On Preparing Legumes, Nuts and Grains

Have you ever noticed anyone soaking their beans for several hours before cooking them? Or perhaps fermenting their flour into sourdough?

Phytic Acid and other ‘anti-nutrients’ present in grains, beans and nuts
Fermenting, soaking, or sprouting grains, legumes and nuts/seeds is a traditional practice used by people from around the world. These techniques are required to break down ‘anti-nutrients’, such as phytic acid, creating better mineral absorption and other nutrient content as well increasing enzymes. It also creates a more alkaline product.

Without these principles, our modern fast-paced diets are taking a toll on our health with a huge increase in health issues such as food allergies, digestive/intestinal problems and immune deficiencies.

Science now proves:
• Phytic acid present in most grain and beans and nuts and seeds binds with calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron (rendering these nutrients almost impossible to absorb). Soaking them will neutralise the phytic acid and allow for optimal absorption of these critical nutrients.
• ‘Enzyme inhibitors’ are also neutralised with soaking, not only increasing vitamin content, but dramatically increasing enzyme content.
• Gluten and other hard to digest proteins are broken down, making for easy digestion. *Rye, Barley, Wheat, Kamut and Spelt and most oat products contain gluten.

Using this technique:
• Soak grains at least 7 hours before use, ideally in an acidic medium (e.g. a dash of apple cider vinegar, a squeeze of lemon or tsp. of yogurt) or just water.
*If you're using flour, add water (just enough to make the dough moist, not runny) with a splash of yogurt/kefir/raw apple cider vinegar or use all yogourt/kefir/buttermilk (in lieu of 'wet ingredients') for a richer, more flavourful dough. Leave at room temperature, covered with a tea towel, to ferment (12-24 hours) . Even better, create a starter or 'mother' (breadtopia), which is the traditional method of making bread, and make it at home regularly. Any of these options improves the nutrient value and digestibility of even white flour but you will benefit far more from whole grains.
• Soak legumes for 8 to 24 hours, drain water, rinse if desired, and use fresh water for cooking.
• Buy or make whole grain sourdough breads, as they have undergone full fermentation of the dough. *Yeast fermentation does not do the same.
• Ingesting sprouted grains and legumes:
1. Immerse in grain/legume in jar about 1/3 full
2. Fill with water to top overnight
3. Pour off water, store away from direct light
4. Rinse out with water twice a day until ¼ inch sprouts appear
(1 to 4 days depending on type) Can be used in soups, eaten raw or mashed into dough to make bread.
• Soak nuts overnight, drain and then place in oven on lowest possible setting (pilot light for gas or 150 F electric) or, even better, a dehydrator to dry out (up to 12+ hours) for longer storage, better crunch and taste.

Oxalic Acid
This is found primarily in leafy green vegetables such as chard, spinach, beet greens, mustard greens. It binds with calcium and iron and inhibits their absorption. Lightly steaming is enough to neutralize the oxalic acid found within.

Do your best to get into the habit of at least soaking legumes, nuts, and grains to ensure better absorption for you and your child, whose digestion may not be as strong and resilient as yours. Eventually almost everyone will have problems over time without this vital step in the kitchen.

Don’t rely on commercial kitchens or restaurants to do this. Some do it, but most don’t, as it takes more planning and many just are unaware of the importance of it (just as many of us were). It seems to no longer be a piece of wisdom we naturally inherit from our parents.