Gluten Free Flours Growing in Popularity

The gluten free diet has been growing in popularity in recent years - so much so that food products and flours that don't feature gluten are making as much as $3 billion a year in the U.S.

A large part of this trend can be attributed to a new type of consumer who avoids many forms of carbohydrates to begin with, who avoids gluten for popularly held notions, or who cannot tolerate gluten, like those with celiac disease.

According to the Institute of Food Technologists, this same gluten-free diet is also gaining significant popularity in Europe.

If you're interested in offering a gluten-free food product or line of foods, you'll likely need to focus on your flours (the yummy kind, not the pretty kind).

Rice flours, soy flours, almond flours, potato flours, and just about any flour that doesn't feature wheat or barley can be used in gluten free foods.

Just be sure you know how to create traditional foods with gluten free flours that still taste good, and bake up well. In most cases these flours are more delicate than traditional versions, and should be gently mixed and quickly put in an oven to capitalize on a quick rise.

Gluten free flours also absorb more liquid than traditional flours, and you might need to compensate for that by restructuring your overall recipes.

Finally, don't be afraid to combine different gluten free flours to create the appropriate flavor and texture. Potato flour and rice flour are often mixed in order to approximate a traditional flour recipe, as are soy flour and rice flour.

And with the ability to use rich products like eggs, butter, and milk, it's fairly easy to produce gluten free products that don't sacrifice flavor.