Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of some of the most commonly asked questions from customers.
Are there other names for Einkorn?
Yes, because of it’s ancient origins, einkorn is known by many names across the world: Triticum monococcum (Latin, scientific name), einkorn (German), small spelt (Italian), farro piccolo (Italian), engrain (French), Le petit épautre (French), tiphe (Greek), siyez (Turkish), and sifon (Hebrew). Learn more about the other names for einkorn here.
Where can I learn more about the nutritional benefits of einkorn?
We’ve summarized some important facts about Einkorn nutrition here.
Do you sell einkorn flour?
Yes, we offer two types of einkorn flour:
- Organic 100% Whole Grain Einkorn Flour (Freshly milled in our stone mill)
- Organic All-Purpose Einkorn Flour
Our Einkorn All-Purpose Flour is comparable to a “white einkorn flour”, only most white flours have additives (such as bleach and other chemicals). Our flour does not.
Our 100% whole grain einkorn flour is freshly milled in our stone mill. It ships the same day it is milled.
Both flours are available for purchase at our online store, here.
Even though we offer flour, we actually prefer and recommend that you grind your einkorn flour at home.
Here’s an article about why and how.
In short:
- It’s more affordable (in the long run) to mill your flour at home because einkorn berries are less expensive than flour.
- Properly stored, einkorn berries (unmilled) last for years, making it more affordable to stock up.
- Flour oxidizes and loses its nutrients over time.
- If not kept properly, flour will go rancid.
- Milling einkorn flour at home is easier than ever, thanks to modern electric countertop mills.
What is the best grain mill for making einkorn flour at home?
Einkorn berries can be ground into flour with almost any counter top mill. We recommend using the Mockmill countertop stone mill to produce the best flour.
We wrote a post about it. In the post, you’ll find some helpful tips for selecting a mill and discount coupons to use if you’re serious about getting your own mill. Click here to read it.
Flour Sifter – 8 cup capacity. Sturdy stainless steel.
Can I use these einkorn berries for seed?
Einkorn Wheat Kernels in the Hull
Einkorn grows natively in a hull that does not separate from the kernel during harvest. To prepare einkorn for food, we use a dehulling process to remove the hull from the kernel. The result is einkorn berries ready to be ground into flour and used for baking.
This makes einkorn very unique among varieties of wheat. Experts say the hull protects the kernel from disease and rot. As a result of this dehulling process, however, some of the berries do not sprout as well as they would if they had been left in the hull.
If you plan to use the einkorn you purchase from our website as seed, you should first test a small amount to verify that it does sprout according to your expectations.
At some point in the future, we hope to offer einkorn seeds for sale. For now, they are so rare that it’s impractical to offer them for sale.
Where is this einkorn grown and is it organic?
The einkorn we offer is grown by our partner organic farmers in the western United States & Canada, and yes it is organically grown in accordance with our USDA organic certification.
How many cups of flour does 1 cup of einkorn berries make?
One cup of einkorn wheat berries will make about 1.5 cups of flour, depending on how finely you grind your flour.
Do you offer pricing for wholesale or bulk orders?
Yes, we are seeking wholesale partners who can offer einkorn in their local areas. Please complete the bulk and wholesale application, and we’ll get back with you with pricing and wholesale requirements.
I too have used my Vitamix dry container to grind grain berries, but have discovered another way.
If you sprout your grain berries in water overnight, they will soften up and then you can put them in your regular Vitamix container. Blend the softened berries. I use an egg, some type of milk, a tsp of maple syrup and yeast in the container before blending. When I used the einkorn berries, the seeds quickly ground down into a smooth batter. The difference between wheat berries and einkorn berries is evident. That is also how I noticed the einkorn is a softer berry than wheat berries.
Sprouted berries also make the best batter for waffles. Love einkorn.
Arye,
Hi! I’m new to Einkorn berries but already love them. I’d love your waffle receipe! I hope you share?
Just found Einkorn flour…seems to be working well with a gluten sensitivity (which is why I tried it). Loving it so far! Not making any ‘claims’…just finding out if it’s a good product for me.
Wondering if you are using the whole wheat or the all purpose with a gluten sensitivity?
