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My Experience with Soaking Grains, Nuts, and Seeds


photo by: House of Sims

Last time I discussed my reasoning for soaking grains, nuts, and seeds which boils down to common sense and appreciating traditional methods. The other reason I now believe that soaking grains and nuts is beneficial is due to my own body’s reaction to soaked vs. unsoaked. Even after beginning the process of soaking I wasn’t totally convinced until I really felt a difference in my own body.

I felt the difference when I decided to add some oatmeal to my diet after being grain-free for several months. I had been soaking oats for my husband and sons’ breakfasts for quite some time and one morning made my self a nice little bowl. I noticed no adverse effects to my digestion, energy or anything else when I made a bowl containing nuts and butter to keep my energy even.

About a week later I was home alone in the midst of a canning frenzy and didn’t want to stop to make anything significant for dinner. I cooked up a quick pot of unsoaked oats and added butter and nuts as I had in my previous bowl. I ate it and thought nothing of it. For the next 24 hours my digestion came almost to a complete halt. I was bloated and tired and couldn’t figure out why. It then occurred to me that I had eaten the oats without the 24 hour soaking process that we normally use. Days later I went back to the soaked oatmeal for breakfast and had no problems. And I have had the same experience with store-bought whole wheat bread vs. sprouted or sourdough breads.

I had a similar experience when I consumed truly raw nuts. For quite some time now I have been making crispy nuts. Every once in a while, though, I would run out and would grab a handful of "raw" almonds before soaking and dehydrating them. It didn’t really give me a problem, but then again the "raw" almonds you buy at the grocery store aren’t truly raw – they are pasteurized. So I guessed that the pasteurization process broke down the enzyme inhibitors (along with killing any enzymes), making them easier to digest than truly raw nuts.

My theory was proven a couple of months ago when I attended a meeting for our local Weston A. Price chapter. One of the women there had just gotten an order of truly raw almonds (from Organic Pastures), which she hadn’t gotten home to soak yet. She offered me a large handful and I gladly took them as I hadn’t eaten any dinner yet. When I got home that evening I felt like there was a brick in my stomach. The entire next day it was as though someone was stepping on my abdomen with a steel toed boot. I finally realized that the enzyme inhibitors in the raw almonds had completely blocked any enzyme action in my gut, which completely halted digestion. Had they been roasted that probably wouldn’t have occurred, but then all of the enzymes in the nuts would have been lost.

I have read a lot about this topic over the past few years and have gone from skeptical, to a willing participant, to completely convinced. I don’t have any scientific articles or well drawn chemical structures of phytic acid for y’all. Just my own reasoning and first hand experience. So now I soak our whole grains in warm water and whey or vinegar. And when we do make or purchase bread it is sprouted or a slow-soaked whole grain sourdough. I also purchase raw nuts and seeds and soak and dehydrate them too. It does take more planning and time, but for what it’s worth, both my husband and I can feel the difference in our digestion and overall health.

Sprouting grains, nuts, and seeds is basically the end result of soaking, and is another nutritious form of these foods. I have been experimenting with sprouting and you can too. Here is a website that I have found helpful. You can also find sprouted flours for baking here.

How about you… have you prepared your grains, nuts, and seeds differently and felt a difference? Are you skeptical as I was?

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21 Comments

  1. I had always soaked my beans about 8 hours before cooking, but after reading your blog and Kimmi Harris’ blog, I decided to soak them a full 24 hours in advance. What a difference it makes! But I was lazy one day and bought a can of beans to make a quick hummus. What a mistake that was – painful digestion and bloating. No more canned beans for me. I’ve been soaking most of my nuts (not Brazil or macadamia) and seeds, as well as grains (not rice) and have noticed that everything just passes through so much easier and I don’t get that heavy feeling I used to have when I would eat nuts. I was a little skeptical at first, but I’ve been convinced!

  2. I know I need to do this – just need better planning.

    I find that un-soaked oatmeal makes me want to crawl back into bed. maybe I will start with soaking some oats.

    I am studying enzymes right now in my holistic wellness course. I think you could have wrote the chapter yourself : )

  3. Oh yes! When I was first introduced 3 yrs ago to soaking grains or using sourdough, my intolerance to gluten/wheat vanished!!! I think that soaking beans in whey has reduced the amount of gas but it hasn’t totally done away with it….I guess that’s just the fate of beans.

