or does it have to be room temp. Thanks! I figure if I’m eating my oatmeal and it’s more bioavailable and easily digestible than eating it without soaking, then hey – I figure I’m ahead of the game . I plan to make granola. Or do I need to throw it out, because they smell sour and I took too long? The good news is that I soaked my oatmeal last night. Thanks again! Good luck! Seems like nobody knows anything anymore! Or even make your own yogurt so you can culture it longer, if that’s important to you (gets rid of most of the lactose at 24 hours incubation). Krystal, Thank you for you explanation! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please ignore the other and feel free to delete it. Rye is higher in phytase (the enzyme that breaks down phytic acid) than wheat, a lot higher in fact. Katie. Should it work with oatmeal flour too? And the topping possibilities are endless!! Healthy Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk Substitute. It eliminates acidity, which is why, at least the extra acidity from the sour results of the soaking. These “overnight oats” are pretty popular, and it always strikes my funny bone that they’re so close to traditional soaking and yet miss the mark…, answers: Phytic acid is a unique natural substance found in many cereal grains, oil seeds, legumes and nuts.Phytic acid reduces the ability for your body to absorb iron, zinc and calcium, which can inevitably lead to mineral deficiencies if left unchecked [1]. Yes, the phytates will steal some of the minerals from me, but what with all the other things that I eat that are not perfectly healthy? Kitchen Stewardship | Caring for All Our Gifts. 2 T. Apple Cider Vinegar (I buy mine here, but you can get some here too.) We are gluten intolerant at our home. Although I was so far behind this morning anyway that I threw them in a thermos after cooking and ate them at work. Silly me! Thank you so much for any help & info you can share! We buy her gluten free oats because she’ll get sick just from the contamination with regular oats that have been run through a processing plant shared with wheat. .-= AmandaonMaui´s last blog ..Burgers…nom…Nom…NOM! Is it true that soaking in warm water might be enough? In 2016 she created the #1 bestselling online kids cooking course, Kids Cook Real Food, helping thousands of families around the world learn to cook. They do have a considerable amount of phytic acid that prevents us from absorbing necessary minerals, so that’s why I recommend soaking them first. This doesn’t increase sodium according to research I have found and trust. I do this all the time, stirring oatmeal into a bowl of yogurt adding blueberries and Chia seeds in the morning. I found a great way to have whey on hand all the time is just to leave a “dip” of yogurt in the yogurt container. Using 2 tablespoons of rye flour you could even skip the whey if you wanted. So, how do you reduce phytic acid in overnight oats? I’ve done it twice and added the 1 Tbsp lemon juice (although not a fresh lemon). Add a bit more liquid if you need more moisture to achieve this. I mix mine with yogurt and almond milk and a little honey and raisins. Please talk to your health professional (or at least your spouse) before doing anything you might think is questionable. the soaking grains subject this fall. Really helps in the morning when I’m rushed. She freezes fresh lemon juice in 1 Tbs portions in an ice cube tray, but I don’t imagine it has to be fresh. Andrea, I pour off the water so I can save some for next time for accelerated fermentation. Your oatmeal will probably be pretty sour and even if it’s fine to eat safety-wise, I doubt it will be a very nice “first soaking” experience!! =-. Thank you! Whey is super easy to get if you have plain yogurt around, and it’s so much better than lemon juice (not as sour). I need to warn you though that he is a bit eccentric and there is an odd part that doesn’t seem to do anything with the episode about the Scottish making some type of food – I just skipped that part. If I am making oatmeal for 6-8 people would I add more whey/lemon juice to the water and oats? Any suggestions are welcome. I love his shows. Thanks! Ali, That’s all you really need, slight acidity. Dawn, It is best to keep seeds to a minimum and to avoid snacking on raw seeds. We tried lemon juice and whey, but we can still always taste the sourness, probably because we don’t add sugar or honey to the oatmeal, just raisins and seeds. Soaking is an important method humans have used historically to reduce phytic acid content, thus improving the nutritional value of cereals. Your email address will not be published. This may be a silly question, but if you are soaking the oats to neutralize