The most important rule is that green buckwheat is not boiled, but steamed to preserve all the beneficial nutrients.
To begin with, the grains must be soaked for 1 – 2 hours, drain the water with the debris that has floated to the surface, and then rinse the cereals well. This will help remove mucus that forms when the grains first come into contact with water.
If you do not soak green buckwheat, the porridge will have an unappetizing consistency and a bitter taste.
Therefore, it is better to spend a little time and soak the buckwheat. How?
- Pour two glasses of washed green buckwheat with a liter of boiling water.
- Leave the grains to infuse for 2 – 3 hours (or better – overnight).
- Divide the resulting volume of porridge into equal parts and eat it in a day.
You can steam buckwheat in a thermos in the morning so that you can enjoy a warm and healthy meal at work during your lunch break.
Do you want to make buckwheat with kefir? Pour a glass of green beans with 500 ml of kefir and leave in the refrigerator for 8 – 12 hours!
Ready-made green buckwheat dishes are stored for no longer than 2 – 3 days in the refrigerator, but it is better to cook a fresh portion of porridge every day.
How to germinate green buckwheat?
In the process of germination (or fermentation) vitamins and other microelements are activated and multiplied.
In the course of the study, Romanian scientists found that in green buckwheat grains germinated within a week, the content of polyphenols increased 8 times, rutin 21 times and quercetin 56 times.
In addition, if the content of vitamin C in brown buckwheat is zero, then in sprouted grains there is 1.09 mg per 100 g of the product (you can get more detailed information on the results of the study by clicking on the link at the end of the article, in the section “Sources of Information” ).
Green buckwheat sprouts are much more easily absorbed by the body, and less energy is spent on their digestion. Therefore, sprouted green buckwheat can be an excellent aid in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
There are several ways to germinate buckwheat grains.
Method one – without soaking:
- We wash the buckwheat thoroughly.
- Place a moistened gauze on the bottom of the container, folded in 2 – 3 layers.
- We spread buckwheat grains on cheesecloth.
- Cover the buckwheat with wet gauze folded in several layers.
- We leave the seeds for germination for 1 – 2 days in a dark, warm place.
- We wash the grains every 12 hours to remove mucus.
- The upper gauze should be constantly damp, so we wet it every 3 to 4 hours.
- After 12 hours, the first shoots will appear on the buckwheat.
Before use, the sprouted grains of green buckwheat are carefully washed to eliminate not only mucus, but also an unpleasant odor.
Method two – with soaking:
- We wash the green buckwheat and fill it with purified water at room temperature.
- We leave for 3 – 6 hours in a warm, dark place.
- We drain the water and rinse the buckwheat twice to eliminate mucus.
- We spread the grains on a damp cloth or gauze and leave for a day – two for germination.
- Sprouted buckwheat is stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days.
Green buckwheat flour
You can make flour from green buckwheat.
For this, we thoroughly rinse the grains, dry them well and grind them in a coffee grinder.
Buckwheat flour can be used to make thick or thin porridge, smoothies, pancake dough.
But keep in mind: in its pure form, buckwheat flour is not suitable for baking, since it does not contain gluten, thanks to which the products keep their shape. Therefore, buckwheat flour is mixed with wheat or rye flour.
Despite its benefits, green buckwheat can harm the body, if you do not take into account the contraindications to its use.
Who is not allowed to eat green buckwheat?
Green buckwheat can cause harm in several cases, in particular:
- With individual intolerance to cereals.
With increased blood clotting: sprouted green buckwheat grains have an increased content of rutin, a bioflavonoid that promotes the process of blood clotting.
With caution, green buckwheat should be used by people with diseases of the stomach and intestines: coarse fibers of green cereals can irritate the damaged and inflamed mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, provoke flatulence, a feeling of heaviness, constipation or diarrhea.
Children under three years old should also limit the use of green buckwheat grains in order to exclude constipation, increased gas formation and trauma to the intestinal walls by coarse fibers. This product is introduced into the child’s diet gradually, while it is recommended at first to mix green cereals with brown cereals in a 50/50 ratio.
As you can see, there are few contraindications to the use of green buckwheat. But the benefits are much more! Eat green buckwheat during colds to strengthen your immune system! Include in the diet to gain a slim figure and simply improve the body!
Buckwheat
Buckwheat porridge is extremely useful for those suffering from atherosclerosis and diabetes, for diseases of the liver and heart, as it helps to reduce the content of sugar and cholesterol in the blood.
Buckwheat is an ideal remedy for obesity and overweight. This cereal contains a large amount (86%) of easily digestible proteins and complex carbohydrates that are processed for a long time. The latter provide a feeling of long and easy satiety. The addition of buckwheat porridge to the diet stimulates metabolic processes and improves body cleansing.
This cereal has no equal in the treatment and prevention of vascular diseases, arthritis and rheumatism. Its use strengthens the walls of blood vessels, significantly reduces the risk of blood clots, complicates the formation and development of edema.
Buckwheat dishes are also recommended for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is very important to include this cereal in the menu for residents of megacities and areas with poor ecology. Since its use helps to remove heavy metal ions from the body.
Buckwheat porridge should become an indispensable component of the children’s diet. Because the vitamins and minerals that this cereal is rich in have a beneficial effect on the mental and physical development of children.