Frequently Asked Questions
IS ALL OF YOUR QUINOA ORGANIC?
No, but we do have a line of British organic quinoa grain that is available from our webstore and is in selected whole food stockists. Despite this, all our quinoa is grown with the minimal of inputs to keep it good for both the environment and for you.
DOES ALL YOUR QUINOA COME FROM SHROPSHIRE?
Mostly yes, but we’ve also recently started working with a select few other growers from across the UK to help meet the rapidly growing demand for our quinoa grains (our own farm can only produce so much quinoa each year). We choose to only work with growers who meet our rigorous standards and we have a very close relationship with them, so rest assured that each grain is as sustainable as the next.
WHY IS YOUR QUINOA SLIGHTLY DARKER THAN OTHER QUINOA I’VE SEEN?
Our quinoa is different in that it is whole grain, meaning that we don’t remove the outer bran to create a visually whiter product. This is a good thing, as it leaves all the fibre and minerals with the seed, and that’s right where we want them.
DOES YOUR QUINOA NEED TO BE RINSED BEFORE COOKING?
Most often quinoa is rinsed prior to cooking to help remove the saponin coating that arises naturally on the grain surface. However the varieties of quinoa that we grow are classified as being ‘non-bitter’, meaning that they don’t have the natural soapy coating and hence don’t need to be rinsed. Despite this, quinoa can be a dusty product, so do still feel free to rinse if you would like to remove some of this dust prior to cooking, although we don’t recommend doing this with our smoked quinoa as this will wash away the delicate flavour.
IS YOUR QUINOA GLUTEN FREE?
Our quinoa is gluten free. Each batch of our quinoa is tested to make sure it meets gluten free standards at 20 parts per million.
IS YOUR QUINOA GENETICALLY MODIFIED?
Absolutely not. Our quinoa varieties have been bred using conventional plant breeding methods only.
How do you cook quinoa?
Rinse one cup of quinoa in a sieve under cold running water and drain well. Place into a pan with one and a half cups of water, adding a pinch of salt or any flavourings that you would like. Bring to the boil, before reducing the heat to low and placing the lid on the pan. The quinoa is ready once all the water has been absorbed.
Do you use glyphosate on your quinoa?
Glyphosate is a herbicide used to control both a range of weeds and to desiccate crops ahead of harvesting, it is however not approved for use in quinoa and we do not use it to desiccate our quinoa crops before harvest.