the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, ... I’ve been making soaked oatmeal with steel cut oats for years. The next day, add oatmeal toppings like honey, cinnamon, nuts, dried fruits, coconut and berries. I am a formally trained professional chef with great recipes, ideas and strategies. All packaged instant oatmeal options are heavily processed products. Soak the oatmeal in water above body temperature overnight in … I have been dedicated to exploring a wide range of overnight oats recipes, which allowed me to play around with no cook oatmeal flavors like blueberry muffin, caffè mocha and pumpkin spice latte.With all the wild combinations available, I generally stick to the same basic formula: old-fashioned oats, chia seeds, dairy free milk, nut butter, berries and a pinch of salt. Furthermore, fermentation would likely transition into subjects like beer making, bread making or food preservation methods like kimchi, which uses a slight amount of rice flour to help thicken the sauce to better coat the vegetables. That would be really sour, likely. We are gf and buckwheat free too! Trust your own judgment…We can’t be liable for problems that occur from bad decisions you make based on content found here. =-. If they are very sour, add a little baking soda. If so, then that is how I understand the process. I try not to eat wheat at all but as I bake my own sour dough bread regularly I always have a starter. To make soaked granola, I usually do 3 c. oats and 1 c. water overnight, then proceed as usual. help….. Kristina, Desi, In general, the best means of significantly reducing phytic acid in grains and legumes is a combination of acidic soaking for considerable time, followed by cooking. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. SimplyOatmeal.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. What do you think? Can you use lime juice instead of lemon when soaking oatmeal? Charlotte, So hopefully it’s ok to leave it in! Thanks for the tips! Turn the heat low, cover and cook 10-12 minutes would be my estimate. But here’s a link to the second part of that episode about oats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j-Hkihja-0&feature=related . I feel like I’ve heard of traditional oatmeal as super long fermented (heard of porridge in the pot 9 days old?). It’s possible that phytic acid released from your grains could bind back to the minerals you’d rather have in your body if not rinsed off…but it’s also possible that it won’t. Katie, Megan, Too thick, rich and sour for our tastes here. How does the addition of lemon juice or acv remove phytic acid? As a result, you can consume the soaked oats and your body is able to activate the digesting enzymes that absorb the available minerals. I think if a culture had the knowledge to grow oats, they would have had wheat too, but I’m just guessing here. So that’s why properly soaked oats must include something to add enough phytase, in my case I use buckwheat cereal. Thank you again. I have never had a problem with the food after soaking. .-= dawn´s last blog ..Soleil 100 Days =-. You’re right to focus on what matters most! Dawn, I think quick oats are already kind of cooked ??? Rolled oats are best type for overnight oats, but there are recipes using the other kinds too. Although it can potentially impair the absorption rate of essential minerals, this is often not the case for those following a balanced diet.There are a number of health benefits of phytic acid. We are as well and would need to know how to do this. In the winter I skip it sometimes for stuff like oatmeal that won’t dry out. per cup water, then adding double the water in the morning – so for 3 cups oats, for example, there’s only 3 Tbs whey and 6 c. water in the end. Here’s how to make whey: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/02/what-is-whey-where-can-i-get-it-how-to-make-yogurt-cheese/, Kelly has an amazing baked soaked oatmeal that does not taste sour (or even healthy) that is worth trying, just to assure yourself you can like soaked stuff: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/03/healthy-breakfast-recipe-from-sue-baked-soaked-oatmeal.html Sue, who wrote the recipe, is practically my neighbor and her daughter is my mother’s helper, so that’s pretty cool too. I would love to know your thoughts on this. Hope that helps! I don’t understand, can I get the same results using almond milk? -I want to keep my soak covered overnight, is airflow important? (12-24), Really DUMB question – you just leave the pot out on the counter/stove overnight? It’s important to note that not all grains contain enough phytase to eliminate phytic acid even when soaked, such as oats and corn. KS also accepts private sponsorships and we are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. To make it possible for seeds to pass through undigested, Seeds also need to be preserved until the time is right for sprouting, so they have certain compounds that, Combine 1 cup rolled or steel cut oats with 1 cup water with 1 Tbs lemon juice. Maybe that’s how the earlier folks got it to be better for them. Terrible, I know. I think I’ve figured out what at least part of the problem is. 1) Roll 3/4 cup of oat groats (using kitchen-aid flaker attachment) Thanks for such great content! 