Why wisely experienced housewives soak nuts for at least 6 hours

I've known for a long time. why soak nutsI use this trick regularly. Seeds and nuts are an integral part of my diet. So every night, I measure the number of nuts I need for tomorrow and pour them with filtered water. Recently I learned that the liquid should not only be clean, but also salted. Why this is necessary, we will understand in today’s article.



Why soak nuts Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains contain phytic acid. This special substance works as a protective mechanism of plants. It not only does not carry any benefit, but also deprives it of all the micronutrients that are contained in products.



Phytic acid is attached to iron, magnesium, zinc, calcium and other elements. Because of this, getting into the human body, they simply are not absorbed by them properly. We need to understand that we do not absorb 100% of what we potentially get with food. Is it worth even more to deprive yourself of all the utilities that are in nuts?

The human body is able to fight phytic acid. However, we can only do small doses of this substance (about 100-300 mg). For comparison, a handful of almonds contains about 1,300 mg of a known antinutrient. Obviously, we just can’t resist this substance on our own.



In addition, nuts have inhibitors that deactivate digestive enzymes. Because of this, food is much more difficult to digest. As a result, very often people feel heaviness in the stomach after eating a certain amount of nuts.

However, I have never faced such a problem. That's because I just soak the nuts before eating them. During this process, phytase is released in nuts. This is a special enzyme that reduces the content of phytic acid.

How to soak nuts About how to process nuts, knew our ancestors. In ancient times, nuts were first soaked, then dried in the sun, and only then eaten in ground form. Then it was done in salt water. But most modern researchers agree that it is not necessary to add salt to water in general.



If you still want to follow the tradition, use sea or Himalayan salt for soaking. Focus on such proportions: 100 g of nuts account for 200 ml of water and 1 tsp of salt. It is best to soak the nuts in glassware, not plastic. The water should be hot.

The time of soaking depends on the type of nuts. For example, walnuts and pine nuts, pecans and hazelnuts should be kept in water for at least 8 hours. And cashews will be enough for 6 hours. By the way, this nut is very often used in cooking for cooking vegetable desserts or sauces. To get the desired consistency, cashews must be soaked. Then the nut becomes soft and malleable.



In addition, thanks to soaking, nuts seem to be filled with taste. It's getting more saturated. It is believed that an unsoaked nut, whether raw or fried, is in a state of hibernation. And only after soaking he wakes up.

Personal experience I soak nuts every day. Before going to bed, I measure 40-50 grams of different nuts and pour them with water. I don’t count the number of hours for a particular nut, I just keep them in the water all night.

In the morning, the nuts should be washed under running water and dried with a paper towel. I never roast nuts after soaking because I don't see the point. But if desired, this can be done both in the pan and in the oven.



If you make homemade vegetable milk, nuts should also be soaked beforehand. Sometimes there's no time for that. In this case, you should soak the nuts in boiling water for at least a few hours.

Now you know why you soak nuts and what it does. Of course, it's up to you to waste your time. However, I highly recommend resorting to such a trick and helping your body get as many nutrients from this product as possible!