Hi love your Eikorn , I know it’s lower glycemic flor and so healthy. My question is do you know about any lectins? Thanks Sandi
Hi Sandra, we have not conducted research about that specific thing. We’d love to hear what your search yields.
lectin content would be somewhat dependent on how much of the hull and bran is left in place, as I think Lectins for the most part are in the outer husk and fibers of the seed. For example white breads made with white flour have far fewer lectins then whole wheat breads. which in part is why so many wheat sensitivities have sprung up since the promotion of whole wheat breads
What is your recipe? I’ve always wanted to skip the drying process after sprouting, but I didn’t see recipes that accounted for soaked wet berries.
I found a cookbook from Carlisle Press 2673 Township Rd 421 Sugarcreek, Ohio 44681, called Healthy Choices that has a recipe for Yeasted Sprout Bread. It’s a worthwhile book to invest in!
Arye – I’d love your waffle recipe too!! Please share. 🙂
I keep my Einkorn All Purpose flour in a glass jar, in the refrigerator. Should I bring it to room temperature before baking?
Tom, we have not done that, but for most recipes I would recommend room temperature. For things like biscuits, though, a cooler dough is preferable.
You can adjust the temperature by adding warmer water, but first mix flour and water a bit or the enzymes in your sourdough or yeast become inactive, when exposed to the warmer water alone.
Is rebound used in the harvesting of einkorn?
Mags, I have never heard of rebound. Are you talking about roundup? Our einkorn is 100% organic. We do not use roundup or anything like it. I hope that answers your question.
Is non sprouted Eikhorn flour considered alkaline or at the very most neutral?
Diane, interesting question. There has not been a lot of extensive research done on this question. However, most sources show that spelt is more alkalizing than modern wheat (on the alkaline side, but low on it like most grains). Einkorn is even more primitive than spelt and much more similar to spelt than it is to modern wheat so we can assume that it’s at least more alkalizing than modern wheat, but I hesitate to say much more because it has not been thoroughly studied.
Does this flour have gluten?
Kerri, as the most primitive form of wheat, einkorn does contain gluten. However, it is very different from the gluten in modern wheat and many people who are intolerant to gluten can eat einkorn without problems. As far as people with full-blown celiac disease, we always recommend that they talk to their doctor before trying einkorn.
What is the cost of a starter kit for these berries to grind in a vital mix. I want to see how it does. Also do u have to have a sour dough to use this or can u use it just like regular flour?
Ruth, if you are just experimenting, we’d recommend buying the 2.5lbs to start with. You can go here to look at pricing. And no you do not have to use it with sourdough. It works like any other flour. It does behave a little differently than modern wheat, and so ratios vary slightly. Our “Recipes” tab is a good place to start, but I would suggest watching consistency in general.
Can einkorn flour be used in a no-knead sourdough bread recipe?
Barbara, einkorn works great in that kind of recipe. However, if the recipe does not originally call for einkorn, we recommend that you start with half the liquid and watch consistency from there.
What is the shelf life of a bucket of einkorn? I would like to buy bulk for home use.
Sadie, einkorn has a similar shelf life to wheat. We’ve never had any go bad, but the moisture content is a little higher than wheat. If stored cool and dry, it should last for years.
Also, if you would like to buy in bulk, feel free to fill out our Bulk and Wholesale Application.
How long can all-purpose einkorn flour keep in the pantry without losing its nutrients or going rancid? Also, now that whole-wheat einkorn flour is being offered, will we be able to buy that in large quantities, the way the all-purpose flour is offered on the website (10 lb. flour/$33, I believe). Also, are einkorn berries cheaper than einkorn flour?
Pepper, we’ve never had the all-purpose flour go rancid, but we live in a cool dry climate. It will obviously go rancid more quickly in moist, warm places. Store accordingly and it will last quite awhile. As far as losing it’s nutrients, flour begins to lose its nutrients the second it’s ground. It’s always better to grind flour as you use it if it’s a possibility. If not, just store properly and it will still be beneficial even if it’s not as good as the whole grain. The whole wheat flour is not offered yet, but it will be soon. When it is, it will be available in bulk. The einkorn berries will be cheaper than the flour.
How do you know if flour has gone rancid? How can your flour last for years on the shelf without going rancid?
Hi Stephanie, that depends on which flour you are referring to. I’m sure the all-purpose flour does go bad eventually (we’ve never had any go bad), but the elements that turn rancid have been removed so it will last a lot longer than whole grain flour. Whole grain flour will definitely go rancid and fairly quickly. For this reason, we prefer to store the whole berries which will last for years and grind flour as we need it. That way, we get the most flavor, nutrients, and freshness possible.
