Mesquite seedpods can be ground into a flour.
If you live in the southwestern part of the US from Southern Kansas down through Texas and over to Southern California, you may begin to notice your local mesquite trees heavy laden with fruit that strongly resembles a bean Pod or some type of legume.
The sweet, nutty flavor of the Mesquite Pods is a wonderful addition to all sorts of baked goods, smoothies, milks, and raw food meals.They are high in vitamins and minerals, as well as containing significant amounts of fiber.
Thepods are usually ready to harvest mid-July through September, however earlier this week we had some very high winds in the desert near my home which knocked many of thepods to the ground.
It is best to harvest from the tree, not the ground, due to the risk of insects.I knew they had only been there for a day or two.When we leave plenty for the birds and wildlife, we share it with them as well.
The people of this region of the country used the mesquite tree for more than just food.Making bows, arrows, and sewing needles with the wood from the tree was a primary means for survival.
The driedpods and seeds were ground into flour using a stone.This was done before mixing with water and making a cake.
reconnection to the land and history is one of the greatest benefits of foraging, in my opinion.Making Mesquite Flour is a picture recipe.
1.Before grinding into flour, the Mesquite Pod should be completely dehydrated.I put them in the solar oven for a few hours so they could be dried and tan in color.This can also be done in an oven or dehydrator at a lower temperature.The sun is a great option.
2.I use my vitamix for this and lots of other raw food processing.You can also use a cheapo coffee grinder.If it is only used for this purpose and not coffee, then your flour will not taste like coffee.
3.This grinding will produce a flour that is quitechunky and still contains pieces of whole Pod and seed.
4.It's necessary to extract the fine flour.Continue until all of the pieces are in powder form.They can be composted or used to make mesquite milk.I have some that resist.
5.The scent of the mesquite is sweet and nutty.If you want to learn how you can add this power flour to your cooking and baking life, you should taste it.It's important to be aware that a little bit of mesquite goes a long way.I like to start with substituting 1 tablespoon of mesquite flour per 1 cup of regular flour in a variety of recipes.Adding a little bit to your green smoothie is a great way to incorporate it into your diet.There are many wonderful uses for this.
6.You can keep it in a jar.A dark place is ideal.For up to 6 months, the flour should stay fresh.
Have you peaked your interest in learning more about the benefits of mesquite?You can check out these sites.
Not in an area where the trees are free to grow?There are a few companies that sell online.I have never had to buy it, but it may be worth a try.!
All things natural, frugal, and sustainable can be found in frugally sustainable.This site is for people who are bit "crunchy".
I heard of it on the VPA website.They had a pancake breakfast after the harvest.I wish I had a tree like that.Is it bush form that they come in?I can't figure out what these bushes are.
The mesquite trees are all over in the Valley.I get my beans from parks and washes.I'm not sure what your bush looks like.
Thank you so much for the explanation about mesquite flour.I have a Mexican cacahuete that works well.I wasn't sure if I could grind up the whole Pod for consumption, but your explanation was very clear.In the high desert above Palm Springs, there are many trees that give up their leaves in the late summer.Thanks to you, I will be making bread with my own flour.There are a lot of wild buckwheat plants on the land where I live.I will be giving them a go if the rains give us enough for a harvest.Thanks again, Sampatti.
There are small bushes with flowers.There are small yellow flowers.Those wouldn't work for flour.I will make flour for the first time today.There are a lot of Mesquite Trees on my property.Let me know if you want to join me.In October, I will be doing Olive Harvest.
We enjoy Mesquite flour a lot.We use a couple of fulls in our waffles on the weekends.I have only bought the flour, but we are now leasing 20 acres with numerous mesquites, so I will be using your instructions to make flour and possibly make some mesquite molasses out of the leftover pieces of pods.Thank you so much!!
Since I live in Texas, there is plenty of mesquite to be had.Going to go for a walk now.!
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This is great.I know a lot of people who live around a bunch of mesquite trees.I live in Washington, so there's not much to CarRentals around here.My mother in law will be made to try this.Cheers, candice.
I want to know how to make mesquite flour.I swear every neighbor on the block has two trees.What flour do you use?I'm from Goodyear.!
Awesome!I use it in pancakes, all types of breads, and I make mesquite milk with it.You will get a lot of great ideas from those links.
Did grinding thepods affect your vitamix?I did this with my blendtec and it looks like it pitted my container.
My worries as well.The Ninja blender is stronger than my food processor, but it started to smell like it was burning.
Can they finish red or green at a certain time?Thanks for sharing, I can't wait to try it.
It is time to plan for the future and be happy.I have read the post and would like to suggest something to you.Maybe you could write about this article in the future.I want to read more about it.
I've read that mesquite beans won't grind in a grain grinder.There is a group that grinds mesquite beans in Tucson.I haven't caught up with them.I worry about ruining the blades.Are you using the grain griding container?I boiled the entire Pod and then strained out the seeds to make a really good soup.Thanks, Cheryl.
I used the milling attachment to grind it into flour.I got a flour, despite the fact that I had to sift and mix it several times.I damaged my small cup and the base of the grinding tool.Since both are made of plastic, the seeds made small pock marks over the base of the mill attachment.I would be careful with your vitamix since it is made of plastic.Is anyone else having the same experience?
Excellent article!I discovered that the bugs were attacking the tree as well.I had the Pods in a bag.They were crawling.
I checked all of my trees for any signs of the disease and removed any that were showing signs.Mypods were placed inside a clean paper box and brought indoors.I had visitors for a while.When I prepared to mill my mesquite flour, I opened the box to find a lot of flying beetles.I don't know if I should wash them or re dry them to prevent this from happening again.Is it a good idea to just enjoy the extra source of nutrition?Eggs were laid on the exterior of thepods unseen by the naked eye.
Once the beetle have hatched from thepods, they are safe.The beetles have hatched from the small holes in thepods and should only be used for those with burr holes.If you want to kill the beetles, you should fill your kitchen sink with water and put some bleach in it.Do not use more bleach.Take the beans out of the water for about 5 minutes.After removing excess water, place the beans in a dehydrator.You can grind them in a grinder once you have done this.I do mine outside and it is very fine.The hard centers of the bean that don't grind up should be discarded.Your flour is done when you grind the sifted portion.There are many useful classes at the Boyce Thompson Aboretum in Superior Arizona.
In the same way, you can process Screw Bean Mesquite Pods.I don't find them very easy to process because they have little seeds in them.I put them in the freezer first.They have a little insect cycle.You can wash them before putting them in the freezer.Emily said to let them dry before freezing.There are a lot of thorns in the trees.After a wind storm, I like to collect thepods off the ground.They are not as green when they fall to the ground.You want the yellow ones.The golden to brown coloredpods have been sitting there for a long time.When I have collected five pounds or more, I take them out of the freezer and spread them on cookie sheets and bake them at 300F for 20 minutes.Let them cool down.Proceed with processing them into smaller pieces with a blender, they are in the Bean/Pea family.I run them at my mill.They grind up well in my mill, but the regular Pods do not.If you don't have a grain mill, you can use a coffee mill to make a fine flour.As you go, sift.The Screw Bean Mesquite Flour is just as sweet as any of the other Mesquite flours.I think it grinds up better than regular mesquite.
It sounds like a business opportunity.I would be a customer.
My dogs eat the Mesquite Pods when they fall from the tree.They love them, they chew on them as if they were dog treats, and they get fat every year.Pick from the trees or the ground.Don't pass it by if it looks old.There were two crops of mesquite beans this year.I am going to gather all the good ones tomorrow so I can make this flour.I am dying to try this.