Have you heard of a brown rice starter?

I love brown rice, with it's nutty flavour and firm texture.
Brown rice feels more filling than white rice, and it's glycemic index is lower than white rice which means it doesn't impact our blood sugar levels quite as much as white rice.
But it does take ages to cook and it also contains a substance called phytic acid.

Phytic acid is an  anti-nutrient that blocks absorption of many important minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.
To get the most nutrients from our food, it makes sense to reduce our phytic acid levels before consuming it.

To break down phytic acid an enzyme called phytase is needed.
Unfortunately brown rice is very low in phytase so requires a starter to reduce phytic acid levels.
Luckily a brown rice starter is very easy to make, and will reduce phytic acid levels by 96%.
It just takes a bit of preparation ahead of time, and as a bonus it shortens the cooking time.


How to make a brown rice starter

1. Combine 2 Tablespoons of brown rice with 2 Tablespoons of dechlorinated water.
Let soak for 24 hours.
Strain the rice, saving the liquid the rice was soaked in, discard the rice.

2. Add 1/4 cup brown rice, 1/3 cup dechlorinated water , and the reserved water from the previous soak. Soak for 24 hours.
Strain the rice, reserving the liquid the rice was soaked in.

3. Combine 1/2 cup brown rice, 1 cup dechlorinated water, and the reserved water from the previous soak. Leave for 24 hours.
Strain and reserve the liquid. This is your brown rice starter.
You can store this liquid in a jar in your fridge.

When you are planning to prepare some brown rice, add at least 10% of your starter to water, and soak your rice in it for 24hours.
Strain your rice once it has been soaked, rinse and then cook as usual.
This should decrease phytic acid content by 96% in your rice, and your rice will be quicker to cook.
Remember to save some of your soak water every so often to keep your starter going.