Soaking Pulses, Nuts, Seeds and Grains

 

Nuts, seeds, pulses and grains are little nutrition powerhouses, they contain all the potential energy required to germinate and grow an entire plant or tree however, nature has seen fit to protect them with anti nutrients like phytic acid and lectins which prevent them from being digested, thus giving them a better chance of passing right through the digestive system of a forager and on to germinate back on the ground.

Thanks to Urban Delicious we can offer you Heartveld Sprouted Wheat Flour, Creamy Wheat Cereal,  Activated Oats and Pecan Nuts. Thanks to The Wholesome Pantry we can offer you a fabulous selection of high quality, healthy, organic grains, pulses and seeds.

Raw nuts and seeds are protected by enzyme inhibitors and lectins, it is best to add 1 to 2 teaspoons of good salt like Khoisan to the soaking water. The nutrients that will then be more bio available include iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc, vitamin E and vitamin C.

Beans and pulses contain lectins, oligosaccharides and phytic acid (cooking eliminates at least half) which are drastically reduced by soaking. It is best to replace the soaking water every 8 hours when soaking beans, rinsing them well each time and adding 1/2 teaspoon of bicarb to the last soaking water, this cuts cooking time in half, but only use for the bigger beans. Your nutrient rewards for soaking beans and pulses are protein, calcium, folate, potassium and iron.

Grains are best soaked in a warm acid medium, apple cider vinegar does the job of removing the phytic acid and lectins giving one access to vitamin A, E, B6, lysine, selenium, iron, copper and zinc.

Once your beans, pulses, grains or nuts are soaked and activated they’re ready for use, however to store them you can either dehydrate them in a dehydrator or very low oven or you can portion and freeze them, freezing works particularly well for beans, chickpeas and lentils then they’re always ready to be used in delicious recipes.

Table adapted from Yogitrition.

	Water Temperature	Soak Time, Hours
Nuts	Around 38°C
Almonds	Warm	12 – 18
Pecans	Warm	12 – 18
Walnuts	Warm	12 – 18
*Brazil, Cashew,Pistachios, Pine Nuts, Hazelnuts and Macadamias	Not necessary to soak.
Seeds
Chia or Salba	Room Temperature	1
Flax	Room Temperature	2 – 3
Pumpkin	Room Temperature	6 – 8
Sunflower	Room Temperature	6 – 8
Grains (*gluten-free)	Around 43°C
Amaranth*	Warm	18
Barley, Pearled	Warm	18
Barley, Hulled	Warm	18
Buckwheat*	Warm	8
Cornmeal*	Warm	18
Millet*	Warm	18
Oats, groats*	Warm	12 – 18
Oats, rolled or steel cut*	Warm	8 – 12
Quinoa*	Warm	20 min
Rice, Basmati*	Warm	18 – 24
Rice, Brown*	Warm	18 – 24
Rice, Wild*	Warm	24 – 36
Rye, berries	Warm	24
Spelt	Warm	24
Triticale	Warm	24
Wheat, whole berries	Warm	24
Wheat, bulgur	Warm	24
Wheat, cracked	Warm	24
Wheat, couscous	Warm	24
Beans	Around 48°C
Adzuki	Hot	24
Anasazi	Hot	24
Black-eyed Peas	Hot	24
Black Beans	Hot	24
Cannellini	Hot	24
Garbanzo or Chickpeas	Hot	24
Green Peas, whole	Hot	24
Green Peas, split*	Warm	12-18
Kidney	Hot	24
Lentils, Brown*	Warm	6-8
Lentils, Green or Red*	Warm	2-6
Lima	Hot	24
Mung, whole*	Warm	12
Mung, split*	Warm	6
Navy	Hot	24
Northern	Hot	24
Pinto	Hot	24