Granola

Granola is one of those things I never measured... I just slapped it together and it was always tasty.  People have asked for this recipe the most (second to my Derby Pie) and I think of it as although delicious and sustaining - not all that exciting - but it gets munched down in a hurry by all guests.  And it is certainly the most yearned for.  So I have measured this time in order to make the recipe.

The rules: The most important thing to avoiding the "bad stuff" is to use totally raw ingredients.  The roasting should be on your terms.  There were some well-intentioned (the worst usually are aren't they?) horrible laws past about pasteurizing nuts so if you can find RAW and UN-pasteurized that is best.  California likes to call pasteurized nuts still raw and that is a farce.  When you pasteurize nuts and seeds or grains you increase the chances for mold which is essentially poison.  If you eat something with mold it will make you rage and feel crazy.  If peanut butter was eaten and you're feeling particularly irritable or aggressive chances are the butter was made with moldy peanuts.  This happens often. (This explains a lot about my encounters with very aggressive homeless men - I'm a magnet for them.)

Now for the MAKING! This recipe makes the giant mason jar sized amount and maybe then some.  I triple it making about three giant masons (To feed Jason and friends like kings for weeks) and 2 regular sized masons (for giving away just because).

SAVE WHATEVER SOFT CHEWY THINGS YOU'LL BE ADDING TO THE GRANOLA FOR LAST.  If they are baked they'll dry out and have no chew to them.

What's in this batch:  (sometimes I add coconut, or cranberries or use a different mix of oats/grains)

Triticale:
Raw Almonds:
Raw Pumpkin seeds/pepitas:
Rolled oats:
Sunflower seeds:
Flax seed:

Zante currants (use whatever chewy fruit you like and in the amount you wish since this is personal taste and I simply eyeball it)

The consistency you want

"Small" batch:

• 2-3 C oatmeal
• 1 C triticale (or harder grain/oat)
• 1 C almonds 
• 1 C pepitas
• 1 C sunflower
• 1 C flax seeds ( Here is where you can add any special things to be roasted.  I sometimes do coconut in equal parts to the nuts and seeds.  The only brand that doesn't jack me up is Let's Do Organic.  But anything NOT sprayed at all is better than organic sprayed)  I put all of this into a big pot and stir it up then add 1- 1 and a 1/2 Cup honey. I don't like sweet granola so I prefer it to be enough to make everything stick to each other. Like the photo above, just enough to where everything it enjoying touching each other with not too much giant clumping. Jason likes it to be like candy, so if your family members like more you can add more but large clumps usually means it needs more stirring. If you use more syrup/binder then keep in mind it will clump more and the oven will break it up. You can add more at any stage even after you've put it into the pan to bake.

 You can use Agave, or Maple syrup.  But Raw honey is the best. The others SAY they are raw and are in fact pasteurized hard (unless you know the practices of a specific company who in fact does not - they would be an exception to the rule).  And on top of that the process to make Maple Syrup they boil sap repeatedly making it a bit unstable for those sensitive to "the spice."  There are some alternative syrups which are available and would be preferred to maple.  Like Alder sap which is sweet like maple and needs zero processing minus perhaps a sieve to remove natural debris and can be eaten straight up raw.

If you want to make a more paleolithic heavy mix double all seeds and nuts and use alder sap.

You can add cinnamon or ginger (I always recommend fresh) to this with wonderful results.

Preheat Oven to 250

Now that you've chosen your mix, and mixed your mix with your syrup you'll need a well oiled pan.  Olive oil or sunflower oil.  You should only need to oil this pan once no matter if there are 3 or 4 batches to roast. 

Raw and ready for the oven

You should roast your mix for 10-15 minute intervals decreasing the time as the batch goldens, removing to spatula mix it and removing outside ones to the middle or make certain nothing sticks to your pan. Then return it to the oven.  You'll keep up this tedium until everything starts to take on a golden brown and your house smells like an elf village. Once it is your level of golden brown.  Remove and put into a large bowl.  You'll add whatever dried fruit you like to it after it has cooled down a touch.  Mix thoroughly and taa daa!

Cooked on the left, Raw on the right

I put the granola into mason/kerr jars and give them away as gifts, take a jar in the car for a long trip or pour it into a bowl with goat milk.  It's my FAVORITE way to have this.   It also makes a RAD topping for baked berries.  Which you bake the fruit alone and then sprinkle on granola after.  Super fast dessert, easy breakfast and no fuss trail food.  So when you think you've gone to the oven about 70 times tell yourself all this goodness.