Soaking Nuts and Seeds

missgiggles
Leader

Karma: 0

Offline

Posts: 1494

Re: Soaking Nuts and Seeds

« Reply #15 on: Monday 14 July, 2008 »

Hi Rodders,

Here's a guide to soaking times - it's from the Cafe Gratitude recipe book, which was the closest one to hand:

Almonds - 12 hours
Buckwheat - 6 hours
Cashews - 8 hours
Flax - 8 hours
Pecans - 2 hours
Pumpkin seeds - 4 to 6 hours
Sesame seeds - 4 hours
Sunflower seeds - 4 to 6 hours
Walnuts - 2 hours

It does vary from nut to nut. Generally, the more "fatty" the nut, the less soak time is generally recommended. In the list above, 8 hours for cashews seems a lot, but that might just be me. I'd be tempted to only do a couple of hours on cashews.

I don't tend to cover mine, I just soak in a pyrex/glass bowl and leave it overnight (for almonds/flax, for example) and then you are good to go in the morning. I don't intentionally put mine in the sun, but if they end up on the window sill with filtered light, then I don't worry too much.

I hope that helps.


	Report to moderator Logged

Be resolutely and faithfully what you are;
Be humbly what you aspire to be.

~ Henry David Thoreau ~

Fang :)
Leader

Karma: 17

Offline

Posts: 348

Re: Soaking Nuts and Seeds

« Reply #16 on: Monday 14 July, 2008 »

What about dehydrating them? Is there any specific times for Dehydrating nuts and seed, probably less for the smaller ones, are almonds dehydrated for 12 or 24 hours? How can you tell if they are 'ready' so that they are crunchy?
Thanks
regards
Frangipanni


	Report to moderator Logged

One day at a time....always a Fresh day tomorrow

Sanghama
Leader

Karma: 22

Offline

Posts: 530

Re: Soaking Nuts and Seeds

« Reply #17 on: Monday 14 July, 2008 »

Quote from: frangipanni on Monday 14 July, 2008

How can you tell if they are 'ready' so that they are crunchy?

Simple answer - you taste them laugh

I used to soak & dehydrate seeds & nuts every week for a past employer. I'd do a pumpkin/sunflower seed mix and they would dehydrate for 1 day, almonds & brazil nuts could be up to 2 days (she wanted them really crunchy). Dehydrating times could have been less, I'd put them in the dehydrator one day, and usually take them out when I arrived the following day.

It can also depend on how many trays you have and how well you space the nuts - if they are well 'spaced out' they will dry faster.


	Report to moderator Logged

Do something you're not good at ~ live outside your comfort zone

I AM ARIES SUN

melb
Leader

Karma: 30

Offline

Posts: 251

Re: Soaking Nuts and Seeds

« Reply #18 on: Monday 14 July, 2008 »

Quote from: Rodders on Sunday 13 July, 2008

Hi I'm just wondering how long people soak nuts for? Does it vary with different nuts and seeds. Should they be covered or left in the sun? Thanks

I think the covered/left in the sun idea is for supposedly sprouting rice, I'm not sure about soaking rice, putting it ina glass jar in the sun and letting it swell up is sprouting or just letting it swell up with the water and almost cooking - either way it is allowing the rice to bestart breaking down/rotting once it is soaked and so must be deactivating the enzyme inhibitors.

I only soak in seeds/nuts in glass, so wouldn't like to leave it in the sun - it would get too hot, almost cooking - the soaking is supposedly to 'sprout' them - that happens in the dark in the soil, so I don't think in the sun is how it's meant to happen. I don't bother covering and particularly in the begonning I wouldn't bother covering - things swell up a lot, and it takes a while to judge how much room to allow