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Oat Sprouts

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Sprouting Hulless Oats

Sprouting Hulless Oats at Nouveau RawHulless oats are tender, have a mild sweetness and very quick to sprout.   You can enjoy them within a day or continue the sprouting process for up to three days. They contain a large amount of soluble and insoluble fiber. Great for breakfast, late night cereal snack, in raw bread and dehydrated raw cookies.

Activation Recommended

After all the research that I have done, I won’t ever consume another grain, nut or seed without removing all the inhibitors that block and damage our digestive system. Through the sprouting process…    “Enzymes are activated.   All seeds contain enzymes and enzyme inhibitors.

When sprouted, grains release their enzymes, and the enzyme inhibitors are neutralized. This once dormant seed has now sprung into plant life. Antinutrients are neutralized. ” Phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors are the plant’s natural defense against degradation. When sprouted, grains are given the signal to neutralize these substances that can be hard on the human body. Vitamins are Increased. 

Sprouting is said to change the way our bodies read the consumption of grain into the consumption of a plant. In the sprouting process, the vitamin count is increased as well. Carbohydrates are Reduced. When a seed or grain is sprouted, it begins taking energy from the seed and using it to create the plant life of the sprout. This means that a bit of the macronutrient counts, like carbohydrates, are changed.” (source)

As you go to make your purchase, the most important thing is to make sure that the oats are sproutable.   Look for words such as “hulless” or  “sprouting seeds” on the label.  If you are in doubt, contact the manufacturer.

If you question anything that read here, I encourage you to do your own research.   You can find varying sources of information regarding soak times, whether to add salt to that process or not, etc. I am sharing what I do, and what I find best to use, as a guideline when providing healthy whole foods for my friends and family.   For my digestive system, I find that I do better with my oats, quinoa, buckwheat, and rice… cooked.  So I still go through the soaking and sprouting process to unlock the enzyme inhibitors but then take it another step further with cooking it.  You decide which route is best for YOUR body. :)

Sprout for optimum nutrition:

Rinsing and cleaning:

  1. Place the hulless oats in a colander and rinse them for about a minute before soaking.
  2. Use a strainer that had small enough holes to where the small oats won’t fall through.

Soaking Process:

  1. Transfer the hulless oats in a bowl or quart sized jar.
  2. Add 2-3 times the amount of water to 1 part of oats.  So for 1 cup of oats, add about 3 cups of water.   Give the seeds a quick stir to ensure that water contact is made by all seeds.
  3. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar for each cup of oats.
  4. Soak for 8-12 hours.  Feel free to water your houseplants with the soak water.

Time to sprout:

  1. Pour the oats into a mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly with cool water, around 60-70 degrees (F).
  2. You can leave the oats in the mesh strainer for the sprouting session, use a mason jar or use special sprouting trays.
    • I find that keeping them in the strainer makes for less mess and easy cleanup.
    • I set the strainer inside of a large bowl to catch any of the draining water.  This important, this allows air to circulate and stops water from puddling in the oats which could encourage bacteria growth.
    • Below I also showed you how I sprouted them in a 1/2 gallon mason jar that is fitted with a mesh screen lid.
  3. Set the drained oats out of direct sunlight, and at room temperature, 70 degrees (F) is optimal. This is where your sprouts will do their growing.
  4. If using the strainer to sprout in, cover the strainer with a breathable cloth such as cheesecloth.  They like air-circulation, so don’t suffocate the sprouts.

Rinsing and draining:

  1. Twice a day rinse and drain the oats.  A good time would be right away in the morning when you are having breakfast, and then again in the later part of the day, when you are preparing dinner.  So approximately, every 8-12 hours.  If you live in a warmer climate, you might want to add in one additional rinse and drain.
  2. Remember to rinse with water around the temperature of 60-70 degrees (F).
  3. I encourage you to taste your crop of oats at every rinse session, even after the first initial rinse and soak.  They are already alive and can be enjoyed at any time during this process.

