How to soak plain oats.

February 20, 2013 - 29 Comments

Yesterday was a good day of getting back to the day-to-day routine of life. There is no doubt the inevitable letdown after a trip, but none-the-less, I am a creature of habit and enjoy the small tasks at hand each day.

After all, there was bread to be baked. And deodorant, toothpaste, and face cream to be made. There was also rabbit feed to buy and worms to be fed.

There was also granola to be made. Sweet, sweet, granola.

I haven't bought a box of breakfast cereal in years and granola is the only reason why. It's essential for me to keep it on hand – it's the quick & easy snack (or meal) when we're in a rush or need a little extra something alongside our eggs in the morning.

Which is always. What can I say? I like a big breakfast.

I've posted two granola recipes on the blog – this one (mind you, I now add three tablespoons of cinnamon to it!) and this one. While I loved the soaked granola that I often make, I also do love my original granola recipe. Couple that with the fact that I often make these cookies and it only seems right for me to keep soaked oats on hand for such occasions.

Oats are one of the grains highest is phytic acid, which blocks minerals absorption in the gut. In order to help break down the phytic acids, we soak or sprout our grains before consumption, as presented in Nourishing Traditions. Man, I love that book.

I also love having soaked oats on hand.

So let's rock it.

Soaked Oats
You will need:
– Organic, rolled oats
– Filtered water
– Yogurt, lemon juice, whey, or apple cider vinegar

Step One: Add desired amount of oats to a large mixing bowl. Add a cup of filtered water and stir to combine. If needed, add another cup and stir again. We do not want the oats completely submerged in water. The idea is simply to wet the oats until they are all slightly damp. Stir a little bit of water in at a time until you've reached the desired wetness.

Step Two: Add in 1 tablespoon of yogurt, lemon juice, whey, or vinegar for every cup of oats that was added to the bowl. For example, my granola recipe calls for 6 cups of oats which means I use 6 tablespoons of yogurt to soak in with. I tend to favor yogurt because it adds a nice flavor to the oats. Mix to combine.

Step Three: Cover the oats and allow them to soak for 24 hours.

Step Four: Spread the oats thinly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in the oven on the lowest setting until completely dry (about 12 hours). This step can also be completed in the dehydrator, which is what I typically use.

Every so often, get your hands in there and break up the small chunks of oats to ensure they get completely dry.

Once they're dry, the oats can be stored as normal until they are used. This is a great way to make sure you always have properly prepared oats on hand for cookies, breads, muffins, last-minute oatmeal, or granola.

Not that any of us would ever procrastinate or anything.

Ahem.

That being said, guess what I'm NOT trying to procrastinate on?

This year's garden!

As the good Lord would have it, a reader of mine (whom I've never met) volunteered a small piece of her land to me to use for a garden in trade for freshly made bread.

Land for bread, people!

More on this to come. But you can be sure that I've been a busy little beaver planning the patch.

Not to mention we pick up the rabbits this weekend!

Let the homesteading, and oat soaking, begin!

For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.