Hemp seeds: Rancho product of the month

April 03, 2017

This month’s star of our show is the wonderfully tasty and nutritious hemp seed.

You may also be familiar with the terms “hemp seed hearts” and “hemp nuts.”

Hemp seeds make an excellent addition to salads, mixed with yogurt, added to smoothies and even used as a dairy-free milk alternative!

Keep in mind that if used in cooking, hemp seeds (and hemp oil, for that matter) are best suited to low-heat applications.

With a mild, nutty flavour and soft texture, our high-quality hemp seeds pack quite a dietary punch:

Excellent source of vegan protein, packing 33% protein and 35.4% carbohydrates, suitable for those with reduced to restricted animal protein, gluten, cholesterol, sodium and lactose diets
Contains ALL nine essential amino acids (those our bodies need but cannot naturally produce) and all 20 amino acids
Promotes cardiovascular health with exceptional levels of omega-3 (over six times as much as raw tuna!), omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids
GLA (gamma linolenic acid) assists in naturally balancing hormones
High natural concentration of vitamin B1 and folate make this a great choice for children and pregnant women, and includes vitamins A, B2, B3 B6, D and E
Excellent source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc
High in easily digestible dietary fiber, containing 10% soluble fiber and 90% insoluble fiber
High oil content assists in healthy hair, skin and nails

Do you have a favourite use or recipe for hemp seeds? Please share on our Facebook page and include a pic if you can! We hope you also try a few of our recipes:

Indra’s Chocolate Protein Smoothie – an indulgent start to the day or a tasty post-workout treat.

Energy Orbs – L*r*b*r move over, these are quick, delicious and oh so nutritious!

You can also try making some hemp milk, using a 3:1 water-to-seed ratio, a little agave nectar for sweetness if desired, high-speed blend and strain through cheesecloth.

History of Usage

From the Cannabis Sativa L. genus, industrial hemp usage dates back thousands of years, with the oldest relic of human history, a piece of fabric dated to 8,000 BC, being located in what was known as Mesopotamia! This diverse plant may indeed be the earliest known plant to be cultivated by our Asian, Indian, Russian and Eastern European ancestors for its use both as a highly nutritional food source as well as a dependable and economical fibre.

Industrial hemp is grown in nearly every industrialized country today, except for the United States, which criminalized the growth of all strains of the cannabis plant in the 1930s and now imports most of its industrial hemp products from Canada, France or China.

The Cannabis Sativa L. plant seeds are used for food and to produce hemp oil. As a nutritional source, the seeds are hulled and consumed. The many commercial uses for the cold-pressed hemp oil include cosmetics, detergents, biofuel and plastics. The plant stalk is used in the manufacture of a large variety of products from fabrics, rope fibres, concrete, paper, insulation and animal bedding.

Growth and Production

Northern hemisphere growing conditions are ideal for the growth and production of industrial hemp. The plant generally prefers well-drained loamy soil and has proven to be drought- and frost-tolerant at all stages of its approximately 120- to 150-day growth period. The “Finola” variety, more commonly grown in Canada, is shorter than other varieties, which allows for harvest using modern agricultural machinery. With a hardy root ball and dense stalk-like growth, industrial hemp is also excellent used as a weed-suppressant, as a soil regenerator and is suitable for use in rotation crops. Current assessments are that industrial hemp is in fact a “carbon-negative” raw material.

Rancho Vignola’s Canadian supplier hulls organic hemp seeds in a non-GMO facility using a mechanical, no-heat process, maintaining the integrity and nutritional value of our final product, and of course we bring in only the freshest harvest products available.