Harvesting:

  1. Harvest after 1-3 days. Taste test along the way to see where you like them.  They change in taste as they sprout more.
  2. After the final rinse/drain session (again stopping at your desired time frame), drain them as thoroughly as possible after that final rinse.  Spread out on a paper towel and blot or air dry a bit.  They will store best in your refrigerator if they are dry to the touch.
  3. Refrigerate ~ Place the sprouts in a plastic bag or sealed container of your choice and store in the fridge.
    • Use in breakfast porridges, sprinkle on top of yogurt or on top of salads for added crunch.
  4. Dehydrate:
    • You can dehydrate the sprouted oats by spreading them out on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator.  If the holes in the mesh screens are too large and your the seeds fall through, place on the teflex sheet.  Place another mesh sheet on top to prevent them from flying around when the blower fan is on.
    • Dry at 115 degrees (F) for about 4-6 hours or until completely dry.
    • Store in an airtight container.  These are great to eat by the handful, add to; granolas, yogurts, porridges, etc.
    • Or you can create an oat groat flour.

 

 

45 thoughts on “Oat Sprouts

  1. Elaine says:

    I am so happy to see this because I had read that all oat groats were blanched or something and weren’t truly raw.
    I order grains from Azure Standard and they said (about barley) that to sprout them I’d have to buy the ones they sell for animal food with the hulls on. Being hard headed, I went ahead and bought the hulless barley to try and sure enough, only a few of them tried to sprout.
    Anyway…I will definitely start looking for oat groats to sprout. Thanks for this post.

    • amie-sue says:

      I am glad this helped Elaine. It can be tricky finding sprout-able grains. But once a person does, it becomes an exciting adventure in sprout land. :) Have a glorious day! The sun is hiding behind some mystical looking fog/clouds. I am going to embrace the cozy feeling that it brings and work in the kitchen today. amie sue

  2. joy says:

    Hi amie,

    So, you don’t soak oats overnight? what happens if I soak them overnight? I bought oat groats this week (I am pretty sure they were not raw – they were organic but not raw). I soaked them overnight in acid medium, then I dried them on low heat in oven and then I ground them into fliur in my blender. Was my process wrong or did it lead to deficiency in the nutrient content of my final flour product? Thanks

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Joy… from the research that I have done over time, when using hulless oats it only takes up to an hour to soak them because they are so soft. Your process sounds just fine. I don’t see a problem with soaking them over night if you wish too… just make sure they don’t go rancid. Have a blessed weekend! amie sue

      • Joy Roxborough says:

        thank you. So much to learn . . . ! Have a blessed day yourself too!

        • Joy Roxborough says:

          Sorry, me again! why don’t you use an acid medium when soaking groats for sprouting? I see where you use the acid when soaking rolled oats . . .

          • amie-sue says:

            I use either lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar… did I forget this info? Yep, I did. Thank you Joy for pointing that out. Have a blessed day, amie sue

  3. Veronica says:

    Hi Amie-Sue! This is so informational and your instructions so clear! Just what I was looking for.☺️ I just bought myself a bag of hulless oats. They are organic but I’m not sure they are raw, but I will try to soak and sprout them anyway. I figured that if they won’t sprout it still can’t do any harm to try. I can still dehydrate them and ground them to flour even if they don’t sprout.

    Happy Walpurgis Night! If you celebrate that? Maybe it is just a Swedish tradition to celebrate the arrival of Spring with a huge bonfire. :)

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Veronica. So happy that you found this information helpful. :) It can be tricky to find raw hulless oats, these days companies are using the term “raw” so loosely. You will know soon enough. :) I am sprouting some black eye peas right now. Never done that before so we shall see. :) Have a blessed day!

      Oh, last night we went to a BBQ and bonfire… welcoming Spring in. You ought to see the size of the fire they built. Oh smokes! (pun intended hehe)

  4. Lindsay says:

    Hi Amie-Sue,
    Thanks for all the great information you have about everything raw! I have a few questions regarding oats:

    From what I have been reading, the healthiest way to eat your oats is sprouted, is that correct?

    Some manufacturers sell raw, sprouted, rolled oats. Would you still need to soak these oats before eating?

