Thursday, May 13, 2010

sprouting, made personal

Baseball season is almost over, so hold tight ladies. Posts should be a little less spaced apart. I have lots of email requests to post about so I promise, I will get to them. But, this is one I have been trying to post for a couple weeks now. I think I have it down so it is time. First, let me explain why sprouting and soaking is now "my thing".

I have known about sprouting and soaking for some time now. It seemed like just too much to handle. I didn't want to "go there" simply because it seemed like it would be way too much work and we were just fine where we were. However, I have learned, when the time is right - when it applies to you specifically, it happens and it somehow doesn't seem like such a big deal.

I have been reading Nourishing Traditions and was really getting into the spirit of the book. It seemed like a good idea. Then, I had my 10 year old do an Organic Acids Test to see if he had Candida (yeast issues) and bacteria ,as I suspected. He did, but what I did not suspect is that he was showing a high likelihood of celiacs disease. I was totally shocked. This kid is healthy as can be and doesn't have stomach issues but he does look a little "puffy" and has a stuffy nose a lot. So, I left that office with a new purpose. Sprouting and soaking now applied to me. It was now personal.


I am directing this little conversation specifically to sprouting grains for use in breads and cereals. Sprouting seeds, beans and grains for greens is another chapter. Not ready for that yet. Sprouting and soaking of grains changes the composition of the grains. It enacts enzymes to help in digestion. It breaks down the phytic acid which is contained in the raw grain. Phytic acid prevents absorption of many minerals in the intestines. Breaking it down will help the body to get what it needs out of the grains. Also, by soaking and sprouting, the hard to digest proteins are broken down so they are easier to digest. By doing this, many people who have trouble with gluten are able to tolerate grains again. Especially when using grains that have a lower gluten content like spelt and kamut; some of my personal favorites.

In learning about this process, I found out that in times of old, like our great grandmothers, grains were always soaked. Always. In fact, when grains were collected in the fields, they would sit in a holding area on the farm first where they would be subject to rains and dew that would in sorts, soak and sprout them. Then, they were delivered in a now broken down state. Today, we just harvest with machines and ship out. We have lost understanding over time of why food was processed the way it was and the benefits the methods contained. I was shocked that I never really heard about all this before. Kind of even ticked off that this was kept from me from the so called "nutritional guru's" of the world. I mean, come on. Why isn't this a bigger deal? I know some people know it but why did I only hear about this in the last year? Not that I was ready then but still...

It got me thinking of why every other person has celiacs or stomach diseases now. It is an epidemic. Between the methods of preparation these days, the pesticides in the soil, the genetically modified seeds and overuse of wheat, we are killing ourselves. It is time to take control before we are all in a sickly state.

Well, I decided to get on with it. I have a couple of great friends who were also "there" and had some great tips and websites for me to visit. There are different methods and I found some that worked for me without disappointment. I will address soaking in the next post but here is my method for sprouting my grains in preparation for drying and grinding. Easy as pie. In fact, easier. Pictures included. ( Thanks to the nino's who bought me a new camera for Mother's Day; you rock.)

#1 The night before, put grains of choice in a bowl covered by a couple of inches of water. Cover with a towel and leave them there for 12 hours.

#2 Dump them into a plastic colander, making sure that the holes are smaller than the grain and rinse thoroughly in good water; no tap please. We don't want chemicals.
Then, put the colander over the empty soaking bowl and spread the grains up the sides and bottom so they have a little breathing room. I keep them about 1 inch deep. Cover with a towel and rinse 2-3 times per day.

#3 Repeat the rinse process until sprouts appear, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long. It takes anywhere from 1 to 3 days, depending on the grains. These ones have just started. A few of the grains went super nuts and sprouted a little faster than the other kids.You don't want the sprouts to get too long or the flour will make a mushy product. Just barely sprout them. Check to make sure that none of the grains are rancid or rotten. I just shift through a bit and pull out any that look a little gray or mushy. If you keep them too wet, they may spoil. That is why I love the colander method. I have never had a problem at all. You also can sprout more at a time by using a colander versus a mason jar. Smaller grains will probably take the mason jar method, like millet or barley. Use cheescloth or a mesh screen attached to the band for draining.

#4 Put in the dehydrator, on mesh drying sheets or parchment paper and dry at 110 degrees until dry. Check by biting down and making sure they are crunchy. It usually takes me most of the day. If you don't have a dehydrator, put them in the oven if your oven temp can go that low or heat it up a bit then turn it off and leave the light on. You don't want to cook the grains, just dry. It is getting hot enough here that you could start drying them outside. Just cover with mesh so birds don't get to it or dust blows in.

#5 Store until you are going to grind in the fridge. You want to use it as soon as you grind it to keep in the nutrition. You can store flour in the fridge if you have left over flour.

It makes the flour lighter and works perfectly in all your recipes. I love them in my tortillas and crepes especially.

