Re: flax seed prep?

[Guest guest]

I don't really think you want to bake them. It seems to me that

would just increase the oxidation rate (rancidization rate). Just

keep them fairly cool and dry (I used to keep mine in the freezer,

but gee, the grower/supplier doesn't) and grind them just the same

way before you use them.

I don't know how the baked ones behave in the grinder, but the usual

recommendation for the raw ones is to dedicate a grinder to them

because the oil makes the powder kind of sticky, and it's hard to get

the grinder completely clean to the point where you'd want to use it

for coffee.

Someone on the list once busted my chops over recommending a separate

grinder for flax, saying you could just grind it in the blender in

you smoothie. That's fine if you only eat it in smoothies, and I

think you'd have to grind it as the first item (alone) in the blender

or the seeds would stay whole. I rarely make blender smoothies, so

that doesn't work for me anyway. Someone does sell a special flax

grinder, but I don't think it works any better than the coffee mill.

I once ordered one, but returned it without even trying it after

reading the instructions - the coffee mill was easier to use and

clean.

Iris

> How does one prepare flax seeds? What is the best way to preserve

the

> nutrients?

>

> Currently I bake them on a cookie tray for 10 minutes at 200-250

> degrees F. I then store those in a jar and and put them into a

coffee

> grinder just before I eat them.

>

> Is this correct or is there a better way?

>

> Thanks

[Guest guest]

--- " oc9 <crsupport@c...> " <crsupport@c...> wrote:

> I don't really think you want to bake them. It seems to me that

> would just increase the oxidation rate (rancidization rate). [...]

Flax oil seems to be one of the worst oils to heat. Everyone

advises not to cook with it.

Not only do the nutritional benefits of the oil get destroyed -

but it breaks down into mutagenic compounds.

``Don't cook with high ALA oils like unhydrogenated Canola

and linseed! ALA oxidation is what makes drying oils " dry, "

and it's what makes them spontaneously combustable (ALA

oxidation happens so fast that even at room temp you can

get heating to fire point). ALA needs to be kept cold and

protected from oxygen. Fail to do this, and you pay the price.''

- Steve on http://yarchive.net/med/oils.html

As far as I know it has not yet been determined if there are any

detrimental effects of exposing flax *seed* to heat.

Certainly flax seeds are commonly cooked with in Europe - making

flax seed bread. However, the effect of heating on flax oil does

not give me a warm fuzzy feeling concerning the practice.

As well as grinding them up and eating them immediately,

another good thing to do with flax seeds is sprout them.

[Guest guest]

That seems intuitively bad. I would think the non sat fatty acids would oxidize defeating the purpose of using the flax. But I have no data on what the changes are. Olive and other oils including fish are extracted using non heating processes.

Is that what the distributor says to do?

Regards.

----- Original Message -----

From: tmcmurph <tim.mcmurphy@...>

Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2002 1:30 PM

Subject: [ ] flax seed prep?

How does one prepare flax seeds? What is the best way to preserve the nutrients?Currently I bake them on a cookie tray for 10 minutes at 200-250 degrees F. I then store those in a jar and and put them into a coffee grinder just before I eat them.Is this correct or is there a better way?Thanks

[Guest guest]

> Is that what the distributor says to do?

My wife bought some at a health food store and that was what they

suggested. I was looking for any other info and thought this list

would be a good place to start.

Thanks to all for the replies.