    Can you sprout raw ROLLED oats? I assume not, because they are no longer whole!

    Thanks!

    • amie-sue says:

      Good evening Lindsay,

      You are welcome. :) Let’s see if I can answer you questions. I am glad that you asked them… they are great ones and I am sure they will help others who come along and read the comments.

      Q ~ From what I have been reading, the healthiest way to eat your oats is sprouted, is that correct?
      A ~ Yes, sprouting unlocks all the nutrients and makes it easier for your body to digest them. If a whole food is sprout-able, it means that it hasn’t been subjected to high
      heat processing.

      Q ~ Some manufacturers sell raw, sprouted, rolled oats. Would you still need to soak these oats before eating?
      A ~ You shouldn’t have to. Again, the sprouting process of the oats reduces or eliminates phytic acid which inhibits the absorption of nutrients.

      Q ~ Can you sprout raw ROLLED oats? I assume not, because they are no longer whole!
      A ~ No you can’t sprout raw rolled oats, unless there is something that I haven’t heard. :) You can only sprout the whole oat groat which is in its whole food form. But
      you can still go through the soaking and dehydrating process to once again prepare them for easier digesting by helping to remove some of the phytic acid.

      I hope this helped Lindsay… if not, let me know. :) Have a blessed evening, amie sue

  5. Kelly says:

    How many days does this sprouting process last?

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Kelly,

      Harvest after 1-3 days. Taste test along the way to see where you like them. They change in taste as they sprout more.

      Have a wonderful day. Happy New Healthful Year! amie sue

      • Kelly says:

        Do they taste better if they sprout 3 days on that one to three ? I am new to this one on the sprouting. I have done the nuts but not these. Not sure what I am looking for on the taste whether good, better or best. Oh… And Happy New Year & Blessings for the year to come.

        • amie-sue says:

          Good evening Kelly,

          It’s a personal choice that you will need to experiment with. I like mine after 1 day.

          Have a great weekend, amie sue

  6. Kelly says:

    Thank you for this information. What is the best way to have a warm bowl of (sprouted oatmeal) – heat the milk only? I read that heat will destroy the nutrients but I really like hot (or at least warm) oatmeal with blueberries. Thanks again.

    • amie-sue says:

      Good day Kelly,

      I am sorry that it took me a bit to respond to you. I have been on a “walk about” for the past 6 weeks (see blog posting). I am not fully integrating back into things but I wanted to start tackling some of the questions that have been collecting. :) All that to say, I appreciate your patience with me. :)

      I too like warm oats. Sometimes I need to cook mine, all depending on the state of digestion system. We all assimilate food / nutrients differently. :) Do you own a dehydrator? You can aways create your breakfast bowl and warm it up in there. Set it at 145 degrees and warm for 15+ minutes. The core temp of the cereal won’t reach 145 degrees so you won’t be killing nutrients. Read more about that, here…. https://nouveauraw.com/dehydrating/dehydrating-at-145-degrees-explained/

      You can also place the oats, milk, etc, in a sauce pan and heat on low, warming it to finger-touch. Warming the milk or liquid will help some. I hope this helps and have a blessed day, amie sue

  7. shawna says:

    How long will the sprouted dehydrated oat groat keep?

  8. shawna says:

    opps. I posted to soon. I am planning on purchasing a Flic Floc Flaker! I would love to sprout my own groats.

    • amie-sue says:

      No worries Shawna hehe. I love the name…. Flic Floc Flaker. lol Keep me posted how it goes. :) Many blessings, amie sue

  9. […] the surface while any pebbles that may have gotten through will fall to the bottom). Once soaked, hulless oats can be sprouted because they are a healthy living grain, unlike common oats that are de‐hulled by a heat process that actually damages the whole grain. […]

  10. […] the surface while any pebbles that may have gotten through will fall to the bottom). Once soaked, hulless oats can be sprouted because they are a healthy living grain, unlike common oats that are de‐hulled by a heat process that actually damages the whole grain. […]

  11. […] the surface while any pebbles that may have gotten through will fall to the bottom). Once soaked, hulless oats can be sprouted because they are a healthy living grain, unlike common oats that are de‐hulled by a heat process that actually damages the whole grain. […]

  12. julieamici says:

    Hi Amie Sue,

    I read over the comments but did not find my answer, so I have to ask you…

    I soaked Montana Gluten Free Raw Organic Naked Oats for 9 hours, then started the drain and rinse process and continued to rinse about once or twice a day. Followed your instructions above.