Do you have a recipe for making sourdough starter from Einkorn flour?
Karen, we do have a recipe for that! Go here for instructions on how that is done. This is how we got it to work. I’m sure it’s not the only way.
Do you know if the Whisper Mill, or now -renamed the WOnder Mill, is able to grind Einkorn? Also, I need a little clarification: since Einkorn is a ‘hulled’ berry…. when I buy from you, is the grain still in the hull? And, if so what does that mean as far as my using it. Thanks!
Jayne, I am not familiar with those particular brands of mill, but any grinder that will grind wheat should work just fine for einkorn. By the time you get einkorn from us, the hull has already been removed. So you can grind and use it as soon as you would like.
I have a Wondermill (electric) and it grinds Einkorn nicely.
i have a stomach condition that requires a yeast free bread do you have any recipes a long these lines ? also would like to get any of your recipes that you are willing to share for useing this grain Thanks so much, Charles Reid
Hi Charles, we use very little packaged yeast. Most of our recipes use natural leavening. Do you know whether or not sourdough is ok for your diet? If so, here is our sourdough bread recipe. Also, see this post for more things you can do with that same recipe. Quick breads are always an option as well if you can’t have yeast. We have a few: Coffee Cake, Pumpkin Bread, and Flat Bread. You can also look through our recipe tab for more recipes that don’t have yeast.
How much flour does 2.5 pounds of berries make? I just purchased the Mockmill grinder.
Hi Patti, it makes about 5 cups of flour.
I have about 1/16th of an acre of good soil, in Massachusetts, that I can plant with gluten free (or lower gluten) grain. Approximately what would be the yield on that plot. I know it’s hard to guess but even the wildest guess would be better than the fancy worded history and culture that are in other sites. I just need to know how much I will need to plant my bit of earth.
Hi Rosemary, that obviously depends on a few things and I can only give you estimates. If you plant einkorn that has been dehulled, you will most likely yield less than you planted. Without the hull, einkorn doesn’t germinate well. If you manage to find hulled einkorn to plant, it usually yields about 70 bushels per acre for us, so you might get a little over 4 bushels or about 140lbs for your plot. Like I said, there are a lot of factors and this is just a guess, but I hope it helps a little bit.
Dumb question. Why do I have to mill my own whole grain Einkorn? Why don’t you sell it already made into whole grain flour?
Hi Dan, there are a lot of benefits to milling your own flour. You can see this article if you want to know more. However, for those without the means or desire to do this, we will be offering whole grain flour very soon.
I would like to be notified when you start selling the whole grain flour. Thanks!!
Hi Lin, I would be happy to let you know when we get that going.
So, here I am poised to make my first lof of einkorn bread from the berries, and your recipe says 1- 16oz box of wheat berries. Alas! I bought the 10 lb box, and don’t have a scale. Is 16 oz of the berries 2 cups like water?
Hi Carla, I am not sure what recipe you are referring to. Our einkorn doesn’t come in a 10lb box and so none of our recipes call for a box of einkorn. You may be talking about a different website. However, yes, two cups of einkorn is about 16oz. I hope that helps!
the Einkorn berries that you sell, is it ready to be grinded, ie, is it already cleaned, washed and dried, removal of foreign objects etc ? or we need to do that before grinding ?
Hi Parag, thanks for your question. The berries should be ready to grind into flour. We use our own einkorn daily and we never have to do anything to it before grinding.
Hello, do you know if Einkorn wheat has less of the enzyme inhibitors found in other grains and seeds because of the protective hull making them unnecessary to produce?
Hi John, I don’t know about enzyme inhibitors, but it could definitely be so because of the reason you mentioned. I do know that it has about 50% less phytic acid.
I would like to sprout and dehydrate my berries prior to baking. I do not have a dehydrator and my gas oven does not go below 170 F. If I lay the berries out on a cookie sheet in a single layer in a warm, well lit area, will they dehydrate easily or are these berries prone to molding with this method?
Hi Birgitte, we have never tried this method, so I can’t say for sure. I think it most likely would mold but I’m not positive. You could always try with just a little bit and see how it goes.
I noticed a blog answer that said seeds not available but I have found a couple of sites that sell einkorn seeds?
Hi Gisela, we do not sell einkorn seed. Our berries are intended for food, but there may be other who sell einkorn seed. I don’t know.
Hi
Do you sell your Einkorn berries to Australia?
