Chia Fail

raeganjayne15
raeganjayne15 Posts: 55
in Food and Nutrition
I bought Chia seeds the other day and was really excited to make a Chia Pudding for breakfast. FAIL! The Chia seeds hardly swelled after a night in the fridge. I used a Tablespoon of Chia and 1/2cup Milk. Do I just need to play around with my quantities or did I buy a dud batch of seeds?

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I've never made it, haven't been brave enough- but I think you have to shake it vigorously. Like more than once. Did you shake it good? The recipe I have discusses shaking a lot. Like shake it, let it sit 15 min and then shake some more.

    I've only had them in overnight oatmeal and they don't swell up a whole lot in that....
  • czecher
    czecher Posts: 21
    I love chia seeds in drinks but have never made them in or into anything else. I agree with the shaking. I think the agitation helps ensure the gel forms around the embryo. Swelled or not, those little guys sure do have a LOT of fiber!!
  • rgrin
    rgrin Posts: 67 Member
    I soak them overnight to use in my breakfast smoothies sometimes. I soak them in almond milk. I find that if I stir them well at first, then again after about 15 minutes, I've got a pretty good gel by the morning. Good luck!
  • SkimFlatWhite68
    SkimFlatWhite68 Posts: 1,254 Member
    I haven't used them much, but on the 2 occasions that I have - I mixed mine up with some plain Chobani yoghurt and frozen berries and popped in the fridge overnight, next day had it for breakfast, was really nice. The Chia seeds were fat and "popped" in my mouth.
  • dessertlover27
    dessertlover27 Posts: 385 Member
    My first attempt failed too. I then found that I need to use a lot of liquid and to stir it a couple of times.
  • Angylgrrl
    Angylgrrl Posts: 159 Member
    If you plan on making a pudding with them, you definitely need to shake/stir them. It's easier to shake them to make sure everyone is coated evenly. Make your pudding, shake well (I like a glass container with a screw on top for this- I repurposed a tomato sauce jar), leave in the refrigerator, come back and shake in about 15-20 minutes, leave it alone, and give it one last good shake after another 20 minutes or before you go to bed.

    You may also have to play with your seed to liquid ratio, but try shaking first.
  • raeganjayne15
    raeganjayne15 Posts: 55
    Thanks! The recipe I used told me to 'whisk' them a few times in the first 15 minutes. I will definatly make them in a jar and shake them next time. BONUS ARM WORKOUT! WOO HOO! :P
  • shellfly
    shellfly Posts: 186
    I had the same problem. I didn't know about the shaking method, so I actually tried heating them a bit and then leaving them sitting at room temperature for a while. That worked for me, but I'll trying shaking them next time.
  • frugalafterfifty
    frugalafterfifty Posts: 240 Member
    That's odd. I usually just dump them in my milk and let them sit. I'd say try the shaking method and see if that changes things.

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