Sarah Pope is a long-time WAPF member in Florida. She also blogs as The Healthy Home Economist.
TRANSCRIPT: PROPER PREPARATION OF GRAINS AND LEGUMES
By Sarah Pope
The focus of the Western diet on grain-based foods has contributed greatly to an explosion of chronic disease in the past few decades – especially in the very young in the form of eczema, allergies, diabetes and other auto-immune ailments.
The emphasis of nutritionists to avoid refined grains and to make whole grain foods the basis of one’s diet is certainly well meaning [cutaway to USDA Food Pyramid with grain portion at base outlined in bold]. However, it ignores the fact that traditional societies never ate these foods in the large quantities consumed today nor were ethnic grain-based foods prepared in modern fashion as quick rise breads [picture of store bread], granolas [picture of a box of granola bars], pasta and other rapidly cooked grain dishes [picture of Kraft Mac & Cheese and Hamburger Helper].
Traditional cuisines and pre-industrialized peoples from around the world took great care to soak or ferment their grains before consuming them as porridges, breads and casseroles. Prior to the introduction of commercial yeast, used to make bread rise quickly,[picture of a packet of yeast], Americans and Europeans alike made slow rise breads from fermented dough starters, commonly known as sourdough. In Mexico, corn was fermented for a minimum of several days before being made into a flat bread called tortillas. African cultures also soaked corn for addition to soups and stews. Even rice was carefully fermented in some Asian and Latin American cultures before inclusion in ethnic dishes.
Science has demonstrated the wisdom of these careful preparation methods as all grains and legumes contain phytic acid, an organic acid that blocks mineral absorption in the intestinal tract. Phytic acid is neutralized in as little as 7 hours of soaking in water with small amounts of an acidic medium such as lemon juice [picture of lemons] or cider vinegar [picture of cider vinegar]. Soaking also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors present in the hulls of all seeds [picture of wheat kernels] and adds beneficial enzymes which increase the amount of nutrients present – especially the B vitamins.
For those with gluten intolerance, soaking or fermenting gluten-based grains breaks down this difficult-to-digest plant protein; studies carried out in Italy have found that people with celiac disease can consume genuine sourdough bread without digestive distress or auto-immune symptoms.
A good first step when transitioning to traditionally prepared grains in your home is to soak a pot of breakfast oatmeal overnight. Many older people will remember that the instructions on the oatmeal box recommended an overnight soak before cooking. This was before the advent of quick oats and microwavable oatmeal packets, which caused people to gradually forget this beneficial traditional practice!
Soaked Oatmeal
To make oatmeal the old fashioned way, mix 1 cup of rolled oats with 1 cup of filtered water and 2 TBL yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice or cider vinegar. Cover and leave on the counter overnight or for a minimum of 7 hours. It’s important for the oats to soak in a warm kitchen or cupboard, not in a cold refrigerator.
After soaking, add 1 cup of additional water and sea salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for several minutes.
Serve warm in a bowl with plenty of butter or cream. A whole natural sweetener and fruit or nuts can also be added.
You will notice how quickly soaked oats cook in comparison with nonsoaked. You will also notice how much more satisfied you feel eating soaked oatmeal and that you stay full longer.
Soaked Pancakes
Pancake batter is easily soaked by mixing 2 cups of fresh whole grain flour with 2 cups of filtered water and 2 TBL of liquid whey, buttermilk, lemon juice, or cider vinegar.
After mixing, cover and leave on the counter overnight or for up to 24 hours. When soaking is complete, drain off any excess water, blend in 2 beaten eggs, ½ tsp sea salt, 1 tsp baking soda, and 2 TBL butter and fry as usual using a healthy oil like ghee or coconut oil..
Brown Rice
While rice is gluten-free and lower in phytic acid than most other grains, soaking prior to cooking is still best for those with any type of digestive complaint.
To prepare, mix 2 cups of short grain brown rice with 4 cups of filtered water plus 4 TBL yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, whey or cider vinegar and leave covered on the counter for a minimum of 7 hours.
Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, reduce heat and stir in salt and butter. Cover tightly and cook on low for about 45 minutes.
Soaking of Beans
Like grains, legumes contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, and require a careful soak before cooking.
For kidney shaped beans, put beans, a pinch of baking soda and enough water to cover in a large pot and soak for 12-24 hours. For non kidney shaped beans like black beans and other legumes, soak with water and 1 TBL of cider vinegar or lemon juice for every cup of dried legumes used.
For maximum digestibility, it is best to rinse and refresh the water and baking soda or the acidic medium once or twice during the soaking period.
Once soaking is complete, drain, rinse, add fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add a few cloves of peeled and crushed garlic if desired and simmer for 4-8 hours until soft.
If you’ve had trouble with bloating and gas from beans in the past, try the traditional method of preparation and notice how much more easily they settle in your stomach!
Choosing Breads
Fortunately, there are plenty of good quality breads on the market to buy that are traditionally prepared. While more expensive than commercial brands, they are decidedly more filling so you will find that you eat much less!
To choose the best breads, look for sourdough or sprouted breads made from freshly ground, organic flour without any additives such as gluten, soy flour, or vegetable oils. Be aware that if a sourdough bread has yeast in the list of ingredients, that it is not a true sourdough loaf. The sourdough bread I buy has only three ingredients: organic spelt flour, salt, and water.
Be sure to refer to the Weston A. Price Shopping Guide which lists many excellent brands to seek out small local producers; you can
order genuine sourdough breads if necessary.
Until next time, this is Sarah Pope, The Healthy Home Economist and Weston A. Price Chapter Leader wishing you all the best in the kitchen!
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Hi Sarah,
I enjoy eating steel cut oats, for safe and healthy consuming, the same 7 hour procedure is necessary or since they are “steel” does it require more hours or perhaps completely different procedure.
I have been changing eating habits (less than two weeks) using guide and principles described by WAPF and never felt better.
I absolutely in love with the writings, videos, blogs and information in any form put out by your organization, it is truly god send.
Ian
Dear Ian, I have been soaking oatmeal in kefir. It ferments it. Very digestible. Love it, I am a Scot by ancestry. Steel cut is slightly harder. I had luck using a lot of kefir and a powerful blender, some water, too. The pebble texture was largely, if not wholly, broken up. Yours truly, Vincent Shaw Flack, Ellsworth, Wisconsin
I use 100g of steel cut oats to 500ml water, plus a scant 0.5 tsp of salt. I put it all in the pressure cooker at around 6:00 pm and set the timer so that it starts cooking at 6:00 am for 35 minutes. We eat at around 8:00 am. So it has a 12 hour soak, a long cook at pressure, and a long keep-warm. These are the most delicious, most creamy oats I’ve ever had. I never have trouble digesting these, but when other people make me porridge my stomach rebels.
I tried adding yogurt to the soaking water but the resulting porridge was a bit sour, and there were tiny curdled chunks of yogurt in it. Does a long soak compensate for the lack of acid in the soaking water? If not, is there something else I can use that won’t change the taste.
I want to know how I have to do with soy I have to soak with baking soda or vinegar I love to do veggieburgue Do you know how?
I have been soaking lentils with just water. I will soak them with some lemon or vinegar added next time hopefully, but i was just wondering if soaking only in water provides benefit as well? I’m sure its better than not soaking at all, but how important is it for the water to have acid added? Thanks!
I also soaked chic peas in just water. The soak lasted for more like 36 hours with one change of the water. Also hoped soaking was better than not. Seemed to digest very well. Will plan to add acid and a shorter soak for the next plan. So much to learn, it’s very exciting. Wish our country allowed for more time for ourselves and health and less work time. A traditional 4 day work week would be nice as full time. Work to live or Live to work…
Is it recommended to soak grits?
So much to learn, it’s very exciting. Wish our country allowed for more time for ourselves and health and less work time. A traditional 4 day work week would be nice as full time.
thank you for video. i thought only black beans needed lemon juice or acv added. also what do i do with cooking water after beans are cooked? thanks debbie
Who/where prepares corn by fermentation,…? How does that relate to nixtamalization, which I understand is typically just a one day procedure, less than 24hours?