There is so much more to tell but that will have to be another story. Soaking and fermenting are just as easy , if not easier. I have my routine now and it truly is no big deal. Even on my very tight schedule. A monkey could do it and he would be much healthier if he did. Hey, there's an idea for the zoo.

13 comments:

kami said...

loved this shari.

i am wondering how long do you think it would take the gut to heal? in my son's case, he has been without gluten for a month and a half. i know he can tolerate soaked grains, because just before he went gluten free, i began soaking his grains and noticed an immediate difference in his bowel movements. i am anxious to get soaking and sprouting again and am wondering how long you think it would be wise to keep him off of gluten - in your opinion. i'm still cleansing him of yeast and it's going well...he definitely had an issue, i can tell by the die-off reactions we've been experiencing!

Shari Goodman said...

Kamille,

It really depends on the gut for healing. My son has been gluten free for 3 years and I am not at all ready to go back on gluten for him. It is no big deal now and he still has yeast issues so I know we are not there yet. Sprouting does make a difference so he may be able to tolerate that. I would wait at least 6 months to 1 year off gluten then see how it goes. The gut is hard to fix and needs a good time period. Some aren't so bad so it is a trial and error thing. My opinion is that 6 months would be an absolute minimum time period, a year would be better.

Alisha and Josh said...

What do you consider "good" water? Bottled, distilled, drinking? My friend called me today about doing a class on sprouting- unfortuately we are in Vegas! But I was able to send her to your blog:) Thanks for all the info- starting my way through Nourishing Traditions- so much much to ingest but I am excited for the journey and to change my family!

Shari Goodman said...

I use my RO water. Just something that isn't straight from the tap so you don't have the harsh chemicals, if you can. If not, just do your best. Still better than nothing!

........ said...

What is spelt and where can I get it? Also, what kind of flavor does it have (i.e. like wheat flour, white flours, oat flour etc.)

Shari Goodman said...

You can get spelt here at Preparing Wisely, if you live here, Grains plus on line or Azure Standard; to name a few. It tastes pretty much like wheat and looks like wheat but has more protein and makes really fluffy pancakes and breads. It is easier to digest than wheat and great to substitute in any recipe.

RPH said...

Great post Shari! As always, thanks for the encouragement. This is next on my list. I think I will try it next week. I have a tiny dehydrator, so I am hoping to be successful using the oven (at 170 degrees) to dry the grains back out. Wish me luck!!

Susan said...

How long can you store the sprouted grains until you grind them? Do you keep them in the refrigerator? How long do you store the sprouted flour once you grind it if you don't use it all? Also, what do you send in yoru kids lunches since you don't do meat anymore? pb&j everyday? I need some ideas. Thanks!

Shari Goodman said...

Once you dry the grains, keep them in the fridge until you are ready to grind them. They will keep for several months but the goal is to use them as soon as possible for best nutrient content. Once the flour is ground, also keep it in the fridge. It will last for several months but once again, it is best to use right away. I just grind as I need it or use the left overs in a couple days at least.

For lunches; my kids do eat a lot of PB and J but also peanut butter and apples, eggs, hummus and veggies or crackers and other protein laden items. They do have lunch meat sometimes to break up the monotamy, maybe once a week but only organic,non nitrate kind. I only eat meat once a week but they do eat it once for lunch a week as well. In the summer, we won't eat it but options are limited in packing lunches. Always my hardest thing since they can't reheat. We eat tuna as well but I try to limit that as it may have mercury.

Lindsay said...

Shari, Thanks for posting for all of us! I hope to someday have time to post what I'm learning and what I can do for my family's health, because it is so helpful to know what other's are going through and what they are finding helps. I have never been into food the way I am now. It has been a change over the last couple of months because of allergies to milk, dairy and wheat in my house. I do believe a lot has to do with the way we prepare our food and maybe not just the food itself. I am totally starting to srpout! My goal is to start this week, so this post motivates me! My sister-in-law and I are reading a grains book by Peter Reinhart. He tells of his methods of bread making. It takes longer, but you don't force the gluten to form. I'm hoping to start his methods soon to see if they are more easily digestable. Anyway, thanks!

Tosha said...

Hi Shari,

Do you have any not completely wheat bread recipes using soaked grains? I do a lot of millet, kamut, buckwheat, etc. Do you have a good yeast free bread recipe with sprouted grains?

Thanks
Tosha, Hannah's sister

Shari Goodman said...

Tosha,

I don't yet but I am working on it. I use millet, sorghum, teff, quinoa and amaranth about in a ration of 1/3 to 2/3 of wheat or other grain in my breads. I favor kamut or spelt since it is easier to digest.

Shari Goodman said...

Tosha,

email me personally. I want to put you on my store blog that is finally close to being done and want to blog about you. Sorry this has taken me soooooo long.