    Once we are able to assimilate the nutrients better by soaking and sprouting, our money is not being “wasted”, and it makes all the diff in our health….it has mine!

  4. I have been encouraged to soak and sprout more by your website. Thankyou!

    Today’s success story: I had sprouted almonds, blanched them, and dehydrated them. Today I ground them into flour (tip later), and made pizza dough using Elana’s Almond Flour Cookbook. I rolled it out to 1/8 ” thick between parchments and cut out with a lid. I put it in my english muffin tins and cooked them until golden brown. It was totally amazing! The best crust ever…and storable as mini pizzas. (did I explain I was making mini pizzas for lunches?)…They are beautiful and …after they cooled I put on pizza sauce, mozzarela cheese and pineapple…There were sure smiles on my kids faces when they saw what I had done for lunches!

    Almond flour grinding tip: I used my food processor. Put in about 2 cups crispy blanched almonds and as they ground I added tapioca flour (cheaper then arrowroot for me) to keep it from trying to become an almond butter. I got the flour as fine as Honeyville’s almond flour…and mine was soaked!

    I find that I can dehydrate my grains and seeds and nuts on parchment paper lined cookie sheets placed on cooling racks on my wood burning stove..I love to just use natures heat!

  5. I have noticed that soaked grains cook up fluffier, which is a nice side effect. Can’t say I’ve noticed a direct connection to how I feel though. As for nuts, I have been noticing that eating nuts or peanut butter really causes breakouts for me and someone suggested soaking would help that problem so I’ve been trying it and I really like the taste of nuts and seeds that have been soaked and dehydrated.

  6. I have also soaked and dehydrated cashews. I only soak them for about 6-7 hours and put them to dehydrate right away after rinsing.

    Last night I tried the pizza dough with cashew flour (made the same as almond flour) and it worked too. I loved this since my husband is allergic to almonds. So I imagine any of the recipes I have for almond flour would also work with cashew flour.

  7. Wow! This is very interesting to me. How do you soak oats? I would very much like to try it as I have had adverse reactions in the past.
    Thanks

  8. Is there any benefit to soaking the “raw” nuts you buy in a store (just assuming they’re pasteurized)?

  9. I do this on occasion but it is so very time consuming and I worry about the mold issue. I probably should do it more though. I LOVE soaked and dehydrated almonds. They have a sweet taste that I adore, I just forget that I need to do it!

    I am wondering if soaking my buckwheat before cooking it will help any? I love Bobs red mill creamed buckwheat which isn’t toasted, but it is cut…any clue? It’s a lot like steel cut oats.

    My main issue seems to be with beans so I might try soaking for 24 hours now…what a revelation!

  10. For those who are canners, beans can be soaked and canned at home with great results. I place 1 cup of dried beans in a quart jar and fill with filtered water and 1 tablespoon whey or raw apple cider vinegar. I let that soak overnight (or longer if you wish). When you are ready to can the beans, pour off soaking water and add 1 teaspoon salt. Pour boiling water (I often use part chicken broth) over beans and screw on lids and rings. Process in a pressure canner (NOT a water bath) for 1 1/2 hours at 10 lbs. pressure. So nice for a quick main dish or to add to soup or chili. I have used this method with pintos, navy beans, small red beans, black-eyed peas, and anazazi beans.

  11. I had heard that people with gluten allergies could eat bread made with soaked grains. I was dissapointed when my toddler had a reaction after I made some. I did notice that I could eat the bread without tummy troubles, which is great! I am still leary of eating it on a regular basis though. I used Sue Gregg’s soaked whole wheat bread recipe and it is the first time I’ve ever had a really good rise on my bread. They weren’t bricks before, but they didn’t have that pretty rounded top.

  12. My understanding is that you need to grind, soak and ferment whole grains, nuts and seeds.
    I only eat almonds for nuts, I soak them for 24 hours at room temperature. I can clearly feel the difference eating them soaked vs raw.
    If you want to eat whole grain bread I suggest you make sourdough bread making your own starter culture. Personally I don’t like whole grains especially brown rice. I however do make white sour dough bread.

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