September 21, 2010
Raw Multiseed Crackers
Have you ever tried soaking flax seeds? If not, know that something eerie transpires as soon as your back is turned: while the seeds swell and absorb the water, they release a gel-like substance (called mucilage) so that next time you look, your bowl is filled with a kind of jiggly aspic in which the seeds are suspended.
This little trick makes flax seeds (also called linseeds, or graines de lin in French) particularly popular with raw food practitioners, because that very goop acts as an efficient binding agent in all manner of uncooked preparations*.
And since I have temporary custody of a spiffy dehydrator, as you may remember from my raw buckwheat granola post, I've been using it to make regular batches of raw flax crackers.
The simple idea is this: you soak flax seeds so they'll ooze out their mucilage, then combine them with other seeds, soaked** and drained, and the seasonings of your choice. This mixture is spread on a dehydrator tray and left to dry for a few hours, until you get -- tadaa! -- uncooked crackers, crisp and nutty, ready to be snacked upon alone or with your favorite dip.
I have played around with spices and flavorings, and I think I like smoked paprika (not raw, I imagine, but very good) or cumin best. But naturally, you could dream up a fennel seed or ras-el-hanout version, mix in a crushed garlic clove (just beware that the crackers will give off a very garlicky smell while they are dehydrating) or some fresh herbs, use soy sauce in place of the salt... whatever floats your cracker boat.
And if you don't have a dehydrator, you can spread the mixture on parchment paper and use your oven at a very low setting (preferably around 45°C/110°F) or even, I am told, the energy of the sun, if the weather complies: it would take a few days, certainly, but you'd have yourself some pretty cool sun-dried crackers.
* And I can't not mention that some people use flax seeds to make their own hair gel! Apparently it works wonders on very curly hair, not that I would know anything about that.
** The purpose of soaking grains, nuts and seeds is explained here.
Raw Multiseed Crackers
- 160 grams (1 cup) flax seeds (a.k.a. linseeds), golden or brown
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) mixed seeds (I use sesame, sunflower and pumpkin), not toasted
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (hot or mild), or cumin seeds, or ground chili pepper, or the spice/spice mix of your choice
The night before, put the flax seeds in a medium bowl and add 240 ml (1 cup) water. In another bowl, put the mixed seeds and add water to cover.
In the morning, drain the mixed seeds well, and add them to the soaked and now gel-like flax seeds (these need no draining). Add the salt and paprika, and stir well with a fork to combine.
Spread very thinly on one or two dehydrator trays lined with solid sheets. An offset spatula -- the kind you'd use to frost a cake -- makes the spreading easier. Sprinkle a touch more salt on the surface.
Dehydrate at 45°C (110°F) for about 6 hours, until dry and crisp. About 3 hours into the dehydrating, flip the crackers so they will dehydrate evenly. Break into pieces once cooled.
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Permalink | Posted by in Appetizers - Recipe Inside!
Cooking/baking time: 6 h
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I need to invest in a dehydrator
Thanks for including the oven option! Will try this soon.
I'm one of those that uses flax seeds to make my own hair gel. I have very curly hair and have yet to find any store-bought brand that works better than my homemade stuff. And there's the added plus of being able to use any scent or non-scent that I want... and it's VERY cheap to make! I just love flax seeds. :)
These look awesome and I can't believe you made them! I so need a dehydrator. Beautiful!
That is so cool. One of my favorite snacks are those sesame crackers you can find in the stores everywhere, and i am always curious how you do them, this might be a great alternative. Thanks for sharing.
I need to get myself a friend who goes away and asks me to babysit their dehydrator ;P I love a good cracker - have ever since my poppa used to bring me tea and crackers with butter in bed when we stayed there in the holidays so this looks right up my alley.
This is awesome. They look and sound like the raw crackers I had in SF last year. So, so good! And yes, that made me think of getting a dehydrator. Soon, soon!
For now, I'll give this a try in the oven. Thank you!
