Grinding whole-grains into flour with a blender is easy

FRESHLY GROUND FLOUR

Not any old blender will be able to handle the heavy load of grinding whole grain kernels to a fine powder.The Vibe Blender System makes grinding whole-grains quick and easy, and you’ll always get a fresher flour with more taste and nutrition than anything you can buy. When you grind flour at home, all the nutrition is left in - no preservatives, no additives, just freshly ground flour! It’s well worth the small amount of extra work.

BENEFITS OF WHOLE-GRAINS

When a grain kernel is in its whole, un-milled form, the oil inside the ‘germ’ is protected by the hard-outer bran. Once the grain is crushed, the oil is exposed to air and starts to oxidise.

Whole un-milled grains will keep fresh for many months, but once a grain has been ground into flour, it starts to spoil quickly, and the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients begin to diminish. If stored correctly, whole-grains can stay fresh in your pantry for a long time, making it very cost effective to learn how to make flour as you need it.

COMMERCIAL FLOUR

Store-bought flour is not all that healthy - many are chemically treated and produced in industrial quantities at temperatures that destroy the nutritional value of the grain.

Mass milling production has created and popularised ‘refined’ flour which has the germ and the bran removed to prevent the oxidisation process. As a result, store-bought white flour has little fibre or nutritional value left. Even if you buy “enriched” flour, you are only getting a fraction of the nutrition that was once naturally available in the whole grain. Furthermore, wholegrain/wholemeal flour, (which contains the germ & bran) requires preservatives to keep it fresh. 

BENEFITS OF GRINDING FLOUR AT HOME

Grinding your own flour will elevate your baking to a new level of delicious. When you make your own fresh flours, you naturally use the germ and bran and can reap all the nutritional benefits of the whole kernel without heating and without additives. Freshly ground flour is also lighter, moister and more flavoursome.

Traditional baking flours are made predominantly from wheat, barley, and rye, but you don’t have to limit yourself to making flour from just these grains. Click over to our grinding gluten-free grains post and learn how to make flour from nuts, seeds, legumes, rice and more. The grain possibilities are endless when you grind your own flours and it's fun to experiment and add new grains into favourite recipes for new flavours and textures. 

You can also mix together a combination of grains to make your own unique flour blend. We found that the Vibe blender can grind as little as one tablespoon of grain, which is perfect for recipes that call for a mix of grains or when you just need a little bit extra.

GRINDING TIME

The grinding time will vary depending on the grain. Factors such as, size of the grain, density or dryness, and the oil content within the grain all make a difference. As a guide, it only takes about 5 seconds for the Vibe Blender System to crush wholegrain. After 20 seconds the grain will become a coarse meal. For a fine powdery texture that is comparable to store-bought flour, blend for approximately one minute. Gluten-free grains and nuts require less time.

Use these times as a guide:

RYE BERRIES         50-60 seconds
SPELT PEARLS       50 seconds
WHEAT BERRIES    60-90 seconds
OAT GROATS          40-50 seconds

RATIO OF WHOLE-GRAIN TO FLOUR

So you don’t end up with too much flour, or worse, not enough flour for your baking needs, it’s important to note that the end volume of flour will be slightly greater than the volume of whole grains you started with. One cup of whole grain yields approximately one and a half cups of fresh flour.

STORING FRESHLY GROUND FLOUR

Once a grain has been ground into flour it begins to lose its nutritional value right away, so it is essential to keep it in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place to preserve freshness. Freshly ground flour will keep for several days in the pantry; however, we recommend storing fresh flour in the fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to one month. 

TIPS FOR GRINDING GRAINS IN THE VIBE BLENDER SYSTEM

• Ensure the blender jug is completely dry
• Grind only 1 cup at a time to ensure the grains rotate evenly in the jug
• Select the ‘nut’ mode so that the blender is set to the fastest speed.
• Blend in batches so that the jug doesn’t overheat
• Semi processed grains such as rolled oats can get stuck under the blades. We recommend short burst of power, stopping once to scrape down under the blades. 

SIFTING

Choosing to sift the fresh flour is optional and will depend on what you plan to bake. Recipes on the Luvele Life blog don’t require sifting.

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