Flaxseed shows some cool science

Food Science Friday

Broken flaxseeds Image from Pixabay

Flaxseed is often recommended as an egg replacer; if you mix ground flaxseed with a couple of tablespoons of warm water you will end up with a thick sticky mess. The reason for this sticky mess is due to the fiber in flaxseed, also called mucilage, having some interesting rheological properties which you can read about in my blog post here. 

Even if you don’t want to replace eggs, flaxseeds are lovely. They add a nutty chewy texture and are full of great nutrition including omega 3 fatty acids and are high in fiber. Try adding a tablespoon of either flaxseed or flaxseed meal to a smoothie or to a muffin mix.

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