Phytic Acid Facts

• Many good-for-you foods, including whole grains and legumes, contain high levels of phytic acid. This naturally occurring acid inhibits your body’s ability to absorb beneficial nutrients. Some people are more sensitive to high levels phytic acid than others and experience food allergies as a result. Cooking alone doesn’t get rid of the phytic acid, but soaking legumes does. Sprouting the beans before cooking further reduces phytates, but this process takes several days. Adding an acid neutralizer to the soaking bath reduces phytic acid levels without requiring longer soaking times or hotter water.

Neutralizer Know-How

• Adding a neutralizing agent to the soaking water of high-phytic acid foods boosts the levels of a helpful enzyme known as phytase. These enzymes are already present in the beans. Adding vinegar, lemon juice or fermented products, such as sourdough starter or dairy, boosts the production of the neutralizing phytase to help scrub out more of the acid. While this is an effective method when soaking grains, beans become tough when acid is added to the water before cooking. Additives such as vinegar, salt or lemon juice prevent the beans from soaking up water. Once they become tough from these neutralizing agents, no amount of cooking helps to soften them.

Serious Side of Soaking

• Soak legumes using a quick-soak method or keep them submerged for 36 hours or longer. Soaking longer releases more oligosaccharides, which are the gas-causing properties of beans. Always drain your soaking water, and rinse the beans before cooking. Utah State University Extension Services cautions against longer soak times in warm water for safety reasons. The heat of the soaking water encourages fermentation and the growth of bacteria spores, which aren’t destroyed even during cooking. Cool water soaking is recommended; place your beans in the refrigerator for soaks of 10 hours or more. For quick-soak methods, boil the beans for one to two minutes, then cover and allow them to soak for one to two hours, and no more than four hours.

Bean Basics

• Be prepared for your beans to more than double their size as they expand during soaking. Choose a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, and use three parts of water per one part of dry beans. Wait to add the salt and any acidic ingredients, such as canned tomatoes, until after your beans are tender. Adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the soaking and cooking liquid helps to tenderize the beans, but some nutritional value is lost. To avoid mushy beans, don’t boil them; instead, cook them at a low simmer and add cold water during the cooking process to replace evaporated water and avoid dried-out beans.