My soaking bowls

When I first started teaching myself to cook beans and grains, I dutifully presoaked beans as recipes recommended. At the time, I thought the function of presoaking was to make the beans cook faster. I never noticed much cooking time difference between presoaked beans and non-soaked beans when I forgot to soak them, so I gradually stopped the practice altogether. That is until I learned there is another reason for soaking.

Soaking dried beans, grains, nuts, and seeds deactivates phytates naturally present in plants. Phytates make growing plants insect resistant. Phytates also inhibit absorption of several important nutrients including phosphorous, calcium, iron, and some vitamins. People who consume a mainly whole grain vegan or vegetarian diet can suffer ill effects. These range from tooth decay to inadequate bone production.

This is especially important for growing children. Consider breakfast, which is often grain based. For convenience, cereal has become what we feed kids, along with maybe a piece of toast or a granola bar.

Luckily, most people eat their cereal with milk. Whole milk counteracts phytates in cereals. However, the modern practice of eating lower fat milk products doesn’t produce the same beneficial results that full fat milk or yoghurt does in reducing the effects of phytates. Citrus fruits also help neutralize phytates.

An easy way to neutralize the negative effects of phytates is to presoak beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. So this was the reason I originally soaked foods. In addition to neutralizing phytates, soaking also releases important, otherwise unavailable, phytonutrients and vitamins.

• To soak:

Put 1 to 2 cups of the dry food(s) you are going to cook into separate bowls large enough to handle the swelling—especially the beans which can swell to twice their dried size. Pour in enough water to keep everything underwater during the whole soaking time. Add a tablespoon or two of vinegar or lemon juice. Cover with a lid and let sit on your counter overnight or longer—at least 7 hours. Tip: if you get past 24 hours, be sure to change the water. If longer than that, put the bowl in the refrigerator or the food will sour.

When you are ready to cook your beans, drain the soaking water and put your soaked food in a pot with fresh water to cover. Bring to a boil. Once the beans have come to a boil remove the foam, containing impurities, into a bowl and discard. From this point follow whatever recipe you are using.

Some studies claim that phytates may help prevent colon cancer. I’d rather eat a healthful diet, including the nutrients in whole foods, to increase my resistance to cancer. The idea that phytates may help prevent cancer is controversial with no definitive answer.

I sometimes skip the soaking step when cooking grains based on how I’m going to use the food—some grains, like rice, have few phytates. I regularly soak beans because soaking also improves the texture of most cooked beans, and because it helps with digestion.