Soaking Grains?

[AmandaL]

Do you have to soak all grains with lime/vinegar to imrove their absorption?  Or just corn?  Is the soaking time for all grains/legumes the same?

Do you lose vital/essential nutrients from grains when grinding whole grains at home?  last question, should you soak and dry grains before grinding into flour?

Thank you.  Amanda

[MiraD]

Hi Amanda,

>Do you have to soak all grains with lime/vinegar to imrove their absorption? 
Or just corn?  Is the soaking time for all grains/legumes the same?

This process, called nixtamelization, is to help break down the tough outer coating on the corn and help make the protein in it more digestible.  The Aztecs used to soak the corn in ashes (which provided the lime) to get the same result.

Many people soak grains (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, etc) to break down the phytates which block mineral absorption.  I have not heard of soaking grains in lime, usually sour milk, yogurt, kefir or whey is used.  When I strain yogurt to make a yogurt cheese I save the whey, it's good for a lot of different purposes including soaking grains.

Some people sprout grains in order to get even more nutrients.  Sprouting reduces carbohydrates (since the grain needs them to grow), increases protein, increases several B vitamins and vitamin C, and decreases gluten in glutenous grains.

For soaking time most recipes say between 8 and 24 hours.

>Do you lose vital/essential nutrients from grains when grinding whole grains at >home? 

No, the opposite is true.  As long as the bran, or outer covering, of the grain is intact, all of the nutrients are preserved.  As soon as the grain is crushed, chopped or milled oxidation begins.  One of the nutrients most quickly lost to oxidization includes iron.  The closer to fresh ground you get, the more nutritient value you are getting.

>last question, should you soak and dry grains before grinding into flour?

If you are using an electric mill you need to dry the grains before grinding, otherwise you will damage your burrs.  If you are using a hand mill you can grind wet but you will not get a lumpy flour.  In my opinion it is best to soak and then dry completely before grinding.  This includes soaking and sprouting.  The sprouts need to be completely dry before grinding.

HTH

[AmandaL]

Thank you, THANK YOU!

[NaomiS]

I soak my grains in water.  Is that okay?  Also, I bought some whey powder from berkeley bowl... should I add some of that to my soaking grains? What does the whey do?  Out of curiosity, could I use the whey protein powder sold for adding to smoothies?  Also, how much whey should be added?  Mira, you also said that whey has many other uses.  Would you please share the ways that you employ whey?

Thank you,
Naomi

[MiraD]

Hi Naomi,

>I soak my grains in water.  Is that okay? 

Soaking in water is okay but it softens the grain more if it is an alkalizing medium such as whey.  I confess to being confused because yogurt apparently falls on both sides of the spectrum depending on what your source is but I'm assuming for these purposes it is alkaline and helps to neutralize the phytic acids.

>Also, I bought some whey powder from berkeley bowl... should I add some of that to >my soaking grains? What does the whey do?  Out of curiosity, could I use the whey >protein powder sold for adding to smoothies?  Also, how much whey should be >added? 

I've always used liquid whey so I don't know how much whey powder you would use but imagine if you made it according to the  container it should be suitable for soaking.

>Mira, you also said that whey has many other uses.  Would you please share the >ways that you employ whey?

There are a lot of good uses for it in Sally Fallon's Nourishing Tradition's book.  I use it a lot in baking bread (substitute for water), you can use it to make saurkraut or pickles, it's good for soaking beans and (although I've never done this) you can save a lot of it and then make ricotta with it.

HTH

[AmandaL]

Dr. Bauman on DL NE 103 CD says to soak grains in water w/ a little vinegar/lemon juice to help to ferment and improve digestability. 

[NaomiS]

thank you!

[MiraD]

That's true he does mention that.  I will say that most of my sources don't mention lemon juice but I think that's because they are for baking with the bread so there's no citrus-y flavor?  Don't know.

One more thing I forgot to mention though...you can also soak flour.  If you have fresh ground flour you can soak it before baking with it.  This helps break down the phytic acids but also helps the fiber absorb some moisture so the gluten will not be as inhibited by the extra fiber; particularly useful when making 100% fresh ground whole grain bread.

[Rhiana]

this is really helpful to read. i have a question about soaking as well, i've been making my own nut butters recently and i've been soaking the nuts first. could i actually start to sprout them before making the butter or would that not work and why? also, if i soak a whole bunch of nuts all at once how can i keep them fresh and for how long will they last? do i dry them after i soak them? i don't know why i'm so confused by this but i seem to keep finding different info everywhere i look! any suggestions?

