If you plan to consume some grains in your diet, it is integral that you soak them first. Begin with fresh grains—not those from a bin, nor from a 25 bag that has been sitting in the pantry for a few years. Purchase organic, and in small quantities, and then store any remaining raw grains in either the refrigerator or the freezer. Take 1 cup of grains, and rinse well under filtered water.
Drain and place in a large, non-reactive bowl ceramic and glass are good choices. You may have heard that soaking grains helps increase mineral absorption and enhance digestibility. Here's what's really going on.
Whole grains are wholesome and nutritious foods for most people. People who eat whole grains tend to live longer, too source. And some of the longest lived peoples in the world consume diets rich in whole grains source , source. But most of those long-lived people aren't just eating bran flakes and pre-sliced whole grain sandwich bread; rather, they're eating minimally processed whole grains prepared in ways that maximize their nutritional value.
In many culinary traditions throughout the world, grains are carefully prepared by soaking, fermentation or sourdough leavening. And while many cultures do traditionally soak or ferment their grains, the practice is not necessarily universal. Grains are a good source of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and they contain B vitamins like niacin and B6.
They also contain minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. But here's the catch : Compounds that occur naturally in grains can make them difficult to digest and make their minerals difficult to absorb.
And for some people, especially those with compromised digestion, those complex carbohydrates can send them into fits of pain, bloating and digestive distress. Soaking whole grains helps to reduce these compounds, resulting in increased mineral availability and much easier digestion.
Soaking grains also release compounds called lower order inositols - specifically myo- and d-chiro-inositol. And these compounds help support blood sugar regulation, metabolic and hormonal health. When you soak whole grains in warm water overnight, you activate the enzyme phytase. This enzyme then works to break down phytic acid which binds minerals like iron, calcium and zinc.
As phytase does its magic, it release minerals in whole grains and makes them easier for your body to absorb source. Soaking is also the first step in sprouting grains.
Sprouting grains tends to release even more minerals than soaking alone source. Most people who eat an otherwise nutritious diet inclusive of meat, fish and vegetables will consume the minerals their bodies need; however, if you're concerned about your mineral intake, soaking or sprouting your grains can be a good strategy. Do you use a sourdough starter for your bread? From what I understand, if you use a starter and no yeast and a long fermenting time, physic acid is significantly reduced.
No starter. This bread does not have the distinctive aroma that sour dough has, but is still good. And so darn easy! Thanks for the reply and for the link!
That is one complicated article! Sounds like the overnight rise is at least better than the old standard 2 hr rise. In a 5 quart ice cream pale, mix first 3. Add flour. Stir only enough to take up flour. Cover pale with damp cloth and plastic bag. Leave at least 12 hours. Turn onto heavily floured surface. Work only enough to divide into loaves. Place into greased, floured pans.
Raise until double. Bake 15 minutes at , reduce to , bake 40 to 50 minutes more until done, turn out onto cooling rack. My arms are getting toned from the kneading! I know there are also no-knead sourdough recipes. Breadtopia is a great source. Great post Pamela. I love amaranth but those teeny seeds slip through even my fine meshed cone strainer.
How do you rinse or drain yours? Do you ever just cook them in their soaking water? Hi Linda! But if I were you I would try drain them in a nut milk bag. Hi Pamela, Thank you for the wonderful education you are providing here! I soak steel cut oats overnight with some ACV in the fridge and cook them with the same liquid!
Looks like I have some adjustments to do. Can I soak the oats outside the fridge? Is that too much to consume in a bowl? I basically add almonds, walnuts, cashew, pecan, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried coconut, goji berries with a tablespoon of coconut oil after a dash of 7 grain milk or almond milk.
You can soak outside of the fridge in those temps, and in fact it speeds up the process of breaking down the physic acid. Would that be good enough in getting rid the optic acid?
The acid just helps to neutralize the phytic acid more quickly. But the fact that you are soaking at all is fantastic! Thanks for your question! Should I cook sprouted or germinated brown rice like I cook pasta, boil in big amount of water then drain the water? Am I understanding correctly that if I have purchased sprouted quinoa or brown rice it does not need to be soaked?
Also how long does the nuts last after only soaking in case is possible to do that Thanks! Yes, you can eat the nuts right away, but you must keep them refrigerated after soaking and they only last a few days UNLESS you dehydrate them fully.
