How to Soak and Sprout Food

Do you know about the benefits of soaking and sprouting your foods?

I’ll break it down for you (digestive pun intended). Soaking and sprouting…

• Increases digestibility
• Increases nutrient bioavailability (B12, magnesium, zinc)
• Reduces phytic acid content
• Increases fiber content

The process to do it is super simple, too! Here are the steps:

1. Fill – fill 1/3 of container with chosen nut, bean, legume, or seed.
2. Add water – fully submerge substance with warm water + pinch of sea salt.
3. Soak – cover container and let substance soak for the required time. See list below for reference.
4. Drain and rinse – cook, consume, or dehydrate in 24 hours.
5. Sprout (optional) – after draining and rinsing, leave the container open to allow air circulation; rinse twice daily until sprouts appear; after rinsing, refrigerate in airtight container.

Soak times:

Nuts

• Almonds: Need 2–12 hours for soaking. Sprout for 2–3 days if truly raw. The length you choose depends on what you want to use them for. For example, 48 hours of soaking allow the skins to fall off.
• Walnuts: 4 hours soaking, do not sprout
• Brazil nuts: 3 hours soaking, do not sprout
• Cashews: 2–3 hours soaking, do not sprout
• Hazelnuts: 8 hours soaking, do not sprout
• Macadamias: 2 hours soaking, do not sprout
• Pecans: 6 hours soaking, do not sprout
• Pistachios: 8 hours soaking, do not sprout

Beans/Legumes

• Chickpeas: 8–12 hours soaking, 2–3 days for sprouting
• Lentils: 8 hours soaking, 2–3 days for sprouting
• Adzuki beans: 8 hours soaking, 2–3 days for sprouting
• Black beans: 8–12 hours soaking, 3 days for sprouting
• White beans: 8 hours soaking, 2–3 days for sprouting
• Mung beans: 24 hours soaking, 2–5 days for sprouting
• Kidney beans: 8–12 hours soaking, 5–7 days for sprouting
• Navy beans: 9–12 hours soaking, 2–3 days for sprouting
• Peas: 9–12 hours soaking, 2–3 days for sprouting

Grains

• Buckwheat: 30 minutes–6 hours soaking (time varies), 2–3 days for sprouting
• Amaranth: 8 hours soaking, 1–3 days for sprouting
• Kamut: 7 hours soaking, 2–3 days for sprouting
• Millet: 8 hours soaking, 2–3 days for sprouting
• Oat groats: 6 hours soaking, 2–3 days for sprouting
• Quinoa: 4 hours soaking, 1–3 days for sprouting
• Wheat berries: 7 hours soaking, 3–4 days for sprouting
• Wild rice: 9 hours soaking, 3–5 days for sprouting
• Black rice: 9 hours soaking, 3–5 days for sprouting

Seeds

• Radish seeds: 8–12 hours soaking, 3–4 days for sprouting
• Alfalfa seeds: 12 hours soaking, 3–5 days for sprouting
• Pumpkin seeds: 8 hours soaking, 1–2 days for sprouting
• Sesame seeds: 8 hours soaking, 1–2 days for sprouting
• Sunflower seeds: 8 hours soaking, 2–3 days for sprouting
• Flax, chia and hemp seeds are difficult to sprout so most people avoid trying this. However, you can sprout these small seeds by following the directions below and using a shallow dish — try a terra cotta drainage dish if you have one — and less water. These seeds absorb water and take on a gel-like texture during the process of sprouting. This is normal and results in sprouts within a few days.
• Macadamia nuts and pine nuts also normally don’t need to be sprouted unless the recipe tells you to do so.

Learning nutrition nuggets like this is just a small part of the awesome “toolkit” we teach to our gutTogether clients to help them sustain digestive relief long-term. Plus, it can a fun activity to do!