AKArtlover: about your Mom, you can't convert everyone.  Especially if they don't feel like they need it.  You know?  I tell people what I do and let them decide for themselves.  It is hard when you're close with someone.


balletomane:  You don't have to watch them.  I don't.  I stick mine in the oven before leaving for work.  And don't even think about it until I get home.  It's fine.  Yes, it's more work.  For me, it's worth it.  Completely.

Wow!!  I didn't know that about the almonds, either!!  So now...where can I buy my almonds from??????!!!!!!  

Quoted from JJR

AKArtlover: about your Mom, you can't convert everyone.  Especially if they don't feel like they need it.  You know?  I tell people what I do and let them decide for themselves.  It is hard when you're close with someone.

Yeah, it's hard. Especially because she has so many health ailments and says she wants help and wants to get off 18 meds. Sometimes I think it's all talk. Sometimes I just think she needs the right "white coat" in front of her. She has been going to our chiropractor and really respects him. I joked with my husband--if I ask him to tell her something I've already told her-- she is likely to come back to me and present it as new information and think it's the greatest. She has some information processing issues too. Have a lot of compassion for her; it's so easy for me to see the reasons both physical and emotional.

Just have to lay off, be patient, mention things casually. See what happens... And laugh in the meantime. Better than crying.    Focus on my life, doing the best I can for me. Be the example.

I feel for you.  I have a few people like that in my life.  And I don't do well with them.  I usually try and avoid them.  They drive me up the wall.  I'm learning to be more patient, but it's not easy.

i splurged today on some organic activated caramelised pecans, and they are really THAT good.
ingredients are: organic pecans, agave syrup, organic mesquite (?), organic cinnamon, himalayan sea salt. "..pecans are soaked and dehydrated @ 38-40 degrees to maintain optimum nutrition"

Quoted from narnia

Wow!!  I didn't know that about the almonds, either!!  So now...where can I buy my almonds from??????!!!!!!  

I haven't sourced raw almonds yet. You might try a health food store or a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and read the labels.

This is a very helpful thread.  I appreciate learning that I can soak other raw nuts besides almonds, and, also the reminder about soaking grains.  I had forgotten about that.  

AKArtlover: 'Rinsing away the enzyme inhibitors after soaking makes them easier to digest.'  Thanks for this tip.  I usually soak a handful of raw almonds most days, but then just pour off the soak water and eat them.  I didn't know I was supposed to rinse.  

Same here. I didn't know I had to rinse the almonds after soaking them. Now thanks to this thread I have gone out and found raw almonds from Germany and also rinsed them before eating  . I even tried dehydrating them along with some soaked walnuts and pumpkin seeds in the oven today. The almonds and walnuts turned out to be delicious with a nice crunchy texture. But the pumpkin seeds obviously require a longer time but I was in a hurry so I had to eat them soggy  

You know, I never rinse mine after soaking.  Hmmmmm......   I gotta see what the book says on that.

Quoted from AKArtlover

I haven't sourced raw almonds yet. You might try a health food store or a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and read the labels.

Just so you are aware most almonds labeled as raw in the US are actually pasteurized and the labels do not have to indicate this.

http://bulknaturalfoods.com/raw-unpasteurized-almonds.html

Thanks for that link!
Actual raw, unpasteurized. Thank you!
I'll have to follow up to see if these are similar to organic standards.

Hopefully this almond ruling will be overruled soon...

http://www.cornucopia.org/2010.....ule/?sms_ss=facebook

Question: Is it necessary to soak sunflower and pumpkin seeds to get rid of the phytic acid? They are so difficult to dry.

If you have to dry them, try to soak them only one hour (they don't necessarily need longer time). I don't know if that would help, but I hope so.

I was reading a thread about soaking nuts.. and now I learn that it's better to soak nuts before eating.

I just have a few questions.

Once I soak them, can I drain them and let them dry and then stick them back in the container? Or do I have to leave them in the water until I eat them.
Or can I soak them, then take them out of the water, and just stick them in the fridge until I want to eat them? And how long do they last in the fridge?
And should I soak them in just plain water?

Thanks.. sorry so many questions, haha

yes to all.....try some acidulated water if you wish.....
added lemon juice is what it is....

I usually soak them in water with a bit of sea salt and sometimes lemon juice, drain them and dry them in my dehydrator (EziDry) ... I used to dry them in a very low oven overnight before I got the EziDry ... The most I soaked my nuts have been 24hrs ... any longer may affect the taste, I think someone had that experience before, but it could have been a batch of bad nuts too  

Quoted from Henriette Bsec

I never soak macadamias

Wondering why you don't soak macadamias? I have soaked them in the past, but was disappointed as they lose their buttery taste & come out tasting much like coconut...

Wanted to add here - it is intriguing that when I searched on Typebase re macadamia nuts, their original country of discovery/cultivation is listed as Tasmania
Growing up there, I find that interesting, as they would take far longer to produce, due to the cooler temperatures & I think only one variety grows there...although, according to one source, it was first grown only for ornamental purposes so that may explain it macadamia nut Definition in the Food Dictionary at Epicurious.com
http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary/entry/?id=3349

Really good information here,

I just put my walnuts in water.  Little confused  -- is salt necessary or a good idea?
I didn't see salt mentioned on the chart link

Flax --- so its a good idea to soak and dry them befor grinding???

Quoted Text

From Chloe
Are you aware that each mouthful of food should be chewed a lot before swallowing?

You sound like my mother, Chloe! She never nagged, but she gently reminded us to chew, chew, chew!!! We called her Sheriff Talcum Powder when we were teenagers!

This is an older thread, but it was hard for me to find so I thought I would bring it back since we are talking about soaking and dehydrating again! (Do we ever stop talking about it??!!)

I have my first walnuts soaking right now! I have never noticed nuts bothering me in any way, but I am all for delicious food, and you make this sound just that!

Quoted from strato

**GROSS ALERT**

Does anyone know if it's normal for the nuts and seeds to come out in the same form they went in (white pieces in stool)? Seems to happen every time I consume any type of nut or seed. Soaked or not. I really want to eat them again, but it feels like they are hurting me...

Short answer is 'No'. You need to chew them longer...much longer  

Quoted from Possum

Wondering why you don't soak macadamias? I have soaked them in the past, but was disappointed as they lose their buttery taste & come out tasting much like coconut...

This could be great for us poor O's that can't have coconut anymore! Shucks, Macadamia is a black dot  

Quoted from narnia

Are the plastic dehydrators bad, really?  I have one that I haven't used in a long time.  I don't see how it could leech into the food, if it's on such a low temp., and it's mostly air circulating, and the nuts are solid entities....

I think it depends on the exact type of plastic...I have a plastic one as well...must check it out!
Either way, I would think that to dry fruit (acid) would be more likely to leach plastic out than drying nuts...

Can I dehydrate these things in my convection oven at 150 degrees?! I haven't been able to find anything in my book about it! HELP!!!!