Buckwheat
Soaked and Cooked Buckwheat
1 Cup Whole Buckwheat Groats; de-hulled buckwheat kernels
2 Tbsp. Whey, Kefir, Buttermilk, or 1 Tbsp. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Salt
Water
1. Soak buckwheat in 2 cups of water and 2 Tbsp. whey, on your counter, for 12- 24 hours. At this point, you can cover the container and place it in the fridge, soaking liquid and all for up to a week, or cook right away.
2. Drain soaked buckwheat through a fine mesh strainer and rinse well with cool water.
3. Add soaked buckwheat, water to cover by several inches, and salt to a medium pot. This cooking method is the same method that you use when cooking pasta.
4. Bring water to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil.
6. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until desired texture is achieved.
7. Drain in a fine mesh strainer. If you'll be using the buckwheat in a cold dish, rinse with cold water. If you'd like it warm, rinse in hot water. Buckwheat will develop a gummy gel as it cooks; because of that, rinsing is an important step to achieve a palatable texture.
9. I like to spread the buckwheat out on a cookie sheet lined with a cloth or paper towel to let it dry out a bit before storing in the fridge. Otherwise, it can hold on to water and be a bit mushy. Alternatively, you can store it in the fridge in a baking dish lined with a cloth or paper towel.
8. Use in place of white rice and pasta. Add to a savory dish, a soup, or with a little honey and raw milk for breakfast. I like a little scoop of buckwheat on a green salad, to give the salad more staying power. We also use buckwheat for grain bowls, skillet dishes, stir fries and pilaf.
NOTES
Kasha is roasted buckwheat and cooks differently than raw buckwheat groats.
Look for whole buckwheat groats, instead of ground.
Look for un-hulled buckwheat
Things that can affect your cooking time and liquid amount required:
Altitude also affects cooking time. I'm at an altitude of 4,775. If you're at high altitude or sea level, you will need to adjust cooking time accordingly.
Prepare to be a little flexible the first time you soak and cook a particular grain. Consider it an experiment. Start with this as a base and alter it if needed.
For more information on soaking grains, see this post.