Seed Soaking Question Regarding Baking

[Metasequoia]

I always soak & dehydrate our nuts & seeds but lately, I've been grinding my pumpkin seeds into flour for baking. If I'm going to bake with them, is there any reason to soak them beforehand? It would be nice to eliminate this step if it's useless.

[Metasequoia]

[Metasequoia]

Pretty please with raw honey on top? :

[Junegoddess]

I would guess that if you soak your batter for baking, that ought to take care of the seeds as well.

But I don't know, really. It's a phytate thing with seeds, too, right? Or is there another process at work?

[WuWei]

According to The Nourishing Gourmet: "Unlike grains, nuts contain smaller amounts of phytic acid. Their real issue for us is having high amounts of enzyme inhibitors. These enzymes are useful to seeds and nuts because it prevents them from sprouting prematurely. But they can really strain your digestive system (which is probably why my body wasn't wanting me to eat to many of them raw!).

Soaking your nuts in warm water with neutralize these enzyme inhibitors, and also help encourage the production of beneficial enzymes. These enzymes, in turn, increases many vitamins, especially B vitamins. It also makes these nuts much more easier to digest and the nutrients will be more easily absorbed."

ETA: I am learning a bunch from this free, online class about phytic acid: http://www.rebuild-from-depression.c...ytic_acid.html


Pat