another nut-soaking question

[mousebandit]

Okay, I know that soaking the nuts unlocks some of the nutrients and/or enzymes for easier absorption. I've read suggestions that when you need your nuts ground to a fine powder (to make a super-smooth texture), you can soak them, then dehydrate them a while, then grind them up in your grinder and use them.

Would the dehydrating re-lock the nutrients / enzymes, or are they free to go once they've be soaked??

Thanks!

Tracey Mouse

[GlimR]

Once you soak them, and rinse well the enzyme inhibititors are washed away...in my understanding.

[Yana]

My thoughts/idea are the once soaked the water unlocks the inhibited enzymes, removing a blockage, similar to nueron inhibitors block receptors of the synapses in the brain. Rinsing prevents mold and bacteria from forming.

In an old post of mine i sort of played devil's advocate trying to take apart and analyze the whole theory of enzymes as well as dehydration. Still searching for concrete answers, myself. I'm sorry that I'm no help!!

[pan.droid]

Okay, I know that soaking the nuts unlocks some of the nutrients and/or enzymes for easier absorption. I've read suggestions that when you need your nuts ground to a fine powder (to make a super-smooth texture), you can soak them, then dehydrate them a while, then grind them up in your grinder and use them.

Would the dehydrating re-lock the nutrients / enzymes, or are they free to go once they've be soaked??

Thanks!

Tracey Mouse


This is a good question.

My understanding is that, once soaked, something chemical happens to convert or destroy the enzyme inhibitors. My thought is that in spite of that fact that the seeds/nuts would have to be dried a second time they will not form any more enzyme inhibitors. I am just thinking that, in nature, it doesn't seem like nuts and seeds would need to be able to create the enzyme inhibitors once they are "activated" because they would most likely begin to grow the first time around. I also wonder if it isn't solely a function of the plant or tree that the seed/nut came from to package the nut/seed with the inhibitors to begin with.

In any case, perhaps you could soak the seeds/nuts in question, rinse them, and blend them at high speed. You might then end up with some kind of mylk; you could then strain the pulp using a nut mylk bag or fine sieve and dry the pulp. Granted, the powder you got from the pulp would be quite a bit different from the stuff you'd get if you just ground up the re-dehydrated stuff, but at least this way you'd know that they couldn't reform any more enzyme inhibitors because you had blended them to hell while they were good and soaked!!:D Also, you would end up with the mylk as an additional ingredient for other things.

You could also avoid using the dehydrator by just using the moist pulp and using slightly less of the wet ingredients called for in whatever recipe you happen to try.

Sorry if this doesn't make any sense - I'm in a rush,

Pan.Droid