I've been having trouble finding the answers to my questions on other forums without the subject getting off topic..so I'll give it a go.

1st I would like to soak seeds and then store them for later use. How do you go about this? Must you dehydrate or freeze them? or can you lay them out to dry for a while? I have heard somewhere that you can leave them in their soak water in the fridge for a week (but I am not sure if that is true).

2nd when a recipe calls for ground seeds which is better for what
soaked seeds (not dyhdrated or freezed)
soaked seeds then dehydrated
Do the two different ways give different consistencies in recipes?

1) You can probably dry the seeds without using a dehydrator but it depends on the temperature and humidity where you are. Warm sun can help, as long as the squirrels don't run away with your seeds. A warm, dry place indoors might work too... do you have a furnace or boiler? Near that may be very warm and dry in the winter. Some people will use an oven on the lowest setting with the oven door open... not energy efficient, but it can work. Whatever you do, you just have to be careful that the seeds are drying out quickly enough that they don't go bad.

2) Seeds which have been soaked and not dried contain a lot more water than those that have been dried. As a result, they are sometimes more difficult to grind, depending on your equipment, and whatever you're making will contain extra water. If your recipe is supposed to stick together, extra water might make that harder. I once made a pie crust from almonds that I had soaked and not dried, and it did not hold together at all well.

Is it true that you can leave soaked seeds in the fridge for up to a week? Say u are using them for milk each morning (so no need to dry)

why do some people dehydrate then freeze their nuts/seeds?

And thanks Frances!!! I am using the seeds i am soaking right now for bread so your info is really helpful

Stacey:

You can soak/sprout seeds....and then store them in the refrigerator...sometimes for weeks. Try drying the fresh sprouts a bit and then folding them into some paper towel and then placing them in a ziplock bag. I've eaten sprouts that have been stored for weeks this way.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com