In the Kitchen - Why I soak my nuts - sprouting

I know I posted something to this effect a few months ago but I think the posts get buried and people still ask me about sprouting.  This was a really foreign concept to me up until a few months ago.  Whole Foods had just opened and I was shopping and doing some investigation throughout the store.

I love the bulk items at Whole Foods.  Many are organic but you have the ability to get the quantity you need or want and I feel like I have a little more control over quantity.  If you have not seen the bulk section, there are dozens of items like nuts, figs, dried fruit, grains, legumes, etc all in marked bins with scoops in them and they are sold by the pound.  So, anyway, I was perusing the bulk items and saw "Sprouted" on the label of some of the bins.  I had never heard of sprouted nuts or grains before but I did notice that they were quite a bit more expensive than the unsprouted ones.  So they must be better, right?  LOL

When I got home I did some research on sprouting and discovered amazing things.  A nut is a seed, right?  And a seed is intended to grow into some green thing, right?  But a dried seed lays dormant for months until the condition is right to sprout.... and then it can turn into an amazing big green plant.  Nuts and seeds contain an enzyme inhibitor called Phytic acid.  This is present to keep the seed from germinating in the wrong conditions.  Phytic acid is inactivated by water (hence a seed needs moisture to grow). 

So here is the problem:  An unsprouted nut contains phytic acid.  Phytic acid is an enzyme inhibitor.  That means it prevents enzymes from doing their work.  Your gut DEPENDS on enzymes to do it's work in digesting your food properly... so the enzymes in your gut are also inhibited when you ingest phytic acid.  Are you with me so far?  Have you heard of the importance of digestive enzymes?  What do you think your pancreas does all day?  Yup.. it makes enzymes for you... and then you go and mess them all up... and inhibit them.

Additionally, many nuts contain tannic acid.  Tannic acid makes things brown.  They use it to "tan hides" of animals.  It is not a very nice substance and when taken in quantity, it can make you sick or at least give you a belly ache.  Have you ever known of someone (or maybe it is you) that gets a "sore mouth" or a "bellyache" from eating nuts?  Thank the tannins.  It is all their fault.  Tannic acid also tastes bitter, which I will address in a minute.

So am I saying that nuts are not good for you?  No.. they contain protein and healthy fats and most people eat a few of them just fine.  But could they be better?  You bet! Could they be healthier?  Could they be turned into a living raw food in it's finest form, ideal for your digestive tract?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Just sprout them.  That is why sprouted nuts are more expensive.. they ARE better.

So how do you sprout your nuts?  In water.  ... it is really this easy.. give it a try... don't be afraid... it takes a little while but you don't have to stand there and watch them sprout.. just set it up and leave it alone.

Start with raw nuts.  I used to buy my raw walnuts from the Whole Foods bins at 9.99 or 12.99 per pound (can't remember which).  Sprouted walnuts ran at least $5.00 per pound more!  Then I discovered the bags of raw nuts in that area and thought "why not?"  A nut is a nut.  The bagged nuts are about $7 or $8 per pound.  Deal!

Now take the nuts and a big jar.  I use a 1/2 gallon mason jar with a lid and a piece of fabric or cheesecloth closed in the lid for straining.

Rinse the nuts a few times in clean clear water.  See the sediment?  Yuck.. I know I used to eat that.   Did I assume that was only nut sediment?  How do I know that it was not dirt?  I don't... but anyway now fill up the jar with water and leave it on the counter to soak for a few hours.

At first the water is clear but in a few hours you will find the water in the jar looking like this:

 Seriously.. see the water in that jar.  That is after a few hours.  That is the tannic acid in the water.  You are soaking the bitterness right out of that nut. No more mouth sores... no more belly ache.  YAY!!  Better tasting nuts.  But you are not done yet.

Rinse with clear water and fill the jar a few more times...  I usually soak my nuts overnight, giving them a few good rinses in the evening and again in the morning.   There is no exact recipe.. don't be afraid of this process.. you can't screw it up.

Watch out what size of jar you use.  The nuts swell with absorption of the water so leave some space in your jar! 

In the morning, strain and rinse your nuts again and leave them on the counter in the jar wet but not soaking in water.  You may rinse them again every 8 hours or so just to keep them freshly wet.

Now day 2 I dehydrate those nuts back to their dry state.  I use a dehydrator but you can use an oven at a very low setting.. under 150 degrees.  Lay the nuts out on a single layer and if you like salt, salt the nuts.  Put them in the oven very low and let the moisture leave the nuts.  When they return to crunchy and not soggy, they are done.  It may take a few hours but you won't burn them in an oven that low.. .. quit worrying!

When they are dry and crunchy and cooled, put them in a container and keep them for a long time.  EAT THEM!!!  You will notice that with the tannins soaked away, they are mild and flavorful.. never bitter.

Be happy that you have awakened that seed to germination state, so it has released all its little phyto-nutrients for your benefit.  (phyto-nutrients is just a fancy was of saying "plant stuff that is really good for you). 

Enjoy!  And also rest assured that you have rinsed off all of that questionable dirty looking stuff that is in the bottom of you bag of nuts.  You will like them so much better... you really will!