Whole nuts and seeds are pretty shelf stable and portable. They provide valuable nutrients and they really brighten up things like banana bread or an ice cream sundae. Nut butters are also really delicious. While nuts and seeds provide an abundance of nutrition, they also naturally carry an anti-nutrient called phytic acid that binds up the nutrients as a way to preserve the nuts and seeds until they are prepared to be consumed. When nuts and seeds are correctly prepared (by soaking nuts and seeds!), they are easily digestible, are less likely to cause digestive distress and won’t disrupt the nutrient absorption in the intestines. Many times people that struggle with dental decay eat an abundance of such things without properly preparing them among other issues in the diet. Human beings don’t have the same digestive system in place as squirrels or birds. The good news is that there’s an easy remedy. Traditional societies are smart and have done this since forever. They soak nuts, seeds, beans and grains before consuming and depending on the variety they add either an acidic medium, basic medium or salt in order to neutralize any anti- nutrients.
Soaking nuts and seeds and drying them for consumption is not only easy, but nuts and seeds have a WAY better flavor profile when they are properly prepared. While I pay attention to food preparation guidelines given by the Weston Price Foundation and folks like Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, author of “Gut and Psychology Syndrome,” I’m a foodie at heart and what I notice the most other than better health is increased flavor. I’m all about the flavor! If this lifestyle wasn’t delicious, I wouldn’t stick with it. Not a chance. Around my house we call soaked and dried nuts and seeds, crispy nuts or crispy seeds.
Certain seeds are even considered to be medicinal. For instance, pumpkin seeds are known for their ability to get rid of intestinal parasites. Medicinal or not, I really love the crunch they add to certain dishes, especially desserts and I also really love a soaked cashew butter made at home in the blender. Eating it with apples or pears is one of my favorite things to snack on and I don’t want a stomach ache or any cavities to form in my teeth from regular enjoyment of my favorite things. Who would? I also very vividly recall during my days of eating almonds for a snack when I was on a really crappy health kick in high school that I would eat them and feel totally exhausted afterwards. Of course they weren’t properly prepared. Foods that are hard to digest make me feel very tired and who has time for that? Not me!
So, let’s get soaking and drying!
Instructions:
Use only raw nuts or seeds, never roasted.
For every 4 cups of nuts, use 1 tablespoon of salt and cover with filtered water (here).
For pecans and walnuts: soak 12 hours
For peanuts, almonds and macadamia: soak 7 hours
For cashews: soak 4-5 hours (too much and they will get slimy)
Pumpkin Seeds: 7 hours or overnight
Rinse well before drying in a 150F oven or in a dehydrator (here).
Once cooled, store in an airtight glass jar.
I started with some raw nuts from Costco. You can read about all the Real Food they have here.
Put them in a large bowl.
Add the salt on top.
Cover with filtered water and soak for the amount of time required based on the nut variety or seed.
After this time, rinse well.
Place in a dehydrator or an oven tray/trays to dry. If they are loaded on, it can take up to 12 hours to dry, if they are spread apart in a single layer, it may only take a few hours. If layered, mix them around every few hours. When they are dehydrated, the rich color they originally had will return.
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