Flax crackers turn out really bad

[Journey]

What is the secret to these. I followed the directions in one of my books and they are just not right. They dried in half the time the directions said they were suppose to so I think I made them to thin probably? But they taste bad too. The edges started to curve up after I flipped and dried? Then the sides started breaking on their own just by touching them.

Any pointers to making these a success? I was really looking forward to some crackers.

[CrazyDelicious]

Well I like my flax crackers thick and really really crunchy. Otherwise I find they can't handle the weight of the veggies I pile on top :D The way you describe it, they sound like they were too thin, especially if they were so delicate that they were breaking just from touching them. They thin out quite a bit when drying, so you have to spread the batter thicker than the cracker you want. And what is half the time? I don't pay alot of attention to drying times and I usually go by what "dryness" I want personally. Mine usually take about 24 hours. I also find that if my dehydrator is packed, it takes a bit longer (and it is usually packed:rolleyes: )

[sport]

If the edges curl up a bit it will not do any harm.
You say that they did not taste right. What did they taste like.
Have you eaten other ones that tasted better.
What did you put in them.

[Journey]

They were done drying in about 13 hours, the directions said it would be 24 hours but there was no way. I knew after a few hours it would not take than long.

I have bought some pre-packaged flax seed crackers that tasted totally different and much better. In them I used flax seed, carrots, celery, onion, garlic , parsley and sea salt. Half the flax I blended and half I left whole. The garlic and salt seemed to really overpower the cracker even thought there was not much of either in the batch. There were also parts of the cracker that looked almost transparent and those parts tasted worse.

I have some plain ones in the deyhdrator now and they will be ready in about 18 hours, so fingers are crossed that these are better. I made them twice as thick and they look like they are drying nicely and not to thin.

[CrazyDelicious]

Oh then they were really too thin, since areas were transparent. That is also why they would have dried so fast. Mine are probably twice as thick. The seasonings you use sound good though. I find that what you think is a little flavour can often end up being overpowering. I put chili powder and cayenne in my crackers, as well as garlic, a little onion, some agave (1 tsp) and some nama shoyu. But I really don't use too much flavourings (though I like my crackers spicy, hence the cayenne). Another thing is some people I know dislike some flavours once they are dehydrated, namely garlic. You could also try subbing garlic powder for actual crushed garlic. Oh - also, I don't really like ground flax for my crackers - they give them a weird taste imo. I use all whole soaked flax.
Hope that new batch turns out!!! :D I made many batches before I found my favourite ever recipe that I use weekly :D

[rawnerino]

Can you share with us the proportions of ingredients you use in your flax crackers. I have also had difficulty--not making them too thin, but with overpowering garlic, salt and onion flavours in the dehydrator (in both flax crackers and breads). Would using a VitaMix blender be better so that the consistency would be smooth?

Thanks for any tips or favorite recipes you more experienced raw foodists can share with us newbies!! It is very much appreciated.

Michele

[Aleesha Sattva]

1/2 cup of golden flax seeds - Ground (I use a coffee grinder)
1/2 cup of dark flax seeds
Soak in 2 cups of water 4-6 hours

add a dash of Celtic sea salt and stir with spoon to get them all incorporated together. i always add rosemary to them... suPER yummy!

Spread onto teflex sheets. About 1/4 inch thick, if you want thicker crackers than spread them thicker.

[Journey]

Well the second batch was thicker but just as yuk :mad:

I made them plain this time, maybe I just don't like them. I find when I am chewing them that they begin to break down in my mouth and taste slimmy. I feel sick just thinking about it. Does that normally happen, maybe flax is not for me.

Thanks for all your responses.

[shooting star]

I never soak my flax seeds before making them into crackers as I agree it makes them a bit slimey. I also don't use garlic as I don't like the smell.

I use:

2 cups golden flax seeds
1 red pepper
1 cup of fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (soaked if the dried type)
juice of 1 lemon
handful of fresh greens

they come out really thin and crispy and crunchy - actually the picture shows a batch I spread really quite thick.

hope that helps

[rawnerino]

Thanks so much for sharing--back to the dehydrator as this is a huge learning curve for me. I would never make it without all of your support!

[Ginger]

My fav is equal parts ground sesame seeds & ground flax, the leftover pulp from making a big green juice (celery, kale, parsley, chard, lemon, cilantro, collards, dandilion), a little water, a little curry powder & sea salt.