Soaking grains

[Jenni]

Hi all,

Can I use vinegar or lemon juice to soak my grains if I don't have Whey?

I did read in on a recipe in N/T for soaking Oats and was hoping it is the case with all grains. Any advice and tips grately appreciated!! Yay for Ooooby!

[Katie]

I think you can. I think that whey contributes both acidity and bugs (I mean good bugs, microbes??). Vinegar and lemon juice contribute the acidity only and rely on the grain itself to provide the bugs, or at least that's what I understand... I'm just learning too!

[Peter Niepel]

Sorry  haven't soaked grain yet. But I disagree with Katie's reply. As a cheese maker I know a bit about whey. Compared to vinegar which contains acetic bacteria, whey contains lactic bacteria. A huge difference! Lactic bacteria consume lactose and produce lactic acid. This is what e.g. makes sauerkraut etc. 

I am not saying you can't replace whey with vinegar but you will definitely not get the same result. 

 

Cheers

 

Peter

[Katie]

Yes, that's kind of what I meant I think... that vinegar does not contribute the bugs part but it does contribute acidity which is the environment that the right bugs like. Just googled it again and here's what I understand, but please comment and correct me if I don't have it quite right. Here goes: the reason for soaking grains is to make the nutrients more absorbable. Most nutrients in whole grains is in a form (called phytic acid) that human digestion can't easily access. You need to soak the grains in order to activate the enzyme phytase that most grains naturally contain, so it can break down the phytic acid and release the nutrients. Providing a moist acidic environment allows any phytase in the grain to get to work. Maybe providing the lactic bacteria (from whey) is even better, but I think that its the phytase that does the main work and that is provided by the grain itself. Most grains provide their own phytase but oats is a bit different (maybe because its treated so it stores better) but anyway for some reason it doesn't contain its own phytase and you have to add a bit of any other grain to its soaking water to provide the initial phytase. Comments? Corrections?

[Jenni]

Hi there, thanks so much for all the info.  Its an exciting journey!

[Linda]

I've had good results by replacing the whey with water and a little yogurt or kefir - about a tsp to each half cup of water.  In my oat porridge, I've increased the yogurt to about a third of the liquid, and it's delicious!

It does depend on why you're soaking, though. The minerals in the grain that are released by soaking with lactic acid will also be released by acetic acid (vinegar) or lemon juice. However, you don't get the same probiotic effects with vinegar. It doesn't have the same beneficial  bacteria. Apple cider vinegar, however, has many health-giving properties of its own - as does lemon juice.

Personally, I prefer the flavour and texture of the lactic acid soaked grains, and keep the other acid foods for other things, but that's personal preference.