1 Tablespoon of acid medium is usually recommended for every 1 cup of of oats/1 cup water. Overnight oats have beee around for a long time, and have no intention on disappearing anytime soon. (Sorry it took so long to respond; I’ve been vacationing!) If I soak whole grains, unbroken, I do drain…but then some say that an unbroken grain won’t be affected by soaking anyway. It just looks like a bag of little brown balls. I love the taste of our muesli and it digests well considering all the fruits (including lemon and orange) and nuts we throw in there. I think soaking oats helps to break down the phytic acid which blocks mineral absorption. I wonder if you’ve heard that oats need to be soaked with wheat. Overnight Oats Have Increased Digestibility When you soak oats overnight, it’s almost like you’re cooking them, but the process is much longer and slower, and it’s done without heat. Thanks , Hi Jen! 3) If the answer to #2 is no, can I add a tablespoon of whole wheat sourdough starter to the mix to prevent bad bacteria from growing? Katie. It won’t have as much active phytase as freshly ground but I’d still use it (you should store it in the freezer though). Do I rinse, drain and store in the fridge? My mom thought that lemon juice, from fresh, was much less tolerable than whey. Katie. Sourdough is also fine, but not totally necessary…, But…you also are supposed to cook the oats to finish the job. Renee, If you’re eating whole oatmeal w/o a bunch of junk, you’re doing great!! . I have been soaking my oats for a while now. Would traditional cultures that ate oats have access to wheat flour and the knowledge to do add it? Would I presoak the regular oatmeal? I do soak when i remember, but it has not become a habit yet. When you are soaking, do you keep a lid on the container or no? You’re right, but in the experience of most people I’ve heard/known/read about, whey or lemon juice gives the least “sour” taste. Can that be used for this? Katie. Hi! What do others with dairy allergies do? (It tastes like oatmeal raising cookies, I kid you not.). So I’m out in both these. Also, does the cooking process somehow neutralize the sour taste? I’ve never soaked oatmeal before, nor have I ever used steel cut oats before. I don’t do dairy kefir, we drink raw milk and there’s no way my budget could stand kefiring raw milk…and then there’s just the I-just-can’t-drink-that-all-the-time factor too. This is a very interesting question. We ended up throwing it both times. I read that once at Cheeseslave and started adding whole wheat flour to my baked oatmeal, but I am too lazy to add that extra step for my regular oatmeal. That is key! If you curl up in pain the minute you go near soaked oats, then phytic acid may be one of the oat side effects to blame. Michelle, 1) Take out of fridge and let set for an hour or two (so it isn’t so cold). Thanks so much. Hello Nancy, Is this true? I’m probably too late for this piece of advice, but you can use the soured oatmeal in baking bread – add a cup to your next batch of dough in place of flour and reduce the liquid a bit. That’s an awfully big portion for 1 person. Cultured foods are full of probiotics, which are strong enough to fight off bad bugs that might want to settle in (why we need to consume them for our systems, too!). Or, soak in water with a 1:1 ratio of oats and then the equivalent milk in the morning. The fine granules transform into a paste, not a chewy oatmeal, New research is showing that soaking in just warm water (no acidic medium at all) may be just as effective. (You’re probably wincing & thinking “cro- magnon mother!”). Katie. A bowlful of steel-cut oats that have been simmered until tender is a welcome breakfast on any morning. I just soak right in my pot and put a lid on it – airflow isn’t important here so do whatever is easiest. Make overnight oats by soaking oats in liquid following a basic overnight oats ratio of 1½:1 liquid to oats. Oats offer healthy fats, plant based protein and both soluble and insoluble fiber. :/. Rolled oats oats are the recommended type of oats for preparing overnight oats. I use whey and warm water, but I always struggle with the idea of adding wheat flour. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. per your recipe above, 1 cup oats, 1 cut yogurt? While soaking can have some impact on the phytic acid found in oats and can lower this amount somewhat, it cannot remove as much phytic acid from the oats as was accomplished in these scientific research studies. We at Kitchen Stewardship® are not doctors, nurses, scientists, or even real chefs, and certainly the FDA hasn't evaluated anything on this blog. ): Shu, A common question, and one that doesn’t have a definite answer. Reduction of phytic acid is just one reason that traditional cultures usually soak, sprout, or ferment their nuts, seeds, and grains. Go here if you want to read more anecdotal evidence, How to Cook Frozen Ground Beef in the Instant Pot. Also, does the 3 c oats & 1 c water that you soaked come out in the end to the 4 1/2c in the recipe? I have recommended using about 10% of the complementary fresh ground grain to 90% oatmeal, though often I add a heaping tablespoon to a cup or so of rolled oats. I’m so sorry I’m so belated on your comment! Also if you are using steel cut oats which take 30-40 minutes to cook- soaking reduces that to about 5 min in my experience. If you are soaking the quick cooking steel cut oats overnight and then cooking that is fine. So reading that even a water soak helps was SO FREEING! You can use buckwheat too if you’re GF. Even though you soak the oats while making overnight oats, you are still consuming the soaking water that contains the phytic acid.After doing more research about the soaking oats, I realized that there are two ways to supercharge your soaked oats and  successfully neutralize or reduce the phytic acid in your soaked oats. Cassey, It takes some planning ahead, but if you’re already menu planning, adding the soaking step is a cinch. With all the health goals, it must noted that overnight oats is a vehicle that often includes a wide range of additions. I you use the method of bringing the oats and water to a boil and then turning off the heat, this is slow cooking and softening the oats over night. Will be doing more in the future now that I have the first time under my belt. Katie, Catherin, Kenedi is mostly right, but I don’t see why you couldn’t soak in milk w/the Tbs whey or yogurt overnight. https://www.therisingspoon.com/2018/06/overnight-steel-cut-oats.html hi! Straight from the mouth of Sally Fallon, the water should be warmer than room temp at the start. Do you strain and rinse the soaked oats before cooking? * temperature – is it hot where you are? I had never heard of adding the spelt in before! I don’t know if many people actually rave that soaked oatmeal tastes better, although after doing it for so long, I actually found that I don’t like unsoaked anymore. Good question!!! Have i been breaking all the rules of nutrition and oat preparation? Sarah, ??? I’m Katie, the voice of healthy kids cooking, and I’m on a mission to connect families around healthy food. 3. Oats are very low in the enzyme phytase which is needed to break down phytic acid. I strained it through a fine mesh nylon strainer and gave it a really good rinse with filtered water and when I add cinnamon and raisins it’s really quite delicious. Soaking grains is new and interesting to me. It just doesn’t make since to me when I think about it from a historical perspective. (The instructions say to add boiling water to 1/4 cup oats and simmer for 5-7 minutes.) If you don’t like warm oatmeal, could you try soaked granola? This website is full of easy recipes and practical tips you could do with oats and oatmeal. I’m reading so much about different ways to soak, how does one measure if the soak is successful? Hi, I just came across your website and have been reading through the comments of this article. This soaking process is recommended by Sally Fallon in Nourishing Traditions, but you won’t find it many other places. You always have such great information I want to print some things out so I can really read it for comprehension! Thanks!! They complained so I tried it an it was awful. Buckwheat is gluten free and has the phytase you need for soaking. The phytase in these other grains will work to reduce the phytic acid in the oats. Tammy, yep, really! Avoiding all foods that contain phytic acid is not recommended because a majority of them are actually healthy and nutritious. I ate it this morning but I need to admit that it was quite an unpleasant experience… I found it much too sour. Dairy kefir works great for ranch, cheese, smoothies, and as a sourdough starter or starter substitute. I highly recommend whey, which, if you don’t overdo it, hardly tastes sour at all. I used to think that the phytic acid or whatever’s bad seeps out of the grain into the water, so we throw the water away…? Soaking the oats in lemon juice and/or raw apple