[MiraD]

Hi Rhiana,

Good question about sprouting the nuts, I don't know as I've never done this...anyone else?

I soak some of my nuts and then keep them for snacks or grind them for nut meal.  I usually soak them and then spread them on a cookie sheet and stir every couple of hours until they are dry.  I would imagine if you lived in a more humid climate you could dry them on low (200 degrees F or so) in the oven.  My family loves when I soak almonds in Bragg's Liquid Aminos, it gives them a really yummy flavor.

HTH

[blujay]

I soak my grains in water.  Is that okay?  Also, I bought some whey powder from berkeley bowl... should I add some of that to my soaking grains? What does the whey do?  Out of curiosity, could I use the whey protein powder sold for adding to smoothies?  Also, how much whey should be added?  Mira, you also said that whey has many other uses.  Would you please share the ways that you employ whey?

Thank you,
Naomi

Ah, another Berkeley Bowl commrad, they have some great stuff, No?

But as for the whey powder, its not the same as fresh cultured whey. Whey powder is obtained during the processing of cheese, when they heat milk and add an acid to separated the out the curds for cheese. Then they heat and spray dry the whey into a powder. I would be concerned about the quality of the whey (organic? high heat denaturation?) because most suppliers don't usually care about the source of the whey, its just a cheap by-product of the cheese making process. And this powder can't be rehydrated to be used in the same way as fresh whey, essentially its "dead".

Fresh whey is the semi-clear liquid that separates from the curd (remember little beau peep-curds and whey) during the fermentation process due to the lactic acid produced by the Lactobacteria. So fresh whey contains the benefits of the whey proteins, probiotics and lactic acid. Which can be used as a starter for fermenting as many other things as you can imagine.

To make fresh whey from yogurt (or any other coagulated fresh milk product, preferably raw milk) just line a colander with a fine dish towel or fine cheese cloth. Place this over a bowl to catch the whey and pour your product (yogurt, etc..) into the colander. Fold the edges over the top and set in the fridge overnight. What settles in the bottom is fresh whey and whats on top makes for a wonderful dip or spread.

Here is a great recipe using whey. (this one is for the ladies!)

Beet Kavass

2-3 medium beets (red), peeled and rough chopped
32 oz filtered water
1/2 T sea salt
2 T fresh whey

Combine ingredients in a glass container and stir well. Cover lightly with lid (don't seal) and place in a warm place for 2-3 days. On the last day of fermenting seal lid for a slightly fizzy drink (just don't leave on indefinitely) It should have a slight fizz, a light lemony-mushroom-beet smell and have a lightly sweet-salty-tart flavor. (if not toss out and start over)

This drink contains loads of iron, phyto-nutrients, micro-nutrients and probiotics (forget about the pill form, just grow your own!)

Cheers!

[AmandaL]

These are From Nourishing Traditions:

We recommend the use of a variety of whole grains but with an important caveat. Phosphorus in the bran of whole grains is tied up in a substance called phytic acid. Phytic acid combines with iron, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc in the intestinal tract, blocking their absorption. Whole grains also contain enzyme inhibitors that can interfere with digestion. Traditional societies usually soak or ferment their grains before eating them, processes that neutralize phytates and enzyme inhibitors and, in effect, predigest grains so that all their nutrients are more available...Many people who are allergic to grains will tolerate them well when they are prepared according to these procedures. - p.25

Grains, nuts, legumes, and seeds are rich in enzymes, as well as other nutrients, but they also contain enzyme inhibitors. Unless deactivated, these enzyme inhibitors can put great strain on the digestive system. Sprouting, soaking in warm acidic water, sour leavening, culturing and fermenting -all processes used in traditional societies- deactivate enzyme inhibitors, thus making nutrients in grains, nuts and seeds more readily available. - p.47

The well-meaning advice of many nutritionists, to consume whole grains as our ancestors did and not refined flours and polished rice, is misleading and often harmful in its consequences; for while our ancestors ate whole grains, they did not consume them as presented in our modern cookbooks in the form of quick-rise breads, granolas and other hastily prepared casseroles and concoctions. Our ancestors, and virtually all preindustrialized peoples, soaked or fermented their grains before making them into porridge, breads, cakes and casseroles...a diet high in unfermented whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss...As little as seven hours of soaking in warm acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. -p.452