Granola

This recipe started out as written on Passionate Homemaking. But that recipe was too wet and clumpy for my tastes.

It is possible to cut the recipe in half.  But why would you do such a thing?

Here's how I make granola these days.

In a very large bowl, mix and soak these ingredients at least 7 hours and up to 24.  Maybe 36 hours if you get sidetracked.

8 generous cups oats
16 oz hot water
3 oz raw apple cider vinegar
1 cup melted coconut oil (you can substitute butter)
*optional: 2-4T whole wheat flour that provides phytase to help break down the nutrient binding phytic acid in oats.  Read why here.

Cover and let it sit and do it's phytic-breaking magic.




The above picture is what my oats looked like after soaking overnight (about 10 hours).  The green in the oats is my spatula.

When you are ready to proceed, add:
1/2 c honey
1/2 c maple syrup (You can use all honey or all maple syrup.*  If you want it sweeter, add it just before eating - otherwise your pre-baked granola will be really wet and eventually rock hard and big-ish clumps.)
1.5 t salt
1-4 t cinnamon (I've found that cinnamon helps things taste sweeter)
1-2 T vanilla

* If you use more than half maple syrup it could bake on the harder side of crispy.  I have used all honey with no problem, or half and half.  One reader wrote to say she used all maple syrup and it baked too hard...like rock hard.  I wonder if it is because she didn't use any honey.

I have several of these huge jelly roll pans and they are wonderful.  The pans are large enough to fill an entire rack of my oven.  This recipe fits nicely on two of these pans.

Bake at 250* and stir every 30 minutes till crispy, usually 1.5-2 hours.  I used to bake on parchment paper until one day I got lazy and didn't.  It is fine as long as you stir every 30 minutes (otherwise it will cement itself to the pan, which can be a bit inconvenient).

If I start baking at night, I will turn the oven off and go to bed for the last 30+ or so minutes.  If it is not crispy in the morning, I will turn on oven again. Usually it dries fine.

This is what the granola looked like after 30 minutes in my oven.  The first time you stir, you might think, "This is too clumpy.  I don't want these huge clumps."  Just keep stirring.  And baking.  As it dries out the granola separates.

After one hour:

Trying to keep a two year old occupied in the kitchen.

Two hours later it is crispy to the touch and not burned.  Success!

Because everyone in my family likes different fixin's in their granola, I store it just like this.  My husband likes incredible amounts of coconut and dates in his.  I like mine very nutty (pecans, walnuts, almonds).  My son likes just the oats.  Some weird people like raisins in it.  The sky is the limit as to what you add to granola to make it your own.

-Julie