cider vinegar is beneficial because the acidic liquids are more effective in reducing phytic acid. If so is there another alternative for those of us who can’t eat gluten? Kate, I tried doing the soak with a tablespoon of flour and some kombucha mixed in with the water (I have a theory that kombucha is also an acidic and less sour than whey or lemon) and after 24 hours the whole concoction smells like sourdough starter. We used kefir whey, probably on the sour side. Haven’t had any thoughts on that one until right now! It’s always recommended to rinse, say, legumes, for flatulence reasons, but I don’t think one would HAVE to rinse rice. I’d have to stick to just water & lemon juice. What did I do wrong? I brew kombucha in my (fairly small) kitchen – and the air seems to be heavy with the wild yeast spores from my SCOBY farm. But if you’re just starting your real food and natural living journey, sifting through all that we’ve shared here over the years can be totally overwhelming. All we tasted was awful lemon, and we do sweeten ours. Does this eliminate the problem? And don’t despair if you don’t like it – although I think soaked is better, I don’t think regular oatmeal is going to kill you. Yes – buckwheat has high phytase too. 1. Yes, at room temperature. We like to make oatmeal with milk, not water. so was wondering if the soaked version can be done that way too. I hope I’m catching you in time to do any good – sounds like your oats did go a little long, which may or may not be okay. They are very informative & interesting. Benefits of Overnight Oats vs Cooked Oats. i think i’ll cook half the batch and mix it with the raw batch as i like the texture of raw soaked oats. 1)What did they do to them to make them “quick cook”? My “quick fix” when I get distracted and leave something soaking too long is to just refrigerate the whole thing – bowl, pot, whatever – until I cook them. And I love it. (40g portion of rolled oats). You may be right…BUT there are plenty of instances, soaking flour for example, when discarding the water is impossible. 2) Add two tablespoons whole wheat flour (ground in advance in a Nutrimill) Should it be dehydrated somehow? thanks in advance,love your blog!!! Try the soaked rolls if you have a breadmaker: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2011/02/01/seeking-the-perfect-homemade-whole-wheat-our-favorite-happy-rolls-no-4/, They do NOT taste any different than regular! =-. So I don’t add the wheat. Since I’m here, I did have a couple other questions. Hmm… Can you taste the lemon? After soaking there are lots of good things in the oats if you’ve left them long enough and it seems counterproductive to cook them; they can be eaten fermented. Currently we only soak in room temp water. https://www.heavenlynnhealthy.com/favorite-overnight-oats-recipe Great question! If you want to make your breakfast porridge truly healthy, then soak your oats overnight in either water with a pinch of salt and drain the liquid the next day, or make a bircher muesli containing oats soaked overnight in natural yogurt, grated apple and lemon juice. I’d heard that any acidic substance would work (sour milk, butter milk, vinegar, lemon juice). Soaking oats overnight with a splash of fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar will help to neutralize the phytic acid naturally present in the oats. What proportion of water to oats? Non dairy options would be yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, and whey. What do you mean by a “dip” of yogurt? Ok, you got me to do it! I googled it but didn’t find any info. .-= Kathryn´s last blog ..Post Thanksgiving =-. Cooking is one of the easiest ways to reduce the about of phytic acid in oats, but that defeats the point of overnight oats.Soaking, sprouting and fermentation are the most common methods to reduce phytic acid without cooking [2]. I soak my oats every night in my own almond milk adding 1 tablespoon of flax seeds and 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. As far as including milk, I would just soak oats in a 1:1 ratio with water overnight and then add another 1 part of milk in the a.m. for the cooking. Can I add ACV instead of whey without making it taste bad? Ingredients. I am super late to the party, here. Or does it have to be the flakes? It is talked about that you can use yogurt and buttermilk because they are fermented with friendly bacteria that help break down the phytic acid enzymatically. You’ll find recipes, research, reviews and remedies here to help you figure out how to stay healthy without going crazy! This is because the mix-ins will absorb additional moisture so the ratio needs to compensate. Buy lemons on sale and freeze the juice in 1 Tbs portions in ice cube trays or popsicle molds.