Power to The Bakers.What You Need To Know About Wheat Gluten
Have you heard of gluten? Yes, we all have. You have noticed it mentioned on the various food packaging available in the market. Gluten is basically a variant of protein that gets formed from the flours, such as wheat, rye, and barley. When the flour gets mixed with water, gluten formation takes place. This gluten is essential to help develop the binding effect in the flour. If the binding is not proper, it will be difficult to form a workable dough. So gluten is important for a lot of things. But there are people who are intolerant to gluten. For them, consuming gluten is not healthy. Otherwise, gluten is full of nutritional value and helps your body to remain healthy. You can find gluten in a lot of things apart from flour. Gluten is a major ingredient in bread, buns, cereals, beer, and even vinegar.
What Do We Mean By Vital Wheat Gluten?
When we are talking about wheat gluten, it is more of a protein that is available in wheat. This gluten gets activated when the wheat flour comes in contact with a hydrating substance (water, juice, milk), etc. Often people assume wheat gluten to be a synthetic product, but it is not. Gluten is prepared and processed in a natural way. The basic process of processing gluten is to soak the healthy wheat grain in water for a short span of time. The time should ensure that the gluten is activated. Once the gluten activation takes place, the processing of wheat grain initiates. In this process, apart from the gluten, everything else gets eliminated. Now you are left with gluten. This gluten is dried and processed into a powder.
You can avail of the wheat gluten powder from various grocery stores. Many people who are vegan or have started consuming more vegan items consume the vital wheat gluten as an alternative to animal protein. The wheat gluten usually has a soft and spongy texture. You can add spices to it to make the wheat gluten tasty while consuming.
Where Can You Get The Wheat Gluten From?
If you are planning to buy wheat gluten, then you can get it from any grocery shops or online stores. You can choose to buy the wheat gluten of specific brands that are available in the market.
For How Long The Wheat Gluten Remains Fresh?
If you can store the wheat gluten properly, then it can have a shelf life of 8 to 9 years if kept sealed but should be consumed in 6-12 months once opened. But this means you are keeping it in the closed packets. If you have opened the packet, then make sure you keep it in a cool, dry, and dark place. If you want to maintain the freshness of the wheat gluten, you can store it in airtight containers or in a freezer. It will prevent the wheat gluten from going bad or developing a bad smell.
Is Wheat Gluten Healthy Or Not?
The wheat gluten is full of the right nutritional value. It has various minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, protein, and much more. You can consume wheat gluten in different ways. Just lookup for the right recipes to have a healthy diet. Wheat gluten should be avoided when you suffer from celiac disease, or you are intolerant to wheat gluten. You can even check with your nutritionist before you consume wheat gluten.
What Are Some Of The Health Benefits Offered By Wheat Gluten?
- If you search for an alternative to animal protein, then you can choose to consume wheat gluten. You get the essential protein that you receive from wheat gluten.
- Consuming wheat gluten will help you cover up the deficiency of iron and selenium. You do not have to consume any synthetic medicines to get the nutritional value. You can have wheat gluten twice a day.
- It is best for people trying to avoid fats and carbs in their diet. It is because wheat gluten is low in fats and carbs.
- Wheat gluten exhibits a lot of properties that make it versatile. You can use wheat gluten with different food ingredients to make a tasty food item.
- Wheat gluten is the best source of micro minerals. It is good for women who fall in the 45 to 55 age group category. It helps in increasing the hemoglobin and myoglobin in the body.
Summary:
This is everything that you need to know about wheat gluten. You can get wheat gluten easily in the market. If you are going to consume it on a daily basis, ensure that you buy the wheat gluten in bulk. Besides this, you should ensure that you store the wheat gluten perfectly. You can get top-quality vital wheat gluten from US Flour, one of the most trusted suppliers of vital wheat gluten and other flour varieties of the US.