Buckwheat

Soaked and Cooked Buckwheat

• ​1 Cup Whole Buckwheat Groats; de-hulled buckwheat kernels

• 2 Tbsp. Whey, Kefir, Buttermilk, or 1 Tbsp. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 tsp. Salt

• Water

1. Soak buckwheat in 2 cups of water and 2 Tbsp. whey, on your counter, for 12- 24 hours. At this point, you can cover the container and place it in the fridge, soaking liquid and all for up to a week, or cook right away.

2. Drain soaked buckwheat through a fine mesh strainer and rinse well with cool water.

3. Add soaked buckwheat, water to cover by several inches, and salt to a medium pot. This cooking method is the same method that you use when cooking pasta.

4. Bring water to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil.

6. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until desired texture is achieved.

7. Drain in a fine mesh strainer. If you'll be using the buckwheat in a cold dish, rinse with cold water. If you'd like it warm, rinse in hot water. Buckwheat will develop a gummy gel as it cooks; because of that, rinsing is an important step to achieve a palatable texture.

9. I like to spread the buckwheat out on a cookie sheet lined with a cloth or paper towel to let it dry out a bit before storing in the fridge. Otherwise, it can hold on to water and be a bit mushy. Alternatively, you can store it in the fridge in a baking dish lined with a cloth or paper towel.

8. Use in place of white rice and pasta. Add to a savory dish, a soup, or with a little honey and raw milk for breakfast. I like a little scoop of buckwheat on a green salad, to give the salad more staying power. We also use buckwheat for grain bowls, skillet dishes, stir fries and pilaf.

NOTES

• Kasha is roasted buckwheat and cooks differently than raw buckwheat groats.

• Look for whole buckwheat groats, instead of ground.

• Look for un-hulled buckwheat

Things that can affect your cooking time and liquid amount required:

• Altitude also affects cooking time. I'm at an altitude of 4,775. If you're at high altitude or sea level, you will need to adjust cooking time accordingly.

• Prepare to be a little flexible the first time you soak and cook a particular grain. Consider it an experiment. Start with this as a base and alter it if needed.

For more information on soaking grains, see this post.