I am so surprised that there are people who don’t soak grains and lentils !! .. Its a common practice in our culture that we are so used to that we don’t find it difficult .. its like the only way we has in mind when cooking these things even rice but very little time for rice and for red kidney beans and chic peas (garbanzo ) ,its a must to soak them over night and some use baking soda some don’t !
I thought the only way to remove phytic acid was to soak the oatmeal, beans, rice, etc., in a phytase-rich water (by adding a teaspoon or tablespoon of rye flour, or water from previously soaked rice). Since phytic acid is an acid and baking soda is a base, these would neutralize, but would it be better to use the enzyme rather than an alkali to remove the phytic acid?
Is it necessary to soak sprouted green lentils (by tru roots), it’s for my toddler (18 months) and is it advisable to give her lentils when she doesn’t have all her molars in yet? Thank you
Rice has arsenic in it. Dr Micheal Mosley BBC spoke to scientist in ireland who studied rice. He recommends soaking it overnight in lots of water draining rinsing a few times and boiling in lots of water not as usual where all water is absorbed. Then rinsing again when cooked Google arsenic and rice
Great article!
Do you suggest soaking canned beans as well? Also, how do you suggest soaking quinoa?
@maura. Is rice high in arsenic only because it is a natural accumulator of that substance and is grown mainly on high-arsenic soil for some reason? Or is it a matter of finding rice that has not been grown on arsenic-containing soil?
After soaking quinoa with water, I do a second 24-hour soak with some miso and the filtered water in which it is going to be cooked. The miso seems to help ferment the grains making it easier to digest.
I started making my own miso too which makes it economical.
How long should I soak corn and what dol add to the soaking water? Thank You
So you change the soak water for beans but not for oats and rice.
I read recently that acidic substances make legumes become tough so is it better to only use baking sofa for soaking?
What is the reason butter is added to all of the grains you talk about in the video?
Great article Sarah! Thanks.
For black beans you say to cook them for 4-8 hours, is it fine if I cook them in an Instant Pot (programmable crockpot)? It will finish cooking them in less than 20 min. After soaking and cooking this way, they are delicious… And they def seem fully cooked. Very soft.
Should I throw out the water that they cook in?
Yes, you may use an Instant Pot. The liquid will be rather starchy, and we generally rinse it away.
What the heck is a kidney shaped bean? Please clarify, one you put an acid and one you put the opposite, a base, so it seems important which beans get the acid and which get the base. How is mung bean classified? How about anasazzi bean? Or lima bean? Navy bean? Soy bean? Please make chart to say which get acid and which get base!
Agreed! I would love something to reference. The only kidney shaped bean I can definitely know are kidney shaped are kidney beans and Lima beans. If black beans are not kidney shaped,b then are navy? Pinto? Etc?
Plus, I’ve found when I have to use an acidic soak I still need to add a pinch of baking soda at cooking time for them to ever get cooked. (Unless that is a clue in and of itself that it is kidney shaped and should have had baking soda instead of acid.)
I soaked black beans for 48 hours they smell a little funny is it safe to cook them or was this too long to soak?
I did a 2-day soak with mine too, and they did have a funky smell, but were totally fine to eat, tasted great, and digested super easily. The funky smell is probably because they started fermenting, which would just help break down the starch in the beans and make them digest easier. The scent of mine was not too strong because I refreshed the water & vinegar mixture 24 hours in which is recommended, but they did have a ferment-y smell still. Don’t worry about the scent though. If it had mold on the surface and smelled odd then yeah don’t eat them, but with no mold the smell is fine after 48 hours.
Why don’t you pour off the water from rice and oats and put in fresh water to cook? It seems like you wouldn’t want to eat the phytic acid water?
Many of us do pour off the soaking water and rinse. However, at least theoretically the physic acid is neutralized with the long, warm soak.
Thanks for explaining this. I’ve always wondered
How do I soak steel cut oats? Thank you.
