If you use alternative flours like brown rice flour on a regular basis due to Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, you may want to consider making your own rice flour at home. Making your own flour means that you can control for gluten contamination in your own kitchen, while also customizing the blend of rice and ensuring a fresh product. Making your own flour is also often much cheaper than purchasing it. If you use it regularly, this may save you a significant amount of money.
How to Grind Brown Rice into Flour
Making brown rice flour is easy. You can do this in a few short steps, using a grain mill, food processor, or blender.
- Measure the amount of rice you wish to grind. Depending on how finely you grind the rice, you may need to use more or less grain to achieve the desired amount of flour.
- Place it in the hopper of a grain mill or in the compartment of a blender or food processor.
- Allow the grain mill to process the rice into flour, or turn the blender or food processor to high and keep the blades spinning until a fine powder is produced.
Tools for Making Brown Rice Flour At Home
Making rice flour at home is relatively simple, provided you have the right equipment. Depending on how much flour you want to make and how often, use one of the following.
Grain Mill
A grain mill is an expensive purchase, running up to $250 for a kitchen-sized model, but it will pay for itself if you use it often enough. It is simple to use and operate and can be used to grind other grains in addition to rice.
A few popular mills include the following:
Blender
If you want to try making your rice flour just once or twice, use your kitchen blender. You will need to make your rice flour in batches, as the blender will not handle as much as a grain mill will at one time. Keep in mind that a blender should only be used in this way once in a while, as the hard rice grains will wear out the blades.
Food Processor or Magic Bullet
Food processors and Magic Bullets can also grind rice into flour. They may hold up a little longer than a blender but are often smaller, necessitating multiple batches. They are also a great way to try making your own flour without the commitment of the grain mill.
How to Store Your Brown Rice Flour
Brown rice contains natural oils that begin to break down once you grind it into flour. This is good news for those who grind it themselves; you can always be sure what you are producing is fresh if you are using it right away. However, if you plan on grinding a large amount for use on a regular basis, you will need to store it differently than your other flours:
- Place the brown rice flour in a large, freezer-proof container with a lid.
- Seal the lid onto the container well.
- Freeze until needed. Only remove and thaw as much as you will be using at a time. Do not continually thaw and refreeze the same flour.
Take Control of Your Kitchen
If you use gluten-free flours like brown rice flour on a regular basis, grinding your own at home may be a smart idea. Not only will you always ensure it is fresh, you can save hundreds of dollars over the course of a year. Give making your own flour a try and see if you can taste the difference.
