Soaking--Throw water away or use it?

[nukuspot]

If I soak my oats overnight for oatmeal for DH and DD---(I'm trying grain free right now) what do I do with the soaking water? Do I cook the oats in the soaking water or throw it out? Do I need to rinse the oats first? I'd love some "soaking guidelines". Thanks!

[newcastlemama]

Originally Posted by nukuspot

If I soak my oats overnight for oatmeal for DH and DD---(I'm trying grain free right now) what do I do with the soaking water? Do I cook the oats in the soaking water or throw it out? Do I need to rinse the oats first? I'd love some "soaking guidelines". Thanks!

I just cook the oats in the soaking water. I do not rinse them or anything.

[PreggieUBA2C]

Originally Posted by newcastlemama

I just cook the oats in the soaking water. I do not rinse them or anything.

Me too.

We couldn't separate them at that point anyway because we eat ours milled rather than just cracked or whole.

[Magelet]

I usually drain (but not strain) the oatmeal, and then cook mostly in fresh water. things like rice and beans, I cook in fresh water as well (those I sometimes strain sometimes drain).

[Elizabeth2008]

I'm so confused by this myself because I hear that the oats have all this phytic acid which is so bad for you, but if you soak them, isn't it all in the water? Shouldn't you drain it out?? Makes no sense to me!

[ursusarctos]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth2008

I'm so confused by this myself because I hear that the oats have all this phytic acid which is so bad for you, but if you soak them, isn't it all in the water? Shouldn't you drain it out?? Makes no sense to me!

I think I read somewhere (maybe whole health source?) that the soaking water actually contains phytase, which is the enzyme that breaks down phytic acid, so you can use it in cooking. The soaking/fermenting activates the phytase that is already in whole grains, which then goes to work on the phytic acid.

I personally do not drain my oats because it would be such a mess as I use flaked oats. I just boil a little water in my pot and then whisk in the soaked oats in their water.

[CookiePie]

I'm taking notes!!!

[Magelet]

I don't think it is that the phytates leech into the water. I think what it is, is that the soaking activates the enzymes that break down the phytates to enable the grain to grow. The parts of the grain don't "know" that they are broken up into rolled oats or steel cut or whatever, and can't grow, and the extended moisture is the thing that normally would start them sprouting into plants, so they get ready to start sprouting, which is requires reducing the phytates.

[PreggieUBA2C]

Originally Posted by Magelet

I don't think it is that the phytates leech into the water. I think what it is, is that the soaking activates the enzymes that break down the phytates to enable the grain to grow. The parts of the grain don't "know" that they are broken up into rolled oats or steel cut or whatever, and can't grow, and the extended moisture is the thing that normally would start them sprouting into plants, so they get ready to start sprouting, which is requires reducing the phytates.

Yes to this.

I have drained soak water when it happened to be from a grain that made the soak water slimy or gooey. I can't remember which one did that... maybe it was a legume when I was still trying to make my body accept them. I haven't drained or rinsed anything that I've soaked in a very long time.