Sprouted Grain
and How to Sprout
A sprouted grain can make a nutrient dense bread when you learn how to sprout your grains before using them in recipes. In general, sprouted grains will give your body more health benefits than the grains that have not been sprouted.
You can also make a sprouted flour with your sprouted grains which can be used to make breads and other baked goods. The benefits of sprouting include having more nutrients available for your body to use and absorb.
And you can learn to sprout many different types of gluten free grains and pseudo grains to make many variations of nutrient dense baked goods.
Grains Require Careful Preparation
Grains contain a number of anti-nutrients that can cause health problems. Anti-nutrients include complex sugars, phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, and hard to digest proteins like gluten.
These anti-nutrients are part of the grains system of preservation from birds, insects, etc. Basically, its anti-nutrients protect the grain from being eaten by predators and will help the plant to propagate itself for future generations.
The benefits of sprouting are that many of these anti-nutrients will be deactivated which will greatly aid in the digestion of these grains.
The Basics of How to Sprout
- Wash your grains thoroughly and soak your grains in lukewarm water overnight (this provides the moisture content required to begin the germination process).
- Drain and rinse your grains the very next morning.
- Then place the grains in a sprouting container of your choice.
- Maintain a sprouting temperature of 70-80 Degrees F and be sure to rinse your grains with cool filtered water a few times a day.
- Sprouting will begin in 1 to 2 days and will end in 1 or 2 days later.
Grains or pseudo grains that can be used for sprouting are buckwheat, quinoa, spelt, oats, barley, rye, rice, and millet.
Wheat can cause a lot of problems for people and when sprouted certain anti-nutrients will be deactivated.
However, the lectin content of wheat will actually increase and this could cause a lot of gut problems for many people.
The Benefits of Sprouting Grains
- Grains have increased Vitamin and Nutrient Content when they are sprouted.
- When grains germinate, they become Predigested Amino Acids and Natural Sugars.
- Sprouting neutralizes Phytic Acid and Enzyme Inhibitors. Sprouting also inactivates Aflatoxins.
- Sprouting also helps to produce a Better Acid-Alkaline Balance in your body.
Sprouted Grain Tips to Make Sprouted Flour
After you have sprouted your grains, you can then dry them to make a sprouted flour. You can spread your sprouted grains on cookie sheets and put them in your oven on the lowest setting for approximately 6 hours or more.
You can also put them on trays in a dehydrator and dry at a lower temperature to preserve more nutrients. And the last step is putting your dried sprouted grain through a grain mill or use a high powered blender to make your sprouted flour.
You can then make breads, cookies, or whatever your creative mind can come up with when you have sprouted flour. And you will receive the many benefits of sprouting that do include better digestion.
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