Sorghum increasingly popular as 'gluten-free' food

Barbara Kliment, executive director of the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board, chooses a "Ginger Snap" cookie prepared with gluten-free sorghum flour and served at the "Sorghum Profitability" seminar in McCook Tuesday. The type of sorghum used in gluten-free mixes is creamy-colored, usually milled to a soft, fine flour. Aisle four at Schmick's Market in McCook offers "Bob's Red Mill" gluten-free sorghum flour. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette)

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The United States is the world's largest producer of sorghum as animal feed, but the growing interest in "gluten-free" foods for humans is making it popular for baking as well.

Bakers are finding more and more uses and recipes for "sweet" sorghum kernels, sorghum berries and sorghum flour.

Barbara Kliment, executive director of the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board, attended the "Sorghum Profitability" seminar in McCook, Nebraska, Tuesday, and shared ideas for the use of sorghum, touting its health benefits and "gluten-free" properties and serving cookies and soup prepared with sorghum flour and whole grain sorghum berries.

Sorghum flour

Whole grain sorghum contributes protein, fiber, iron and calcium. It is naturally gluten-free, providing people with celiac disease improved taste, texture and nutrition.

Kliment served her own "Chicken Sorghum Soup" and "Ginger Snaps," a recipe developed by Mary Schluckebier, executive director of the Celiac Sprue Association.

CHICKEN

SORGHUM SOUP

2 cups whole grain sorghum berries

2 quarts chicken broth

2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup onion, diced

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

2 tsp. chicken bullion

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups cooked chicken, diced

Rinse and pick over sorghum berries; place in large kettle; cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let soak for one hour. Then bring back to a boil and simmer over low heat for two hours. Check to make sure the grain is covered with water. If you use an oven-proof kettle, it may be placed in a 300-degree oven for two hours.

When berries are tender, drain off the excess water and add chicken broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Add vegetables, bullion and seasonings and simmer 10-15 minutes until veggies are tender-crisp. Add cooked chicken and heat through well.

Serve hot with warm biscuits, popovers or cornbread.

GINGER SNAPS

3/4 cup Crisco

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

1 3/4 cups sorghum flour, sifted

1/4 cup soy or chickpea flour

2 tbsp. sweet rice flour

1 tsp. xanthan gum

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

sugar to coat cookie dough balls

Cream shortening and sugar. Stir in egg and molasses. Stir together dry ingredients and mix into creamed mixture. Refrigerate until firm. Form into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll in sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Makes five dozen small cookies.

Contact the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board for more information on sorghum and for more recipes: (402) 471-4276 or at 301 Centennial Mall South, P.O. Box 94982, Lincoln, NE 68509-4982; or go to www.sorghum.state.ne.us or sorghum.board@nebraska.gov