Soaking and Cooking Grains

Rolled, steel cut or “wholegrain” oats (i.e. oats that have been processed):

• Hot cereal: Soak overnight in water and whey, cook for about 5-10 minutes in the morning
• Cold cereal: Soak overnight in kefir or yoghurt. In the morning add extras and eat.
• Muesli style: Soak in kefir or yoghurt for 8+ hours. Add extras, then dry in cool oven or dehydrator. Break into pieces, then store in fridge till needed.

Brown rice:

Soaked: Soak 2 cups rice overnight, or at least 7 hours, in 4 cups water, plus 4 Tbs whey. Bring to the boil, remove the scum, stir in 1 tsp sea salt and a couple of Tbs butter, and turn the heat down as low as it will go. Cover and cook for 45 minutes without removing the lid.

Slow cook, unsoaked: Saute in butter or olive oil, till it turns milky. Add water or stock and sea salt. Boil for about 10 mins or until the water is approx level with the top of the rice. Turn the element down as low as it will go, put the lid on and leave for 1.5 to 3 hours, without lifting lid.

Wheat, Spelt, Kamut, Barley, unprocessed Oats:

Put 1 cup in a pan half filled with filtered water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5-10 mins. Turn off the heat and add some cold water (to about ¾ full). When the water has cooled to just warm. Add 2 Tbs whey, lemon juice or other acidic medium. Leave 8-24 hours. The grains will open up and swell. Add more water, if needed, to cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes till soft. (I find that simmering for 5-10 minutes before soaking enables them to soak better. If you don’t, they will need to soak for a lot longer.)

Amaranth:

Allow 3 cups water to each cup of grains. Soak 8-24 hours (or even longer is OK) in 1 ½ to 2 cups warm water with an acidic medium added (whey, kefir, yoghurt, lemon juice, etc). Add the rest of the water, bring to the boil, skim and simmer till cooked. (Note – take off the heat before stirring, as it can be like a mud pool and bubble up and burn you unexpectedly.)

Buckwheat:

Optional: Buy untoasted buckwheat, and toast yourself before soaking, for better flavour. Toast at medium-high heat for a few minutes, tossing periodically. Allow 3 cups water to each cup of grains. Soak 8-24 hours (or even longer is OK) in 1 ½ to 2 cups warm water with an acidic medium added (whey, kefir, yoghurt, lemon juice, etc). Add the rest of the water, bring to the boil, skim and simmer till cooked.

Quinoa:

The powder that coats raw quinoa is toxic, so rinse well before soaking. Soak 1 cup 8-24 hours (or even longer is OK) in 1 ½ to 2 cups warm water with an acidic medium added (whey, kefir, yoghurt, lemon juice, etc). Rinse well again, then add 1.5 cups water and simmer till the water is absorbed. Stir occasionally. The proteins in quinoa may not be suitable for you if you have an autoimmune disorder.

Corn:

If you use a lot of cornmeal, it should be soaked in lime water to release vitamin B3. To make lime water, you need pickling lime, also known as calcium hydroxide, or milk of lime. Put 2-3 cms of lime into a 2 litre jar, fill with filtered water, put the lid on tightly, shake well and let stand for 8 hours or more. The powder will settle and the clear liquid above it is lime water. Store in a cool place.