Gluten free cooking

I hope that the people who come to my blog will not only be celiac, but kind people who want to cook something delicious for a celiac. As you will know, antiglutenans are very grateful when someone makes the effort to think and prepare something for us, so, from here, I invite all non-celiacs to have a detail with the celíacos of their surroundings and cook something to them. This guide is addressed to all of them and to all those who start in the gluten-free world. I will try to keep it updated as things happen to me, but I think it's a good list to start with.

It may seem to have a lot of factors in mind, but they are just a few small details that need to be repaired when it comes to making the food, and that finally come out quite mechanically. I hope this miniguy serves to clear up doubts and encourage those who are afraid to make something gluten free if they contaminate something. I am at the disposal of the world for any doubt or suggestion that they have in this respect.

ENSURE THAT ALL PRODUCTS ARE GLUTEN FREE

It seems a no-brainer, but there may be many products in which a freshly initiated gluten-free kitchen will not fall out which may have gluten. Products such as yeast, aromas, colorings, chocolate, soy sauce ... For this it is important to always read the labels, and ask the coeliacs and associations. FACE has a very basic listing on your page that can be of great help. And in my list of generic products suitable for celiac you will find the information much more explained and detailed. Care must be taken with products that have gone through a process of manufacture and, especially, those subjected to grinding. In addition, bulk products are not recommended at all (except vegetables and fruits, for example). This includes especially cereals, flours, spices and goodies. And, when in doubt, it is best not to use the product.

Use products that do not contain or may contain traces of gluten

One should not fall into the error that some traces are insignificant. If the labeling of a product indicates that it may contain traces of gluten, that food is not safe for a celiac.

Use foods in which no traces of gluten have been introduced

In a kitchen with gluten, it is very common to use the same utensil for several things. For example, use the same knife to pick up the butter from the package and spread it on a toast with gluten. With this process, the butter is contaminated and is no longer safe for a celiac. This usually happens with the spreads (cheeses, pâtés, butters, mayonnaise ...) and even with salt. In many cases salt is applied by hand with gluten (for example, if we are working with flours, or we have touched some bread or pasta), and when going to use the salt is contaminated. Also, it is very frequent in the confectionery: we use the same spoon to extract the flour and the sugar of their respective packages. If a spoon has been used with some gluten to remove sugar (for example) from its package, the package is contaminated. It is best to use some new products (salt from the unopened package or a salt shaker with a doser) where there is no danger that gluten has ever entered your story.

Avoid using wood utensils

In general, the use of wood is not recommended for cooking, since, being a porous material, remains of food remains. And these remains include gluten. It is best to use plastic, silicone and metal utensils. Nor is it necessary to buy specific utensils for a celiac. The important thing is that they are clean and non-porous. It should be taken into account especially in spatulas and kitchen tables.

Of course, it is an essential practice in the elaboration of all kinds of food. One thing to keep in mind: in the gluten-free world, "clean" means "gluten-free". This is especially delicate in utensils such as sieves and strainers. Personally, I consider that a strainer can be cleaned well, but with a strainer it is a little more difficult. Either precautions are taken or an exclusive gluten free sieve is used, which are not as expensive either. The same thing happens with the toaster: especially if you have slots to introduce the bread, it is very easy that, if we use the same toaster for bread with gluten and gluten-free bread, it will contaminate the gluten-free bread. If it is one of those horizontals, we can clean the grid with a rag and that's it.

In addition, it is easy to cross-contaminate through fabrics such as apron or rags. Often, when working with flours with gluten, our apron of flour remains is impregnated, so if we later want to use that apron to work with something without gluten, we can touch the gluten-free food by touching the apron and then the plate That we are developing. Again, the important thing is to have the tissues clean, and this includes the wipes. We do not need to use cooking paper for everything: just wash with soap and water any surface that has come into contact with gluten and will be decontaminated.

This is very frequent, too, when washing the dishes: nothing happens to wash with the same sponge utensils with and without gluten. The soap takes everything.

As I say, "clean" means gluten free. Of course we can reuse an oil when it comes to frying, but it should not have been fried anything with gluten, since it leaves it contaminated. The same goes for water for pasta, for example: you should never use a water with gluten (that is, in which something has been prepared with gluten) to boil a pasta without gluten.

Prepare the gluten-free food separately

Cook-without-gluten-singlutenismo

If we have to cook both gluten-free and gluten-free, gluten-free food should be set aside and with its own utensils, and away from splashes and products that may contaminate gluten-free food (such as flour, for example, which is very volatile) . If we do not have space to do both simultaneously, it is best to prepare gluten-free food, cover it well, and then gluten-free food. It will already give a heat tap to the food for coeliacs and ready.