Chia Seed Weirdness

MadameMC
MadameMC Posts: 63 Member
in Food and Nutrition
This past weekend my boyfriend and I finally bought some Chia Seeds to try, from Trader Joe's. They're the store's brand, and appear to be a mix of black and white. They're not brown, which I know from reading to be immature seeds. From everything I've read online, chia seeds are supposed to swell up quite a bit after just a few minutes in liquid.

I found a website with a bunch of chia seed recipes, including one for Chia Pudding. There's also a recipe on the back of the seed bag. However, they're vastly different.

The recipe online calls for 1-2 Tbsp of seeds and 1 cup of heated milk, let stand 10-15 minutes and top with banana and honey.

The recipe on the bag calls for 1/4 cup of seeds and 1 cups of coconut milk (or I imagine, some other liquid) and letting it sit for 2-3 HOURS, then adding honey, etc.

I tried the online recipe last night, and after 15 minutes I could barely see any difference in the seeds. I let it sit another 15 minutes, nothing. I put it in the fridge overnight and checked it this morning and they had swollen ever so slightly, but the mixture was very much mostly liquidy, and very much not-at-all-pudding-like.

I'm thinking about trying it again with 1/4 cup instead of 1-2 Tbsp, but I'm afraid I'm just going to wind up with the same thing happening, no gel-ifying happening, and wind up wasting more seeds.

Does anyone else have any experience with the Trader Joe's brand of Chia Seeds? Did this happen to you as well? Can anyone who has made a basic chia-gel or chia pudding show me a picture of what it's supposed to look like?

Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • rosered93
    rosered93 Posts: 69 Member
    I've never used trader Joe's brand, but here's an image of what it should look like http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/06/mango-coconut-chia-pudding.html. It takes my chia puddings no longer than 20 minutes to form some sort of gel, obviously ending up thicker/swelling more as I let it sit. Or, if I'm cooking oatmeal and add them at the beginning, by the time the oats are done (say 5 minutes), the seeds will have fully swelled/gelled.
  • ajames7
    ajames7 Posts: 1
    Can I get some more info on chia seed ? What benefits does it give ? Thanks in advance
  • MadameMC
    MadameMC Posts: 63 Member
    Can I get some more info on chia seed ? What benefits does it give ? Thanks in advance

    Well any Google search on "Chia Seed Health Benefits" will give you a number of website with information, but in a nutshell...

    They're high in: Omega-3, Complete Protein, Antioxidants, Vitamin B, and Minerals.

    They're low in: Calories, Gluten-Free

    When eaten on a regular basis they can: Aid in regularity of the bowels, Increase and help sustain your energy for longer periods of time, Keep you full longer and decrease food cravings and lessen the need to eat between meals, improve your skin, nail, and hair quality, lower blood pressure and high cholesterol, help stabilize blood sugar, and more.

    Ref:
    - http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/top-10-health-benefits-chia-seeds-6962.html
    - http://www.chiaseedrecipes.com/chia-seeds-health-benefits
    - http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442472548
    - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/super-seed-the-case-for-chia.html
  • ggxx100
    ggxx100 Posts: 520 Member
    In order for chia seeds to gel up and form a pudding, they need to be constantly stirred or shaken, I've found.

    For my morning chia pudding, I throw in my coconut milk and chia seeds into a mason jar along with my toppings/sweetener and shake it vigorously. Try it out and it should work!

    Also, I like to make it the night before. I shake it until it forms a gel, but when I let it sit overnight the seeds soak the liquid up even more, making more of a pudding. I usually use 1.5 cups of coconut milk to about 2 tablespoons chia seeds.
  • MadameMC
    MadameMC Posts: 63 Member
    Strange.. I don't know why 2 tablespoons would work to such a large amount of liquid, but not work for me. I went ahead and tried making the pudding again last night, only I made it with the proportions the bag recommended and used 1 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of seeds, and *that* made a nice thick pudding.
  • ItsVJ
    ItsVJ Posts: 107 Member
    I had to quit eating Chia Seeds, sadly, because they, ahem, "clogged up the plumbing..."

    :-(
  • cicisiam
    cicisiam Posts: 491 Member
    bump
  • castelluzzo99
    castelluzzo99 Posts: 313 Member
    I've never had a problem with chia seeds forming a gel. I use them as egg substitute all the time (got a son who can't have eggs or Ener-G egg replacer), and I use a 1:4 ratio usually of seeds to water. They gel up in the amount of time it takes me to mash sweet potatoes (for sweet potato pancakes! yum!).

