Using Almond Flour


(Diana ) #1

I made a Keto meatloaf using a recipe on line. It called for a half cup of almond flour per two pounds of ground beef, along with other ordinary ingredients. Well, the meatloaf was awful; it had a metallic or chemical taste to it that left a bad taste in my mouth. We couldn’t eat it, and I had to throw the whole thing out. To top it off, it was way too salty and crumbled into a pile of dog food-looking stuff on the plate.
I have used almond flour in a couple other recipes, and while it didn’t taste good, it wasn’t disgusting, like this was. I just wonder what went wrong. Any one else have a similar outcome with almond flour?
I tried to leave a comment on the site I got the recipe from, but it was a slow moving uncooperative site that erased my comment, so I gave up.


(TJ Borden) #2

Ive used almond flour in fathead pizza crusts, but that’s about it, and I’ve never noticed a weird taste. For meatloaf, you can use crushed/ground up pork rinds, or just nothing. The last couple I’ve made I just used the egg as a binder and they came out fine.


(Diana ) #3

I should have utilized that bag of stale pork rinds, darn it.


(Candy Lind) #4

My guess is the flour was rancid. Or some other ingredient was off. Ground anything goes south faster, especially unrefrigerated. I don’t have room to refrigerate my baking stuff, so I end up tossing a lot, unfortunately.


#5

I think I have made it and I think it was fine and was fairly solid to slice especially after I let it sit a few minutes. I do not eat pork so would not have used pork rinds. When I did a search I had previously clicked on this site. I did not cook much over the summer so have not made it in awhile. Also right before I started keto I was making meat loaf a lot using Paula Deene’s old fashioned recipe.

I am sure if I used this recipe I would have used almond and not flax because I limit flax because of the estrogen issue. For the glaze I do a combination ketchup, mustard and siracha sauce (hot)


(Diana ) #6

Yes, that’s the one I used. I have had my almond flour maybe 2 months, in the fridge. But I will check it.


#7

While I am not absolutely certain I used that recipe, I think I did. I know I liked it but with the ketchup it was a little high carby for me especially as I modified it. I have used other recipes from her site and never had trouble with them. I think I used this bread recipe awhile ago https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/low-carb-bread-recipe-almond-flour-bread-paleo-gluten-free/

Note I am not a great cook or baker and I am happy to have something that looks like bread to eat so I may not be the best judge

I never put almond flour in the refrigerator. No reason it never occurred to me. Plus space is limited in my refrigerator so would not use for something that did not need it. Normally I go through so much it never goes bad but over the summer I did not and an open packet got that webbly look to it and I had to toss it but that should not happen if it is on ice. Maybe it got damp and changed the texture but I have no idea. May consider making this recipe over the weekend. Will report back


#8

Well, either it was rancid - or, it wasn’t blanched almond flour.

The blanched has no almond skins in the flour, and thus none of the tannic acid or whatever that sour taste in the skins is. I imagine baked dishes with the non-blanched almond flour might get strange tasting, compared to a quick cooked griddle cake etc.

I buy Anthony’s organic blanched almond flour from Amazon, and also boxed mixes for focaccia and pizza dough from Simple Mills - and have fortunately not had anything like what happened to your meatloaf happen. I really like how the almond flour means there’s no taste of coconut like what happens with coconut flour… but, how terrible for you that you had a disaster with 2 lbs of meat, what a horrible “learning” experience about almond flour or the brand you bought.

(and/or tainted meat, that sometimes is a thing, esp with the ground meat - which is why in the day’s of actual butchers, some ladies had the custom of requesting all grinding done in front, fresh, where they could see everything. Also, Upton Sinclair’s early 1900s book documenting sausage factories and rampant contamination and/or questionable practices was impactful for a time too. These days there are sub-standard inspection practices in large slaughterhouses, and factory farm meat in the large supermarkets is colored to make it red, as it’s usually sold weeks after slaughter due to the supply chain logistics etc, and would be greenish without the coloring).

Some tastes like rancidity or bitterness or goddess-knows-what, just can’t be fixed.

Better luck next time, and I’m sure your family’s appetite will be back in no time of course :sparkles:


(Tracy) #9

I tried the almond flour in meatloaf also. My husband and I didn’t like it very well even though I use almond flour in a lot of other things. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a good way to make meatloaf. Sorry I couldn’t help.


(Diana ) #10

Well, now, here’s the problem: it’s not blanched almond flour! It doesn’t say blanched on the front, and the info on the back specifically says “unblanched”. Blech! I’m sending it to the compost pile.
Thanks, y’all, for the replies.


(Todd Allen) #11

A flock of hens can solve that problem.

A flock of hens can solve that problem.

A flock of hens can solve that problem.

A flock of hens can solve that problem.

A flock of hens will happily churn your compost pile too.


(Bill C) #12

Diana, what I often do is combine wheat flour with almond flour. Obviously, the wheat flour will increase carbs but it makes what would otherwise be inedible quite good, where you can’t taste the difference. I often do this with banana bread. I have not experienced the metallic taste, to which you refer.


(Brian) #13

I don’t know if this is my exact recipe or not but it’s similar. I have a few thoughts, nothing authoritative or anything, just stuff that came to mind.

I’m not opposed to almond flour but for me, I remember making note that for the future, I would probably replace at least half of it with pecan meal. I think that would have a better flavor than the almond flour. It’s not that almond flour is bad but to my taste, it’s a little bland for this use. I don’t get the feeling it would be metallic or bitter tasting, though. Subbing a little pecan meal would add some richness to the flavor, at least for my taster.

The recipe does call for tomato paste. Have you ever tasted that right out of the can? I anything tastes metallic, tomato paste out of the can usually does, at least to me. Pretty awful tasting stuff to me. Don’t know if everyone else thinks it tastes great or not. I’d probably substitute something else for that, even if it were sugar free ketchup (suggested in the recipe as optional) or maybe even some of our homemade extra meaty tomato sauce (which has no sugar added).

As for using flax meal, I wouldn’t. But I don’t like the taste of flax at all. To me, it’s bitter and maybe slightly metallic. You didn’t mention using it but to me, that would give it an odd taste, too. Some people like the taste, though, so that might not really apply.

Again, just my own thoughts from my own taste perspective. Taste is a funny thing. People are so different. And none are wrong, just different. :slight_smile:

Good luck!


(Brandy) #14

I made a loaf of bread using almond flour, which was delicious. I then made the bread into crispy croutons, which were also delicious. I then made those croutons into sausage dressing to accompany a turkey. Not delicious. At all. Big. Hot. Mess.

When I make meatloaf I just use equal parts ground beef and ground/mince pork, with a couple of eggs. I do the same with meatballs. Delicious.


(Charlotte) #15

I’m not sure what happened, but I recommend using hemp hearts in meatloaf instead (as recommended in Keto Connect’s cookbook). Taste and texture are on point, and way lower in net carbs than almond flour too!


(Diana ) #16

Hey , if you will come and feed my chickens while we go away for the rare weekend, I’ll happily get more. They are the best compost makers ever. And, as the old joke goes, we can use the eggs.


(Diana ) #17

I will be “in town” this afternoon. I will stop by the health food store to see if they carry hemp hearts and pecan meal. At the very least I will get some blanched almond flour.
I have done fine for 9 weeks without bread, but an occasional piece of bread-like substance would be appreciated.


(Daniel DiDonato) #18

That’s a horrible way to eat pork rinds. They should be eaten qirh whipped cream, as God intended!


(Michelle) #19

Are you sure it was your almond flour? Sometimes Tomato paste gets a metallic taste.


(Diana ) #20

actually, it was tomato sauce, as I was out of paste.