    They never sprouted. It has been over 4 days, and they are starting to get a webbing around them like they are molding.
    I drained them well, and they had plenty of room to breathe.

    Do you think they weren’t raw?

    Montana’s instructions say to “soak” them twice for 8-12 hrs each, then start drain and rinse process, should i have done this?

    Thanks in advance!

    • amie-sue says:

      Good day Julie,

      I need to ask a question first… did you try sprouting Montana Gluten Free Raw Organic Naked Oats (as indicated) or where they actually Hulless Oats? They are two different things. The oats you indicated are flat, like rolled oats. Hullness oats look sort of like a rice grain but larger (as shown in my posting).

      If you are trying to sprout the flat-rolled looking version, they won’t sprout. You need to actually use the hullness oats for sprouting.

      Let me know which one you are for sure working with. blessings, amie sue

  13. Paramjit says:

    Hello Amie: I am wondering why you suggest adding lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the initial soak. Should I also add acid when sprouting beans etc.?

    • amie-sue says:

      Good morning Parmajit,

      It has been shown in studies that soaking grains, legumes, and flour in an acid medium at room temperature activates phytase and reduces or even eliminates phytic acid. The acid medium serves as a catalyst to initiate the culturing/fermenting process that enables phytase to be released.

      You can read an article on it here: https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/vegetarianism-and-plant-foods/living-with-phytic-acid/

      I hope this helps, blessings, amie sue

      • Thom Spengler says:

        I have been studying anti-nutrients for a while now. Phytase is a key enzyme used to break down phytate (an anti-nutrient).

        Unfortunately oats have very little phytase, and it is recommended to sprout them with high-phytase grains such as rye or wheat berries. Simply stir/mix about 10% wheat/rye berries into the sprout jar with the oat groats.

  14. Serina Bernstein says:

    Hi,

    How long do the oats last in the fridge once sprouted?

    Thanks,

    Serina

  15. Mimi says:

    Thanks for your website. Nice to know I’m not alone in a healthy, wholistic, integrated lifestyle. Also, thanks for these really helpful set of instructions – these are among the clearest I’ve been able to find so far! I know it takes time and effort to put an entire website together and maintain it, so I really appreciate all you’ve done to help folks be healthier.

    My only question has to do with “where”. Where do you buy sprout feasible oat groats…? What manufacturer? Thank you kindly.

  16. levi says:

    Where can I find oat groats that sprout in the UK/EU?

  17. Veena says:

    Can I make oat milk from sprouted oat groats? or should I cook raw oat groats before processing?
    Thanks.

  18. cc says:

    Hi

    Can The dehydrator step be skipped and replaced with whizzing the wet sprouted oat groats with water in a blender to make Sprouted Oat Groat Milk?

    Thank you

  19. cc says:

    I tried it though it had a funny smell. The oat groats did not sprout. The yellow hulls opened revealing the white but no sprouts.

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello CC,

      It could have happened for several reasons: were the groats truly raw when you bought them? These days it’s getting trickier because manufacturers are using lingo for sales. The most important thing is to make sure that the oats are sproutable.   Look for words such as “hulless” or  “sprouting seeds” on the label.  If you are in doubt, contact the manufacturer. Did you follow the instructions? There are several moving steps that need to be taken between soaking, rinsing, time frames, watching temps, etc. It’s really challenging for me to know exactly what happened or didn’t happen since I wasn’t there through the process. I wish I could give a straight up answer. blessings, amie sue

  20. Cc says:

    Hi

    If they are not hulless or sprouting seeds – then what can they be used for?

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