I know that soaking raw nuts and seeds makes them easier to digest -- is this true with flaxseed, too? I believe that whole flaxseeds are not digestable, whereas ground flaxseed is. I assume that soaked flaxseed would be, too?
You know, I wonder about that too, and haven't been able to find information about whether soaking flax seeds makes their nutritional content available to the digestive system or not. I'll keep looking though!
Great work, m'dear! I also always try to give an oven option :)
Gotta love a seed that you can either dehydrate into a cracker ... or use to style your hairdo! I echo the other comments: yes, it is time for a dehydrator.
Have you ever been to Pousse Pousse in Paris? It's not all raw but they're mostly vegetarian with some raw items I think. The food is okay, but mostly I go for the giant bowls of flavoured flax crackers they bring you complementary. I think I saw raw granola for sale last time there too. I really should just buy a dehydrator though, I'm loving all your dehydrator posts!
Yes, Pousse-Pousse is a lovely place! Their raw crackers are very much in the same style as these, and I am told the granola is great, too (though a bit pricey).
I had some flax seed crackers made at our local farmer's market and they were on kale. They were amazingly addictive.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Chef Felisha
Really? To make their own hair gel? Fascinating! I had no idea!
In answer to your question - no, I have not soaked my own flax seeds before, but I'm interested to see all of its uses!
I guess I have never soaked flax seeds because I had no idea about their gooey interior content. I'm going to have to play around with this. I've been using Aleppo pepper in everything lately, I wonder if that might be good for crackers with a kick! And given my hair's unruly curly nature, I may even have to try that hair gel.
I so need to get myself a dehydrator - I keep thinking about your raw granola. Will let you know when I finally get around to making it! Cheers
Flaxseed meal + water can be used as a vegan substitute for eggs!
These were soooo delicious! I love your site and your recipes!
Wow! I'm very interested in raw food, thank you for sharing! These crackers sound so good...need a dehydrator!
Cette recette semble délicieuse !!!
I made these yesterday. I didn't spread them quite thinly enough, so they needed additional time in the dehydrator, but they taste wonderful. And they're so easy to make. Thanks for the recipe!
You're very welcome, thanks for reporting back!
I knew of the hair gel application-- I used to read a lot of curly hair forums before I finally threw in the towel and started straightening mine-- but for some reason it never occurred to me to use the flaxseed gel in food. My partner recently expressed an interest in going vegan, so I can see it being useful if she follows through with it.
Flax seed rocks! Thanks for the great blog! I love it.
Rita
Gluten Free
Ah raw crackers are one of the few raw food items that are damn delicious.
Great recipe.
These look so tasty, I can't wait to try them out. I also never knew that about soaked flaxseed...I'll have to watch out ;)
What a great idea-I'll give these a go!
thanks
Great recipe! I'm trying more and more raw recipes and this looks great!
I don't know what got into me, but after reading this I immediately tried making both hair gel and crackers. First I made the hair gel, which requires boiling the flax and then straining out the goo. I then took the leftover seeds (they were still very gooey) and added roasted salted sunflower seeds and paprika to them, let them soak together overnight, then spread them carefully on silpat and popped it all into the oven on warm for about 4 hours. I know these would no longer count as raw anymore, per se, but they made efficient use of those seeds!
My family thought I was nuts, but BOTH adventures produced wonderful results that I will repeat. The hair gel really does work substantially better than any gel I've tried before on my frizzy curly hair. And the crackers were surprisingly light and crisp.
Thank you so much for introducing me to these mysterious little things! You always have such interesting bits of knowledge...they help me keep my husband convinced I'm an alchemist ;)
How resourceful. Thanks a lot for sharing your experimentation, and I'm glad it turned out so well!
Hi Clotilde, what a nice idea to make seeds crackers! P.S. I have got curly hair... Gotta make up my mind if using the seeds for hair gel or crackers! Très belles recettes. A bientôt.
I was searching what to do with a handful of seeds and I found your blog. This recipe sounds delicious! Great! Thanks, AnaV.