Pureed dried apricots add just enough sweetness and function as a tacky binder that helps the granola mixture stick together. While my next batch of oats, nuts, and seeds toasted, I ground 1 cup of dried apricots with the brown sugar in the food processor.

While there are several different sticky ingredients that you can use, we’ve found that the binding agent that works the best is honey! When added to your homemade granola bars, honey acts as glue that sticks all the pieces together.

Instructions

1. Leave the granola to cool to room temperature before storing it to stop any condensation from making the granola soggy.
2. Once cool, place the granola in an airtight container.
3. Seal the containter or bag and put it in a dark, dry cupboard away from any major heat sources.

When eaten in moderation, using a healthy homemade recipe, granola is an excellent source of fiber, iron, heart healthy fats, and protein.

Storing Granola Granola can be stored in an airtight container, in a cool, dry spot for six months (sometimes longer). You can also freeze granola and granola bars just as you would cookies or other treats — wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and/or in resealable freezer bag.

You need to stir the granola as it bakes to encourage even toasting. But, about halfway through the total bake time, just let it be. As the sugars caramelize, they cause the ingredients to stick together and eventually form those oh-so-desirable clusters. Stirring breaks up the clusters, so leave it alone.

Higher temperatures can cause ingredients like nuts, seeds, and coconut to burn before the batch has a chance to properly dry out and crisp up, Perry says. Stick with a low temperature, keep an eye on your mixture, and stir it from time to time to help it brown evenly.

Granola may prompt weight gain if eaten in excess, as it can be high in calories from added fats and sugars. What’s more, sugar is linked to chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

How to Extend the Shelf Life of Your Granola

1. Step one: Use high quality materials. Use good quality ingredients to make granola.
2. Step two: Roast/bake it in hygienic surroundings. Make sure that your granola is baked in a hygienic environment.
3. Step three: Use food grade packaging.

Add egg whites. Make a batch of your favorite granola and then put an egg in it. But really, add a beaten egg white — make sure it’s foamy and frothy — to your granola after you’ve mixed it all together. The protein in the egg will help bind the oats together, creating addictive morsels.

Homemade granola bars will fall apart for a few different reasons: There is not enough syrup mixture. Don’t reduce the brown sugar or butter amounts either; every bit of the syrup is needed to ensure the bars stay together. They aren’t compressed firmly into the pan.

1 Measure 60 grams potassium nitrate and 40 grams (1.4 oz) of sugar. If you don’t have any weighing scales, don’t worry, the ratio is 3 parts of potassium nitrate to 2 parts sugar, so you can just use a tablespoon or use the small spoons found in baby formula milk (e.g. Cow and Gate, Optamil). 2

Potassium nitrate is easy to find at any gardening or home improvement store. It is used as a stump remover. There are a couple of brands, so look for the ones with more than 90% potassium nitrate (KNO3). Thanks! Don’t allow the mixture to become too dark while cooking.

For those of you who cut math class, 30 grams of Potassium Nitrate and 20 grams of Sugar is still a 60% / 40% mixture. If you make a batch larger than 50 grams, it will be very difficult to mix and heat evenly. You can always make more, so don’t mix up a giant batch.

Potassium Nitrate does not work well in pipe bombs or bottles because it is. an oxidizing reaction, that means that it needs air to react. The most popular combination of KNO3 is a proportion of it and powdered. sugar.