Hi Helga, We have no problems shipping to Australia, but our berries get stopped at customs. Flour may be ok, but I can’t guarantee it.
Can you please give me more info about your einkorn berries you sell? Are they grown organically and non-GMO??
Hi Wes, You are correct. The berries we sell are certified organic and non-GMO.
Does anyone know the shelf life of Einkorn Wheat berries? Thanks
Hi Stephen, if the einkorn berries are stored cool and dry, they have a similar shelf life to modern wheat. They will stay good for years.
When substituting for other basic flours, is it 1 for 1 or another ratio?
Hello, einkorn is a wetter grain than modern wheat. So, we recommend that when converting a recipe, you start by using about half the liquid and watching consistency from there.
Hello, I am interested to buy bulk einkorn berries (100lb) for an annual flour use in our home sourdough bread baking. Would you be so kind and let us know if you can ship to Mexico? What would be the shipping cost? Another question: I understand your einkorn is organic certified, but is your einkorn grown on living soils without use of any synthetic fertilizers? This aspect is really import to us. We do not support even indirectly applied synthetic food products. Thank you for making the einkorn available and providing a valuable comment page. After trying for a while einkorn, we are ready to completely eliminate commercial wheat and bake only with einkorn.
Hi BB, We can ship to Mexico. However, shipping internationally is very expensive. You can fill out our bulk and wholesale application and we can go from there. We do not use any synthetic fertilizers.
Thank you for einkorn wheat info!!
Hi Julie, we’re happy to do it. We think everyone should know about this awesome grain!
Is einkorn considered a hard or soft wheat? I’m experimenting with growing it and I’m wondering if it can be planted as a winter wheat or only a summer wheat. I live in hardiness zone 5.
Thanks
Hi Peter, it’s a spring wheat but has not been officially classified as a hard or soft wheat but is most likely a soft wheat.
Can I store Einkorn Wheat Berries in the freezer until use?
Hi Pauline, If you have freezer space then yes, but it’s usually not necessary. If they’re stored cool and dry, the berries shouldn’t go bad for years. You know your climate, though, and how prone it is to pests and things like that, so if you feel better about storing them in the freezer, I would definitely do it.
I baked cookies yesterday using a new recipe as well as using your einkorn flour for the first time. I shaped the cookies into balls and crescents, but when I baked them they fell flat. The only liquid was 3/4 cup butter (I used ghee), 2 eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Since I have never used this type of flour before, I was wondering if the reduced gluten caused the cookies to not hold their shape, or was it something else I did? By the way, the cookies are delicious, even if they did fall flat!
Hi Dana, I’m not sure if the recipe you were using was intended for einkorn or not. If it wasn’t, that would explain why they were flat because einkorn is a wetter grain. So I would just suggest adding more flour to the recipe. Normally when converting recipes, we reduce the liquid. However, in this case, since the only liquid is butter and eggs, I would jut add some more flour.
How much does 1 cups of Einkorn grain weigh? How much does 1 cup of freshly milled Einkorn berry flour weigh?
Hi Susan, a cup of einkorn is just shy of half a pound, so approximately 200g. One cup of berries grinds to two cups of flour, so I would guess that a cup of flour would be about 100g.
I just found your site and am so excited to try your products! You have probably answered this question before – do you have a sourdough starter recipe? Thanks so much for your time!
Hi Gina, you can go here for our starter recipe. As I’m sure you know, starters improve with time, so if you already have a starter made from a different type of grain, you don’t need to create a new one with einkorn. You can just start to feed the other one with einkorn. If you don’t have one, feel free to try our recipe, but before trying to make bread with it, you may want to use it in simple things like pancakes until it gains some strength.
Last year I planted some einkorn just to see how it would do. I now have maybe 10 lbs of hulled berries. Is there an easy way to remove the hulls?
Hi Janet, dehulling einkorn is the main issue with growing it. We have heard that a rice dehuller will work, but it generally requires machinery that is very expensive.
Hi,
Would you please notify me when you start selling the whole grain einkorn flour?
Thanks, Linda
Hi Linda, I would be happy to notify you when that happens!
If I buy unhulled organic einkorn berries, is is OK to grind it to a fine flour for making breads or it is mandatory that it has to be dehulled before grinding it?
Also, is it safe to use Vitamix as I wanted to make sure the heat generated during the grinding wouldn’t kill the precious nutrients.
Please advise.
