Flax Seed Information

Travel across the prairies in late summer and you will come across fields beautifully colored in a pastel blue. Growing is the annual plant Flax. It's valuable seeds when harvested are used for baking and other food uses. Almost any commercial bakery will have breads, buns or such with little brown flecks blended in the product but unfortunately Flax in the past was relatively unknown to North American homebakers. Only recently it's wonderful health benefits have started to make news headlines.

Focus On Fiber

What makes Flaxseed stand out above other whole grains is its mix of fiber. Rather than containing large amounts of one type of fiber, Flaxseed contains generous quantities of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

Recently, scientists at the National Cancer Insitute singled out Flaxseed as one of six foods that deserved special study. The reason: these foods - Flaxseed, garlic, licorice root, vegetables from the parsnip family, citrus fruits and soybeans - all show potential cancer-fighting ability. Preliminary evidence supports the speculation that substances in flaxseed (lignans, omega-3 fatty acid) may help block substances that promote cancer.

Soluble Fiber -Most of the soluble fiber in Flaxseed is mucilage, a thick sticky substance. Few studies have looked at the direct effects of Flaxseed mucilage on health. Studies do show that eating Flaxseed (baked into muffins and breads) can lower blood cholesterol levels. Since it is well known that soluble fibers - fruit pectin, oat bran or mustard seed mucilage - are effective cholesterol lowering agents, it's likely that the soluble fiber in Flaxseed is no exception.

Insoluble Fiber -Not surprisingly, studies show that the insoluble fiber in Flaxseed, like that in wheat bran, is helpful for regulating bowel movements and preventing constipation. Because Flaxseed's insoluble fiber components - lignan and cellulose - have the capacity to hold water, they help soften the stool and allow it to move through the colon more quickly.

Baking With Flax

In many parts of the country, bakers and at least a few food manufacturers are already mixing Flaxseed into cereals, cookies and breads. Nunweiler's Flour Co. uses 'fresh' ground Flax to make Grandma Nunweiler's Wheat n' Flax Pancake & Waffle Mix Flax typically comes packaged in either of two different forms.

Whole Flaxseed - Slightly larger in size than a sesame seed, whole flaxseed is an atractive reddish-brown grain. It can be sprinkled on top of rolls, muffins or breads. (Some bakers like to use it as a garnish instead of poppy, caraway or other plant seeds). Flaxseed can be added whole to waffles, pancakes, muffins or other bread products. Either way, its distinctly nutty flavor comes through.

Ground Flaxseed - When flaxseed is ground, the light reddish-brown flakes that result look similar in texture to wheat bran. Bakers routinely substitute ground flaxseed for a small amount of the flour in baked goods. Because of its high oil content, flaxseed can also be used to replace fat in many recipes.

Replacement Guidelines

When substituting Flax for flour experience has shown that replacing six to eight percent of the dry ingredients in a recipe results in a favorable baked product. Since Flaxseed doesn't have the same properties as flour, an equal substitution isn't possible.

Baking Tips -Adding too much Flaxseed to a recipe can result in lower volume baked goods. Commercial bakers often add extra gluten to help compensate.

Due to its naturally high oil content, Flaxseed can stand in for all of the oil or shortening called for in a recipe. A 3:1 ratio of substitution is recommended. For example, if a recipe calls for one-third of a cup of cooking oil, use one cup of ground flaxseed to replace that oil.

Baked goods brown more rapidly when flaxseed is used instead of oil.

Information for this site was provided by The Flax Council of Canada

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