When they were not saved for the following year's sowing, flax seeds were used to produce flour and oil or exploited for their many healing properties (both whole and in the form of flour).
Flour was produced thanks to grinding, either private or entrusted to mills such as the Mulino del Daniello in Coldrerio, the Mulino del Ghitello in Balerna or the Mulino della Tana in Rancate, and was used mainly diluted or cooked in water for medical purposes. The product was called "polentina", "pulentina", "puelentín" or "papina" and was used in the form of a poultice.
Flaxseed flour could be cooled and pressed to produce oil, which was used for food (the most valuable) and as fuel for lighting (the less valuable). The waste product of the pressing was the “panello” (in Stabio called "panèll"), a sort of fiber block used for livestock as a food supplement or to treat digestive disorders.
Flax seeds, both whole and in the form of flour, were also used to treat many human disorders, especially those related to the respiratory tract (colds, sore throats, coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc.).