Making Mesquite Bean Flour

Last week my 15 yo decided to make flour out of mesquite beans.  First she picked a bunch of dry

After she brought them home we spread them on cookie sheets for a while until they snapped real sharply.

 Then came grinding!  Vitamix time!  

 I found it interesting as tough as a vita mix is it wouldn't grind the husk.  It would pop them open and grind the inter seed but the husk were not ground.   We sifted the flour leaving just husk which we added to water and made mesquite bean tea.   It was interesting.   I think it would be better hot than cold. 

 Here is our finely ground flour.  On Sunday she made cornbread substituting the WW Flour.  Using the same amount of mesquite bean flour to corn meal.   She added no sugar but the flavor was extremely sweet.   It is something we will make again. 

She gathered more to dry.  I think she turned the oven up just a little too much on them.  They are browner.   I broke out my old grain mill to see how it worked. I think for this the vita mix works much better.  The mill cannot grind the husk either, but instead of the inter seed being ground it remained intact.   We will finish off with the vita mix.