Skip to content

How to Soak Nuts & Seeds (& Why You Should)

|
May 9, 2016
Unlock the full nutritional potential of nuts with one simple trick.

We recently suggested you try soaking and sprouting grains, like quinoa, oats and brown rice, before cooking to make them easier to digest and unlock more nutritional benefits.

Now how about trying the same treatment for nuts and seeds? We all know nuts and seeds are great for us and we should be eating more of them but it turns out that adding an easy soaking and crisping process makes every nut and seed under the sun even more pleasing to your gut, more nutritious and even more delicious.

“Raw nuts and seeds contain phytates, which bind to important minerals, like iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium, and leach these minerals from the body,” explains Dr. Mark Hyman, author of the new book Eat Fat, Get Thin: Why the Fat We Eat Is the Key to Sustained Weight Loss and Vibrant Health. “Soaking and rinsing raw nuts and seeds effectively reduces the phytates and enzyme inhibitors.”

The process is as easy as soaking the nuts in salted water and letting them dry out in an oven set to low heat. Once dried, the nuts and seeds will be extra crispy. Try tossing them with cinnamon, paprika and cumin; or mix in some roasted coconut flakes and enjoy them on salads, over oatmeal or straight out of hand.

Crispy Nuts and Seeds

SERVES

8

PREP TIME

05 min

COOK TIME

00 min

Ingredients

4 cups raw, organic nuts or seeds of your choice (avoid roasted or pre-salted varieties and soak one kind at a time)

1 tablespoon sea salt

Filtered water (enough to cover nuts)

Directions

Soak nuts or seeds fully submerged in salted water for a minimum of 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

Once they are finished soaking, rinse the nuts or seeds thoroughly in a colander. Preheat your oven to its lowest setting (around 120 degrees F). Place the nuts or seeds in a single layer on a baking tray and place them in the oven. Let dehydrate for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours until nuts or seeds are dry and crispy. It’s important to let them dry fully so they don’t mold.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or a cool, dry place for up to 1 month.

Good food
brings
people together.
So do
good emails.

What our editors love right now

Good food brings people together.
So do good emails.

  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
  • Hidden