Sprouting is just extending soaking with multiple changes of water over a few days. Again, you can eat right away, but they must be kept refrigerated and they only stay good for a few days. Or should I rinse before I eat? But if you have soaked with some sort of acid, like lemon juice or whey, you might enjoy the test better if they have been rinsed. An exception is when I soak my oats for oat and chia porridge or bircher muesli and then there is no rinsing.
Yes, you shouldThe physic acid is neutralized more than it leaches into the soaking water, but you should rinse the grains to remove any residue.
Thanks for your question. By adding a little of an acidic medium like vinegar, for example, you are helping to activate phytase which is what breaks down the phytic acid.
Thanks for the response Pamela. After reading a little more about the subject it seems to be a multi stage process to break down the photic acid as you say. Do you happen to know if grinding makes them more digestable too? When I soak brown rice, for example, should I not use that container for other cooking because of the arsenic that is presumably in the water?
I use all glass bowls and doubt that anything like arsenic permeates the glass. So I just soak and wash the bowls like everything else — with hot water and soap.
I love the flavor of roasted hulled barley. If I soak then roast will I still get all the benefits of soaking once roasting dries out the grain? Question- Pamela do you make overnight oats, of the yogurt and meusli variety?
If so, do you soak those oats in water was well? Yes, I do. I have a few recipes on the site. Humans live long, but actually many traditional cultures boasted of centenarians that our modern cultures do not. While we live to moderate age nowadays, our quality of life goes down dramatically with age in a way that the centenarians of traditional cultures did, and does not.
Phytic acid has been shown to cause intestinal inflammation. And beyond the phytic acid which we get stuck on in these conversations the actual fiber from the grain itself can carry minerals that you ingested in other foods out of your body.
Food is the premier way to receive nutrients, because they come with all the factors and cofactors that have yet to be discovered. Most of us come into the world already having a deficit, caused by what is now generations of poor eating. I would encourage everyone to boost their nutrition by whatever means they can, to the way your individual body responds best. They are sooo yummy, and while they were slightly tangier- almost like a sourdough- it was actually in a really good way!! SO glad to have found this!
Thanks for keeping us informed:o. Rachel — I would have to disagree and would be interested in any historical proof you have to back this up. Furthermore, in the context of agrarian cultures who relied heavily on a specific grain as a huge part of their diet, they found out quickly that fermenting the grain gave them better nutrition and easier digestion.
The Swiss people of the Alps as studied by Dr. Weston A Price, for instance, survived almost solely on a fermented rye bread, cheese, butter, milk, and very small amounts of meat and vegetables that could be harvested in-season. Sure there have been unleavened breads at various times in history, and actually most of the world has survived on fermented porridges and not breads because grinding grain into flour is much more difficult and baking bread in an oven was difficult when all you had was an open fire.
I was sprouting a batch of Einkorn grain to dehydrate for grinding into flour, and ended up having to go off in a different direction and was not able to do the frequent rinses.
Long story short, it is now in the dehydrator, and my whole house smells like apple cider vinegar. Is this going to be safe to use after dehydrating? Anybody else have this happen? Does drinking raw apple cider vinegar in water help compensate for eating regular whole grains?
Hi, I have read so much about fermenting Brown Rice. Why cant we use the same water to cook that rice. More so in brown rice, as it is concentrated in the outer layer.
No such luck for infant cereal though as its instant and there is no possibility of rinsing it. Hope that helps! Pingback: Properly preparing grains, etc. I started my first soak, of warm water, lemon juice, and rolled oats. The bowl was left at room temp with a tea towel over them, and now they smell kinda bad, and when I tried to drain it off and got my hands wet, they also got really slimy.
Can you help me understand if they were out too long I made a 4. Do I rinse, drain and store in the fridge? Or do I need to throw it out, because they smell sour and I took too long? Krystal — Everything sounds as it should.
I think that amount of time is just fine to soak them. At this point you can cook them into porridge or possibly store them in the refrigerator.
You could also dehydrate them and use them in snack bars. Shannon , Thanks very much for the encouraging feedback! I likened the smell unto sharp cheese, or sorry for the grossness sour-smelling throwup, if I got real close to it…but stomach acid is probably kinda like fermentation right?
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