Quinoa....yuck

[singingserena]

Hey all,

this is my first time on the forum...I can't believe I didnt join earlier. Ive been gluten-free practically all my life...just now I decided I'd eat quinoa and make it like a hot breakfast cereal because Ive been craving oatmeal however, I am still not sure if celiacs can eat oats...and the only oatmeal I have is quaker that red mill one...soooo...i tried quinoa and it tastes so bad.....just want to know what everyone thinks bout this.

[LisaJ]

oh no! I just bought a box of that today and was going to try the same thing! I liked the Quinoa noodles so much I thought maybe it would be good . . . did you add brown sugar or raisins or anything?

[singingserena]

oh no! I just bought a box of that today and was going to try the same thing! I liked the Quinoa noodles so much I thought maybe it would be good . . . did you add brown sugar or raisins or anything?

I added molasses cause I'm trying to get my iron levels up...I have been dieting earlier in the year and I feel so tired...then I added cinnamon, and because we were outa milk i added soy milk...what a combo..enough to make u gag....

[singingserena]

I added molasses cause I'm trying to get my iron levels up...I have been dieting earlier in the year and I feel so tired...then I added cinnamon, and because we were outa milk i added soy milk...what a combo..enough to make u gag....

Im gonna wait a little while..if I get hungry again I'm gonna make rice pasta and load it up with classico alfreado sauce...heheheh...so yummy

[Nantzie]

I've never tried quinoa, but I do remember reading that you have to rinse it really well, or there's a nasty soapy flavor to it.

Maybe someone with some more experience with it will let us know what the deal is.

Nancy

[singingserena]

I've never tried quinoa, but I do remember reading that you have to rinse it really well, or there's a nasty soapy flavor to it.

Maybe someone with some more experience with it will let us know what the deal is.

Nancy

omg...u really have to rinse it before? I didnt know that....i hope its ok....what do u think

[Guhlia]

Welcome to the forum! I can't stand quinoa. I think it's disgusting. However, I do really enjoy quinoa flake cookies. They taste very similar to oatmeal cookies. Yum!

[Nantzie]

If I remember right you might get a stomach ache or feel queasy from it.

I have no idea why they would sell something that has to be rinsed without saying that in BIG red letters.

Hope it doesn't make you feel sick.

Nancy

[Mango04]

I added molasses cause I'm trying to get my iron levels up...I have been dieting earlier in the year and I feel so tired...then I added cinnamon, and because we were outa milk i added soy milk...what a combo..enough to make u gag....

Ewww LOL. Quinoa really isn't a good substitute for oatmeal, imo. I think it's better as a pilaf, cooked in chicken broth with veggies and seasoned with salt and olive oil. I really like red quinoa.

[psawyer]

Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin which protects it from insects. You must rinse it thoroughly before preparation to get rid of the saponin, or it will taste awful.

I've never tried it as a breakfast cereal, but we eat it as a rice alternative. One part quinoa to two parts liquid. We use gluten-free soy sauce and white wine as a portion of the liquid, but plain water works fine. You can also use a broth. For a better flavor, we dry roast the grain for five minutes in a hot skillet after rinsing.

Packaged quinoa may have already had the saponin removed, but we always rinse before proceeding.

Open Original Shared Link

Bon apetit!

[new to LI]

Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin which protects it from insects. You must rinse it thoroughly before preparation to get rid of the saponin, or it will taste awful.

I've never tried it as a breakfast cereal, but we eat it as a rice alternative. One part quinoa to two parts liquid. We use gluten-free soy sauce and white wine as a portion of the liquid, but plain water works fine. You can also use a broth. For a better flavor, we dry roast the grain for five minutes in a hot skillet after rinsing.

Packaged quinoa may have already had the saponin removed, but we always rinse before proceeding.

Open Original Shared Link

Bon apetit!

