I don't have a food dehydrator, so I use my oven turned down as low as it can go, which is 170. (Of course, if you're lucky enough to have one, use it!) It cooks for about 12 hours at 170. You need to be around to stir and break it up every so often. Below are a few different variations, depending on how healthy you want to make it. I double the recipe when I make it, since I want to fill up my oven if I'm going to have it on that long!
Basic Soaked Granola Recipe
This makes a crunchy, sweet, clumpy granola.
The night before, measure out:
6 cups oats
6 cups water
3/4 cup whey
In a separate bowl, mix:
1-2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Enough water to cover
In the morning, drain the oats and nuts.
Meanwhile, melt in a small saucepan:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. sea salt
Mix the coconut oil mixture and nuts with the oats.
Add:
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Spread out on a baking sheet. It will not look anything like granola at this point- don't worry! It's supposed to look like someone dumped a bowl of oatmeal on your baking sheet. It will look like that for a while. It starts looking a little more granola-y about halfway through.
Bake at 170. Check about every 1-2 hours (you have some wiggle room here), stirring and breaking into clumps. It is done when you can break apart a cluster and it's not wet in the middle, anywhere from 8-12 hours.
Variations:
Cut the sweeteners in half, 1/4 cup of each.
Omit the brown sugar.
Substitute honey for the brown sugar.
Omit the coconut.
Substitute up to half of the coconut oil with butter. (This substitution is purely for cost. I like to leave at least half coconut oil because it's sweet and because it's not something we tend to get a lot of in our diet.)
Posts
Questions: Why do you soak the nuts? Will butter turn rancid faster than oil? Would it take 12 hours in a dehydrator? Does the whey have less of a taste than other acids? Will you bring me some so I can taste test it before I make it? ;)
ReplyDeleteTamlynn, Hi! Great questions! I soak the nuts because nuts "contain numerous enzyme inhibitors that can put a real strain on the digestive mechanism if consumed in excess. Nuts are easier to digest, and their nutrients more readily available, if they are first soaked in salt water overnight, then dried in a warm oven" (Nourishing Traditions, p. 512). I also soak them because it makes them melt in your mouth. It changes the texture just a little bit, and it is really good!
ReplyDeleteMy guess would be that butter would go bad faster than coconut oil, BUT I have never had any of my granola go bad, and we usually keep it for about 2 weeks in an airtight container.
I have never used a dehydrator for granola. I know dehydrators go to lower temperatures so it may take even longer.
Whey doesn't affect the taste at all. We tried soaking our oats in buttermilk (yuck!), lemon juice (way too sour) and yogurt (no one would eat it). Whey is pretty much tasteless when used to soak, which is why I recommend it instead of other acids.
And, sure, I'll bring you a sample!!:)
Excellent! When I visit my mom this summer, I'm going to bring home all the whey I can. Do you know if it can be frozen and still work?
ReplyDeleteI have never frozen it myself, but a quick google search says you can. It stores well in the fridge. In nourishing traditions, Sally Fallon says you can store it for 6 months in the fridge but I've never tried for it that long.
ReplyDelete