    I have also added them to juice to make a pudding. They thicken up fairly quickly, and I expect they would more in warm water, but 1-2 tbsp in a cup would make a pretty runny liquid.

    You bought them. I'd say experiment. Try several liquids and try different proportions. Figure out what works. Then if nothing works, go back to Trader Joe's, tell them the seeds didn't swell, get your money back, and try another store. But I think it was simply that there weren't enough seeds in the milk.
  • prithacanuto
    prithacanuto Posts: 1
    I just found this posting after having a weird experience with the Trader Joes brand of chia seeds myself.
    First of all, I am quite familiar with chia seeds. i know what they look like, and what happens when put with water.
    I was just about to use them as an egg replacer, and i noticed there were black seeds mixed in with the chia. So i seperated one of those black seeds and put it in water, and i tell you my friends, it was most definitely not a chia seed. I even checked the ingredients to see if i had mistakenly gotten a mixture, but nope, it said 100% chia seeds.

    Dont trust Trader Joes chia seeds, there is definitely weirdness.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    I had to quit eating Chia Seeds, sadly, because they, ahem, "clogged up the plumbing..."

    :-(

    I had similar issues, but not enough to stop eating them entirely.
  • JennyKCarty
    JennyKCarty Posts: 457 Member
    Great...I just bought 2 bags from Trader Joe's.
  • achang531
    achang531 Posts: 8 Member
    I use chia seeds in my smoothie all the time...the only thing is when I clean my blender it seems to clog up my sink -_-...any suggestions on how to clean my blender without clogging the sink?
  • LeanneGoingThin
    LeanneGoingThin Posts: 215 Member
    Can I get some more info on chia seed ? What benefits does it give ? Thanks in advance

    Well any Google search on "Chia Seed Health Benefits" will give you a number of website with information, but in a nutshell...

    They're high in: Omega-3, Complete Protein, Antioxidants, Vitamin B, and Minerals.

    They're low in: Calories, Gluten-Free

    When eaten on a regular basis they can: Aid in regularity of the bowels, Increase and help sustain your energy for longer periods of time, Keep you full longer and decrease food cravings and lessen the need to eat between meals, improve your skin, nail, and hair quality, lower blood pressure and high cholesterol, help stabilize blood sugar, and more.

    Ref:
    - http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/top-10-health-benefits-chia-seeds-6962.html
    - http://www.chiaseedrecipes.com/chia-seeds-health-benefits
    - http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442472548
    - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/super-seed-the-case-for-chia.html
    They're great indeed!
  • xX_Samantha_Xx
    xX_Samantha_Xx Posts: 166 Member
    I bought Chia seeds as well with the intention to add them into my protein shake in the morning. Problem for me though, was that they thickened the shake way too much for me to enjoy the shake. So, I end up just taking a teaspoon of them and downing them with water. Not very appetizing, and they get stuck in the teeth for a little, but it works. LoL. And I naturally drink lots of water during the day, so water consumption is definitely there.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    Chia seeds are awesome, but I would hesitate to buy any that were not a pale manilla in color. They don't become *huge* when they gel. I would think that the standard serving of 1-2 tablespoons wouldn't make much of a pudding in a cup of liquid.

    They are fabulous when added to a variety of foods. I like them in cottage cheese (especially salads), yogurt, oatmeal, and just plain by themselves. I definitely recommend you chew them if you're going to eat them straight though. They have a great nutty flavor, and make for a quick, satisfying snack.

    As for the plumbing issues some people are having, I would try to avoid putting them down the drain, as they may swell too much to flush through. I would say maybe try rinsing the blender with pure liquid and drinking it, or scraping the extra into the trash if you really don't want to do that.
  • Rayuko
    Rayuko Posts: 1 Member
    The chia seeds from trader joe's don't seem to be shelled. After reading this thread I crushed them a bit and they puffed up just fine and we're ready to serve after a half hour, no stirring needed.

    1/4 cup chia seeds 1.5 cup coconut or almond milk
  • h9dlb
    h9dlb Posts: 243 Member
    be careful with chia - it makes lots of people very ill (severe allergic reactions, Hives and also incredible stomach pain)
  • fit_rox
    fit_rox Posts: 83
    My favorite with Chia seeds is adding in cocoa powder, sweetener, and topping with shaved coconut. I used TJ's brand too.
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,010 Member
    Yes, I've made the TJ's chia seeds according to the recipe on the bag and they worked just fine. I thought it was great.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    I have added them to eggs, yogurt, rice, . .
    That "gel" thing has never worked for me either.

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