With all the talk about the legalization of marijuana in these parts, we thought it important to remember pot’s less glamorous cousin…. Hemp. Hemp looks a lot like marijuana but contains little or no THC. It’s not going to get anyone high but it can improve your health, dress you and even get you a job.
Hemp has been cultivated by man for at least 12,000 years. In medieval times in Europe it was used as pie filling, boiled for soup and was later used to make rope, including those used by Christopher Columbus. Here in America, hemp farming was common among early settlers. Even George Washington included hemp among his many cash crops that were used to make ropes and fabrics. Up to six other presidents farmed hemp, including Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. More recently, hemp was used in WWII to make uniforms and other materials for the military.
Unfortunately, hemp was made illegal in the US by the Controlled Substances Act in 1970 because of its relation to marijuana. Since then, it has be imported but has had to meet strict controls measures. On their own, many states have made it legal to grow industrial hemp, but farmers in those states have often not grown it because of the federal ban. It was only after the legalization of marijuana in Colorado in 2012 that a small number of farmers felt safe enough to plant and harvest several acres of hemp, the first such operations in over 50 years in the US. In 2014, Congress passed the Agricultural Act that allows colleges and certain government agencies to grow hemp for research purposes in states where it is legal.
Today, hemp is a fast growing industry. Annual retail sales in the US for 2014 are estimated to be over $600 million – virtually all of it imported from countries like Canada and China. Slowly but surely turning that trend around are the dozens of operations and thousands of acres that have started to take hold and are ready to supply the US with homegrown hemp. Tens of thousands of jobs will eventually be created in the US by domestic producers.
Hemp products include paper, sweeteners, plastics, textiles, packaging materials and insulation. Most major auto manufacturers even use hemp in the plastic they use to for their panels. Meanwhile, many in the US are already familiar with one of hemp’s most common uses: nutritious and tasty hemp seeds. From these seeds come Hemp Hearts, hemp protein powder and hemp oil. They can be eaten raw, made into hemp milk, added to salad and used in baking. Hemp seeds are high in protein, magnesium, zinc, iron and fiber.
For you uninitiated, we thought we’d give a few recipes to start you on your journey toward a healthier lifestyle!
THE TANGERINE POOL PARTY
From Manitoba Harvest
Ingredients
- 4 tangerines
- 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy beverage
- 1/4 cup Hemp Hearts
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ginger
Directions
SUPER SEED TRIFECTA GRANOLA
From Keepin’ It Kind
Serves 12-14
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 3 cups crisp brown rice cereal (gluten-free)
- 3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- ½ cup hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
- ½ cup brown flax seeds
- ¼ cup chia seeds
Wet ingredients
- ½ cup brown rice syrup
- 2 tablespoons flax oil (or other oil)
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 275. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
- Heat the wet ingredients in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, you can heat the wet ingredients in a saucepan, until it just begins to bubble around the edges.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and thoroughly combine. Divide the mixture between the two baking sheets and spread out evenly.
- Bake the granola for 45 minutes, switching shelves for each sheet (i.e. placing the sheet from the top shelf on the lower shelf and vice versa). Once done, let cool completely before transferring to an air-tight container.
- Enjoy!
APPLE HEMP MUFFINS
From Plant-Powered Kitchen
Serves 12
Ingredients
- 1 1?2 cups whole-grain spelt flour
- 1 cup oat flour
- 2/3 – 3/4 cup hemp seeds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1?4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1?4 tsp ground cardamom (can substitute freshly grated nutmeg)
- 1 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
- 1?2 cup pure maple syrup
- 3?4 cup plain or vanilla non-dairy milk
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup raisins or chopped raw banana spears (use kitchen shears or knife to cut in small pieces about size of raisins)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients, sifting in the baking powder and baking soda.
- Stir through until well combined.
- In another bowl, combine applesauce, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, and vanilla, and mix together.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and gently fold and mix through, until just combined (do not overmix).
- Spoon the mixture into a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners (this will fill 12 muffins quite full).
- Bake for 21-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (See notes above about cooling to help remove from liner.)
Makes 12 large muffins.
Hemp, Hemp, Hooray! Enjoy, friends! And PLEASE! Let us know what you think of the recipes in the comments below 🙂
