Not Labeled Gluten-Free? How to Make Beans & Grains Safer

Published April 30, 2020

What if you can’t find certified or labeled gluten-free versions of beans and grains at the store? Is there a way to make them safer to eat? Here’s what you can do…

Dry Beans.

Since beans are relatively large, washing and visually sorting for anything that’s not a bean (e.g. a stray grain) works very well.  Washing dry beans before cooking is generally recommended anyway.

Rice and Sorghum.

These grains are quite small so this is a little more difficult, but with a fine sieve or colander these can also be rinsed. Always give them a visual sorting too.

Millet, Teff and Amaranth. 

These are too small to be strained.  One approach is to first visually sort, just like with the larger grains & beans. Then, put the grain in a jar with a tight fitting lid, add water, shake it up, and then let the grain settle. Smaller dust-size particles (that could contain gluten) won’t settle as quickly as the GF grain you’re working with. Any grain that floats could be skimmed/strained off the top.

This was How To Wash Beans & Grains to Make Them Safer. Interested in learning more about the gluten-free diet? Find out more blogs like this on our website: Gluten-Free Cooking: Rice.