Hi James, I would not recommend buying unhulled einkorn (It’s hard to find for one thing. We don’t sell it in that form). Also, the hull doesn’t grind well and you would end up having to sift and separate to get the pieces out of your flour. A vitamix does fine. We have customers who use it and seem to be happy with it. It will give coarser flour than a grain mill will and the heat will kill some of the nutrients. But if you are not in a position to get a grain mill, milling the berries in a vitamix is preferable nutritionally to buying all-purpose flour. I hope that helps.
Does anyone use their own ground flour for pizza dough?
Hi Karen, We always do. You can see our sourdough recipe here and a regular one here.
Can we just replace any recipe’s flour with einkorn. Same ratio? Or, does it require more water etc…?
Hi Nancy, Great question! Einkorn does not behave exactly the same as modern wheat. It is a wetter grain and you generally need less liquid. We recommend, when adapting recipes, starting out with half the liquid and watching the consistency from there. I also recommend starting with recipes created for einkorn until you get the hang of it. There is a little bit of a learning curve.
Do you irradiate your berries?
Hi Frank, thank you for the question. We do not irradiate the berries.
I just learned about this wheat and am going to get some. Does making bread with this flour require a dough enchancer and yeast?
Hi Rhoda, we do not use a dough enhancer. Yeast is good, but we usually use natural leaven (sourdough). Einkorn can be tricky to get to rise and there is a learning curve. I’d suggest starting with recipes written for einkorn until you get the hang of it.
Can I store your whole-grain Einkorn flour in my freezer? I have plenty of freezer space. Thanks
Hi Linda, yes the flour will do very well in the freezer!
Hi my quedtion is along linda’s train of thought but im wondering about the type of container to use while storing the whole berries in the freezer. im considering vacume sealing the berries before freezing but im worried about contact with the plastic even tho its BPA free and food grade. So will a glass container/jar be ok too. also do you know if the berries will have to come to room temp before proccessing, or cooking
We’re not too worried about plastic or glass as much as airtight. A glass container with an airtight lid will work great if you’re worried about plastic!
Has your einkorn flour been glyphosate tested? I know that your einkorn flour is organic, but some independent lab results have shown that even organic-labelled foods have glyphosate in them. 🙁
Hi Irene, we do not use glyphosate at any stage of the process, but the einkorn has not been tested.
Are the berries treated in any way. USDA certification allows certain contamination not allowed in Europe. USA definition of organic was redefined a couple decades ago to allow more marketing, which decreased quality prior to that. I know local farmers that adhere to cleaner standards than USDA organic certification. But they dont sell Einkorn. I would love to buy it from American company first but only if it’s not treated in any way.
Thank you.
Hello, thank you for the question. No the einkorn is not treated with any kind of pesticide or herbicide at any stage of the process.
Hi, are the storage containers of any kind that hold the berries or flour treated with a fungicide to prevent mold?
Thanks
They are not treated with anything.
I find your einkorn grain to be different from the one @ jovialfoods. Specifically, the sourdough bread is coming out much much better. The same starter, the same amounts of water and flour milled on the same mill. Your einkorn seem to have more gluten and one could feel it when making the dough. Has anyone mentioned this before? How differs grain between your source farms?
Hi Michael, it is not surprising that they are a little different. There are many varieties of einkorn. Jovial’s is based out of Italy. Our original seed came from Germany.
I made your einkorn whole wheat sourdough bread. The bread was doughy in the middle, what did I do wrong?
Hi Karin, did it seem to rise well? If it didn’t rise enough that could cause it. You may also consider lowering the temperature and increasing the time a bit. Enviroment does play a role in bread baking. You may live in a little different climate than we do. That can affect bake time and temperature.
i commend you on your friendly and patient answers to all the questions. you answer the same question over and over again, rather than referring a questioner to previous answers. that’s a wonderful way to be in the world. thank you
AND i’m so glad i found your info (on weston price foundation website). great, safe flour and so much useful info!
I have a question about your mills. Can they be adjusted to mill the berries into different flour types? I have recipes that call for different milling grades, eg. German type 405 or 550 or 660…
Hi Upavas, they can make a wide range of flour fineness but we wouldn’t be able to tell you which setting will produce which exact flour type. The lower the number, the finer. It will have to be mostly trial and error.
I have run out of all-purpose einkorn but have whole wheat available until my order gets here…..I am making my starter for the first time….can I switch to whole wheat during this process?
Hi Diane, yes, you can switch the starter over to whole grain. That’s all we use.