For every cup of steel cut oats, add 1 tsp. raw cider vinegar, a pinch of salt, one Tablespoon ground buckwheat groats (or rye flour or spelt flour). Place in ceramic or glass bowl or jar and add enough warm water to completely cover the mixture 1-2”. Mix well. Cover and place in warm area for 12-24 hours. Drain and cook with fresh water, or as you like.
Once soaking and rinsing/draining is done, try this:
In a saucepan add oats and 1 and 1/4 cup whole milk or almond milk. Bring to a slight boil over medium high heat. Turn down heat and add 1/3 cup raisins and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Simmer another couple of minutes until desired consistency. Ladle into bowls. Sweeten with a little maple syrup, add a pat of butter, and chopped walnuts. 🙂
Hi I’ve been reading that organic brown rice as well as other rice is loaded with TOXIC ARSENIC .!! So after reading that read to: THROW OUT THE WATER IT WAS SOAKED IN. As a type 1 juvenile diabetic this made a dramatic difference in being able to safely eat grains because I abstained from them for more than twenty years. I can NOW safely eat oat groats soaked in lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. I didn’t try my kefir whey from raw organic cow milk kefir or tried kefir which I’ve been making since 2000.
Yesterday April 28, 2022 tried Himalayan Red Rice for the first time and had no adverse blood sugar readings which was fantastic. I did read some people can withstand much higher carbs than other diabetics. I believe I qualify and do have ancestry of 50 Polish, 40 % Irish,7 % Wales,3 % Scotch for my Ancestry DNA tree.
Also looking forward to making : NATTO as well for the highest K2 per serving.
So YOU GUYS NEED TO ADDRESS THIS unless it already is? In my regretful vegan days before getting type 1 juvenile diabetes at 28 yo for 4 years consumed a astronomical amount of organic long grain,short grain,medium grain,basmati BROWN RICE and my hair samples from having my toxic amalgam fillings removed back then had from a hair analysis extremely highly elevated arsenic levels unbeknownst to me. I knew tooth fillings were comprised of 52% mercury and other toxic junk like copper, nickel,cadmium etc from Hal Huggins work thought it stemmed from the cover of a spring water container when rain leaked in the toxic resinous glues could also potentially leak through the wet particleboard cover. I complained to the town of Winn MAINE about that situation and they put a concrete cover over the well casing. So in addition in springtime depending where you live in this world the innocent cover of a well can have dramatic repercussions to one’s health aside from toxic dental filling material.
So this is a awesome article about REMOVING PHYTIC ACID and obviously in addition be concerned where your water source comes from that you soak your grains or beans from. Thank you: Gerald H Pollack : Fourth Phase of Water .!!
Back in January of 1994 first read that masterpiece: Nutrition and Physical Degeneration!! DR Price why did you make that title so depressing? I believe that also is a major contributing factor for diminished interests in reading it. Don’t judge a book by its cover? I believe thousands did back in the late 1930’s & 1940’s. The COMMON DENOMINATOR for staying HEALTHY is WESTON A PRICE & FRANCIS M POTTENGER!!
I tried this soaking for 2 days with the apple cider vinegar and they took a long time to cook but it was worth it because it’s the first time I’ve been able to digest beans with ease, no gas or bloating at all. Very impressed!
Asthma in children is a common chronic disease – if children are fed solid food too early, it can promote allergies or asthma. However, if oatmeal is given to small children before the age of 6 months, it can counteract asthma.
Hi Sarah,
I want to soak yellow dahl mung beans. I can’t tell if I should add ACV or baking soda to their soaking water. Please advise. Thank you!
The protocol for rice has gotten blurry over the years with the Arsenic issue. We eat a lot of rice: short-grained brown, black, and occasionally wild and jasmine white. What we’ve been doing is rinsing, then an overnight soak with ACV, then rinsing again. To cook we use our homemade bone broth for more flavor and nutrition. Should we change and add another rinse AFTER cooking? Or any other changes??
Hello, can I use store bought buttermilk for soaking? In that case it would be purchased cold but then added to the soak to sit out overnight. Is this okay? Not sure how to acquire room temperature buttermilk.