offered is our Peanut Butter Granola Bars. You can find these satisfying bars every Wednesday and Friday in the W.F. case located by the bread shelves. If you don’t feel like coming in, we have provided the recipe below. Not only can you make them in the comfort of your own kitchen, but you can experiment with them too! The store and bakery employees love these bars in the morning or on the go. They are high in protein and fiber and give you that burst of energy that will keep you going. Great for hikes, a snack at work, or even as part of breakfast, these are a great addition to any day. Notice that this recipe can very easily be reconstructed with substitutions or additions. Maybe you would like to add some chocolate chips? Or let’s say you are like Bob and aren’t too fond of raisins? Just replace them with cranberries or dried cherries. All of these ingredients can be purchased at the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store. We hope you all enjoy this fabulous recipe from our kitchen to yours! Let us know what you think!

Wheat-Free Peanut Butter Granola Bars

3 cups Perky’s Crunchy Rice Cereal
3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats
1 1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup honey
3/4 cup brown sugar
16 oz. non-hydrogentated peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Grease a 9” by 13” pan with cooking spray or oil. In a large mixing bowl combine the rice cereal, oats, raisins, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Set aside. Microwave the honey for 2 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and microwave 1 more minute. Brown sugar should be dissolved. Mix peanut butter and vanilla into the honey and sugar mixture. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and combine using a wooden spoon, spatula or a bowl scraper. After the ingredients are incorporated, press into your greased 9” by 13” pan. Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. At the bakery we cut this size pan into 18 individual square pieces. Wrap and keep for up to one week.