Flaxseed is a superfood that’s good for your heart. But did you know that taking an extra step while prepping flaxseed ensures that you get more bang for your buck?

Flaxseed is a superfood rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat that your body can’t produce on its own. Omega-3s are essential fats, and you need them to survive.

According to studies, omega-3 fatty acids can help boost your cardiovascular health. The benefits of adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet include:

• Lower risk of heart disease
• Lower risk of death from heart disease
• Lower risk of cardiac events due to abnormal heart rhythm
• Lower risk of blood clots (omega-3s help prevent blood platelets from clumping together)

When prepping flaxseed, make sure you grind them before eating or cooking with them. This step is important because your body is incapable of fully digesting whole flaxseeds.

To enjoy the many health benefits of flaxseed, you must first break them down. When cooking with flaxseed, use at least a tablespoon or more.

One tablespoon of flaxseed provides over two grams of protein and less than 30 calories. You can use a handheld mill, a traditional spice grinder or a mortar and pestle to grind flaxseed.

If you don’t have these tools, you can buy flaxseed that is already ground. However, freshly ground flaxseed is more potent compared to pre-ground flaxseed. This is because many of the beneficial compounds in flaxseed start to oxidize after the seeds are ground, so it’s best to consume flaxseed within 24 hours of grinding.

How to grind flaxseeds

You can use a blender, food processor, coffee grinder or hand tools to grind flaxseed.

Blender or food processor

To grind flaxseed using a blender, add one cup (149 grams) to your blender and process the seeds for several minutes or until they are suitably ground.

If you have a food processor, add one cup of flaxseed and grind until you get your desired result. It may take several minutes if you use a food processor. Note that using a blender or food processor is time-consuming, and you have to grind large amounts of flaxseed at once.

The other methods detailed below allow you to grind small batches.

Coffee grinder

Coffee grinders are relatively inexpensive, and they’re quick and efficient. Using a coffee grinder is the easiest and most convenient way to grind flaxseed.

To use this method, add whole seeds up to the fill level of a coffee grinder that you use only for flaxseed. Once the coffee grinder is turned on, it will only take several seconds until the seeds are fully ground.

When you use a coffee grinder, you can easily grind only the amount you need, which helps limit food waste.

By hand

There are several tools that you can use to grind flaxseed by hand. A flax mill is a specialized kitchen tool made for grinding by hand. It looks like a pepper grinder.

If you have a pepper grinder, you can clean it out and use it to grind flaxseed.

You can also use a mortar and pestle to grind flaxseed by hand. Use the pestle to crush flaxseed against the mortar or the bowl to grind the seeds.

These manual methods are more time-consuming and less effective compared to a coffee grinder, but they allow you to grind up to one tablespoon of flaxseed at a time, which means you’ll produce less food waste.

Storing ground flaxseeds properly

Ground flaxseed stored in an airtight container can be refrigerated for up to one week. You should only grind the amount you need to avoid wasting your supply of flaxseed.

Freshly ground flaxseed should taste earthy and slightly nutty. If your flaxseed tastes bitter, it’s probably rancid so throw it away.

Boost your heart health by making freshly ground flaxseed using a coffee grinder, food processor or a mortar and pestle.

Sources:

Health.com

My.ClevelandClinic.org

Healthline.com