Pre-Monsoon Mesquite Milling

Note: in the event of rain the milling will be moved to the following Sunday, June 29.

Hosted by Exo Roast Co. and Tap & Bottle
403 N 6th Ave - NW corner of 6th Ave and 7th St, Tucson, AZ

Mesquite (and carob) pods will be milled BEFORE THE SUMMER RAINS to encourage harvesting before the rains (as recommended by the Mesquite Harvest Working Group) for a higher-quality harvest, with less insect predation, and far less potential for invisible molds more common in post-rain harvests.

See here www.ediblebajaarizona.com/calling-all-mesquiteros/ for more on why pre-rain harvests are the traditional practice, and so important.

About the Milling: Bring Your Own Pods!

Pods for milling must be clean, dry, and free of mold/fungus, stones, leaves, and other debris.

Cost: $3/gallon of whole pods, with a minimum of $10.

1 gallon of whole mesquite pods mills into one pound of flour, so the price averages $3 per pound of flour (a bargain considering that the flour usually sells for $14 to $20 per pound). Pods may be left after inspection and prepayment in sealed food-grade containers (preferably 5-gallon plastic buckets with lids) with owner’s name and phone number. Flour will be ready within a week and must be picked up. No refunds.

See www.desertharvesters.org/how-we-run-mesquite-millings for more.

We will also have:

• A native wild foods demonstration – highlighting what’s in harvest season now (including palo verde, desert ironwood, saguaro, mesquite, and emory acorns);
• Exo’s mesquite-, mole-, and chiltepin-infused coffees,
• Mesquite baked goods and cactus fruit popsicles
• Sale of seeds and seedlings of the best-tasting native bean trees and chiltepines — so you can plant yours in time for the rains.

Mesquite flour is a naturally sweet, nutritious, and delicious addition to recipes for cakes, cookies, pizza, bread, tortillas, granola, dog biscuits—you name it! And like many other native foods, gluten-free mesquite is great for people with hypoglycemia and diabetes as it slows the body’s intake of sugars. Copies of the Eat Mesquite!cookbook will be available for purchase for those unfamiliar with how to use mesquite flour or those looking to expand its uses.