I know, I know...You saw this title, and you're like, What the Heck is he talking about anyways?
For centuries, many different cultures all over the globe have soaked their grains, nuts, and seeds prior to consuming them. Why? To gain the maximal dietary nutrition from them.
You see, nature is smart and all nuts, seeds, and grains have an outer layer of protective armor called Bran. This substance contains Phytates or Phytic acids that are enzyme inhibitors and toxic substances. In nature, the phytic acid helps the nut (we'll use nut because we are soaking pecans right now) by preventing it from sprouting or germinating too early. It shields the nut until the growing conditions are perfect.
Phytic acids can be problematic, they are also known as "Anti-Nutrients".
When we ingest them, they sit in our small intestine and will grab a hold of very important minerals like: calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, and especially, zinc (zinc is one of our main nutrients responsible for a strong, healthy immune system) and cause us not to absorb them. This process can lead to nutrient deficiencies and even bone loss, and when talking about blocking zinc, can harm our immune defenses.
The enzyme inhibitors found in Phytic acid force the body to work so much harder in the digestive process just to produce the right enzymes to maintain proper digestive function.
The wisdom of traditional cultures teaches us that simply soaking these foods over night would breakdown the nutritional inhibitors and toxic substances found in the Phytates. We essentially trick nature, causing the nut or seed to germinate, and bump up the nutrient profile considerably.
Modern farming practice usually puts the grain or seed on the table before its had an opportunity to germinate.
We soak in glass containers. Be careful not to use plastics. Soaking in plastic could leech some of the chemicals from the plastic into your food.
Soak nuts anywhere from 12 to 24 hours in room temp or warm water mixed with 2 teaspoons of sea salt. You should really try to use filtered or purified water if you can.
After soaking, rinse the nuts, pat them dry with a towel, let them dry with room air, or stick them in a dehydrator or oven at a temp of 115 deg F (that seems to be the magic number).
Soaking the nuts is a relatively easy process. Soaking makes the nut more nutritious, easier to digest, and surprisingly a lot tastier.
Experiment for yourselves.