I second everything said

[Juliebove]

I like quinoa but I usually prepare it as a pilaf. The first time I made it I did not rinse it but I've read that rinsing is essential or it might taste bitter. I sautee some chopped vegetables such as carrot, celery, onion and pepper in olive oil until soft. I will also add other vegetables like peas, green beans or corn. Whatever I have around. Sometimes I add tomato. I then put the cooked quinoa back in the pad and heat through. You can also cook some chopped meat like chicken or pork along with the veggies to make this a meal.

[Looking for answers]

I love quinoa. I buy it by the box from Trader Joes. We normally cook it with vegetable broth and it's soo yummy. We pair it with chicken and fish as a side dish. Last week I took quinoa and used it as a base and added chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers and tossed it with italian dressing. It was a terrific lunch all week.

[gfp]

Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin which protects it from insects. You must rinse it thoroughly before preparation to get rid of the saponin, or it will taste awful.

I've never tried it as a breakfast cereal, but we eat it as a rice alternative. One part quinoa to two parts liquid. We use gluten-free soy sauce and white wine as a portion of the liquid, but plain water works fine. You can also use a broth. For a better flavor, we dry roast the grain for five minutes in a hot skillet after rinsing.

Packaged quinoa may have already had the saponin removed, but we always rinse before proceeding.

Open Original Shared Link

Bon apetit!

Pretty much what I was going to say... however if your buying puffed quinoa for cerial then I should imagine its already done....

I have no idea why they would sell something that has to be rinsed without saying that in BIG red letters.

I dunno, I guess they expect you to know, afterall potatoes don't have a label saying they can give you tummy ache if not boiled?

However if you take a moment and think about it the unrinsed stuff is probably the safest with regards to CC.

I also found it makes a good alternative to cous-cous.

[Felidae]

Yes, always rinse quinoa. However, I buy Ancient Harvest brand which doesn't say to rinse. I've made great "oatmeal" cookies with the quinoa flakes which I did not rinse.

[Michi8]

I have no idea why they would sell something that has to be rinsed without saying that in BIG red letters.

Most packaged plain grains don't have instructions. It's a good idea to rinse rice before cooking as well.

Michelle

[gfp]

Most packaged plain grains don't have instructions. It's a good idea to rinse rice before cooking as well.

Michelle

That's pretty much what went through my head too.... however I guess people know about rice (although the amount of chemical treated rice is making a bunch of people who only know how to micro/boil in the bag) ...

Given its tastes horrid unless you do rinse it though you'd think they would put it on the marketing stuff???

Its not like I Think they should be legislated to do so... but its seems common sense for a relatively new product that is going to put people off???

[Michi8]

That's pretty much what went through my head too.... however I guess people know about rice (although the amount of chemical treated rice is making a bunch of people who only know how to micro/boil in the bag) ...

Given its tastes horrid unless you do rinse it though you'd think they would put it on the marketing stuff???

Its not like I Think they should be legislated to do so... but its seems common sense for a relatively new product that is going to put people off???

I don't think it's all that new though...it's been a product in natural grocers for a long time. Though, I suppose if the manufacturers are actively trying to gain new customers it might makes sense. I believe that you would want to rinse other whole grains and dried legumes before cooking as well...it's as much to remove starch or coating on the grains as to wash out any foreign objects too (stones for example.)

Michelle

[Keenwa]

So wait... Do you have to rinse Ancient Harvest quinoa or not? I thought it was pre-rinsed, I've never thought it tasted bad... Hm. Guess I will start rinsing that Ancient Harvest and Trader Joe's quinoa (The two brands I use) and see if they taste better. I like quinoa as you can see from my nickname - But I like it best with lots of flavoring, for instance I"ll make it in chicken or vegetable stock rather than water and add nuts and veggies and sauteed onions and garlic. For breakfast I"ll have hot quinoa flakes but add a lot of cinnamon and raisins and stuff.

[Mango04]

So wait... Do you have to rinse Ancient Harvest quinoa or not? I thought it was pre-rinsed, I've never thought it tasted bad... Hm. Guess I will start rinsing that Ancient Harvest and Trader Joe's quinoa (The two brands I use) and see if they taste better. I like quinoa as you can see from my nickname - But I like it best with lots of flavoring, for instance I"ll make it in chicken or vegetable stock rather than water and add nuts and veggies and sauteed onions and garlic. For breakfast I"ll have hot quinoa flakes but add a lot of cinnamon and raisins and stuff.

