The Challenge of Cooking Gluten Free

Gluten free cooking can be a real challenge until you learn how to substitute various grains and starches for wheat, rye and barley. Common substitutes include corn, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, rice flours, millet, sorghum, amaranth and teff. Oats are also sometimes used as a substitute for grains that contain gluten, but they should be used in moderate amounts only. Flours made from beans can also be used as substitutes. Acceptable bean flours include those made from fava beans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), peas and soy. Nut flours that can be used include almond, coconut, hazelnut, chestnut and pecan. You can also use starches from root vegetables such as arrowroot, potato starch, potato flour and tapioca.

When you first begin to cook without gluten, it is important to read the ingredient labels for all of the foods you will be using. Gluten turns up in many unexpected places so be careful to investigate all of your ingredients. You should be especially careful with foods labeled “low fat” because these foods often contain modified food starch which can be derived from gluten containing foods.

Before you start making your own food, you may want to purchase some baking mixes that do not contain gluten at the grocery or health food store. Trying out these packaged mixes will allow you to determine which of the many possible substitutes you like best without sacrificing time and money buying and making things you don’t like.

Once you begin making your own food, you will also need to avoid cross contamination with foods that contain gluten. One of the main sources for cross contamination is the toaster. You may want to consider buying a new toaster that is used only for safe products.

Gluten free cooking can be difficult when you first begin the journey. With patience and practice, however, you can learn to cook things that both you and your family will enjoy.

This was a guest post by Mary from Gluten Free Cooking School. Visit her site for more gluten free tips, including a great article on gluten free scones recipes.

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