Well, if quinoa isn't pre-rinsed, it gets pretty soapy when you add water to it. You can usually tell. Ancient Harvest really seems pre-rinsed to me. Not that it would hurt to rinse it, but it's not like some other brands that literally lather with water

[Nantzie]

Geez... I didn't mean to start anything.

Quinoa isn't common at all in the states unless you're already into health food before you get a celiac diagnosis. Most people have never heard of it. And since celiacs need to stay FAR from anything in the bulk bins, and would have to buy it in some sort of package (bag or box), it would have labels etc.

I would assume that somewhere on the package it says to rinse it. I was just saying that maybe some sort of stronger font would be something the manufacturers of the non-rinsed types might want to do. Because of the really bad taste she mentioned, I had to assume that it was a non-rinsed type.

The main reason I said what I said was a way to let the original poster know that not many people would know about rinsing it unless they were told. It was said in sympathetic jest. I didn't use the wink smiley because I didn't want her to think I was poking fun at her.

Nancy

[Michi8]

Geez... I didn't mean to start anything.

I didn't think that you "started" anything. I thought it was worth mentioning that it's common practice to rinse all grains before cooking anyway, so there's really no need for a manufacturer's label.

Michelle

[lonewolf]

I hope I'm not stating the obvious, but does everyone know that there are two (at least) types of quinoa that are readily available?

The first is the grain, that you would make pilaf or salads out of. This is what you need to rinse before using. It would make disgusting breakfast cereal.

The second type is the quinoa flakes, which look like little oatmeal flakes. My daughter actually likes this for an oatmeal replacement. It does not need rinsing. I like it in "oatmeal" cookies and in those chocolate no-bake fudgie things.

[evie]

Yes, always rinse quinoa. However, I buy Ancient Harvest brand which doesn't say to rinse. I've made great "oatmeal" cookies with the quinoa flakes which I did not rinse.

I have used quinoa as a ceral for quite sometime, rinse it well before cooking. Our dd got me some from larger store that had already been rinsed, also the quinoa flakes make a very good & quick hot cereal, good in meatloaf, oatmeal like cookies and many uses. If that soapy stuff is not rinsed off it will even smell different UGH!! i want to try the idea of browning it/ i n a bit of oil in skillet, I do that with millet and it gives it a very good nutty flavor!! good luck all...evie

[gfp]

Geez... I didn't mean to start anything.

Quinoa isn't common at all in the states unless you're already into health food before you get a celiac diagnosis. Most people have never heard of it. And since celiacs need to stay FAR from anything in the bulk bins, and would have to buy it in some sort of package (bag or box), it would have labels etc.

I would assume that somewhere on the package it says to rinse it. I was just saying that maybe some sort of stronger font would be something the manufacturers of the non-rinsed types might want to do. Because of the really bad taste she mentioned, I had to assume that it was a non-rinsed type.

The main reason I said what I said was a way to let the original poster know that not many people would know about rinsing it unless they were told. It was said in sympathetic jest. I didn't use the wink smiley because I didn't want her to think I was poking fun at her.

Nancy

No I find it weird, like I said given its a relatively new product and if you don't rinse it it tastes ugggghhh you'd think it would be in their interests that people don't buy it, not know to rinse it and then decide its yuck! In the same way you'd think those that have pre-washed it might advertise the fact ? I mean do they expect people who are unfamiliar with it to try it forst, see if its yucky and then wash it?

Overall though I think its one of those things that once you do get used to it you no longer think of???

As someone else said I routinely do this with most of this type of food (beans, rice, lentils etc) ..

Anyway for me you brought up an interesting point.... and I got to thinking that the pre-rinsed stuff might have been through production lines with wheat products (Im not saying it has but anything that's been shipped, processed (even if its just rinsed) and boxed would seem to have a greater potential for CC????