You could inadvertently be buying nut meats that have been coated with this trasparent VEGE-COAT(tm) coating process, but not have it always be included on the nutritional label of the products being coated (including candies, nutritional supplements, pharmaceutical tablets and the manufacturer is looking for ways in which to make the process applicable to fruit, et cetera). According to the manufacturer, VEGE-COAT(tm) is an edible coating produced by combining the maize protein, zein, with other ingredients.

• VEGE-COAT(tm) | http://www.garudaint.com/product.php?id=95&prod_code=VEGE-COAT&rb=VEGE-COAT
  

Zein is a class of prolamine protein found in maize, and is usually manufactured as a powder from corn gluten meal. Too, according to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, zein can be further processed into resins and other bioplastic polymers, which can be extruded or rolled into a variety of plastic products.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems like something people wouldn't want on their food, regardless of blood type, especially if they're wanting to eliminate corn and/or gluten from their diet.

Anyhow, with ever increasing attempts by food manufacturers to use non-nutritive shelf life-enhancing tactics like this, ever more reason to know the supplier of your nut meats and to buy directly from reputable organic farmers whenever possible. Even with nuts (and seeds) from the best of sources, it's still a good idea to soak them overnight in warm salt water to neutralize their enzyme inhibitors while encouraging the production of beneficial enzymes. Fortunately, nuts and seeds don't contain as much phytic acid as grains but they do contain high levels of enzyme inhibitors that warm salt water helps to neutralize. (Apologies to those who already know this and feel like this last paragraph is "preaching to the choir.") <~;

http://www.dadamo.com/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-btdlf1/m-1276436210/s-50/

a very popular theme.....

Wow, thank you, Conor.

Could explain why some people still feel like they're having corn reactions even though they've done their best to take corn out of their diet.

I agree Ribbit!! Thanks for the link Conor

I emailed Trader Joe's a while ago and they assured me that there was no corn in their almonds.

I've eaten some contaminated nuts lately for sure.  

Quoted from Conor

Even with nuts (and seeds) from the best of sources, it's still a good idea to soak them overnight in warm salt water to neutralize their enzyme inhibitors while encouraging the production of beneficial enzymes. Fortunately, nuts and seeds don't contain as much phytic acid as grains but they do contain high levels of enzyme inhibitors that warm salt water helps to neutralize.<~;

I'm wondering if doing this to hulled walnut halves would make them too mushy?  I don't want to experiment due to them being so expensive.    

Maybe experiment with a tiny amount, like 2 walnut halves?

I also want to point out that soaking roasted nuts will have no effect. Only raw nuts can benefit from soaking to activate enzymes. Those enzymes are destroyed in the roasting process. According to some opinions, roasting also destroys "anti-nutrients" that interfere with absorption, making soaking un-necessary for roasted nuts.

Quoted from Enobattar

I'm wondering if doing this to hulled walnut halves would make them too mushy?  I don't want to experiment due to them being so expensive.

Enobattar, hi, walnuts are one of my superfoods so I use them almost daily. What I do is soak a week's worth of them at a time and, once they've finished soaking, lay them out single-layer in my food dehaydrator trays and let them dry out.

Alternately, if you don't have a dehydrator, you can accomplish pretty much the same thing by setting your conventional oven to its lowest setting (most are 170-degrees but some of the newer ones will allow you to adjust them even lower). Let the oven warm up to temperature with the door closed and, in the meantime, lay out the walnuts single-layer on one or two cookie sheets. Once your oven has warmed to temperature, place cookie sheets on oven racks and leave oven door cracked open two to three inches. This should allow a gentle heat to evaporate the walnuts without destroying their enzymes or harming their flavor (actually, I find that soaking and dehydrating really enhances the flavor while minimizing any inherent bitterness).

To everyone that said 'thanks,' my pleasure. Likewise, I thank you for the good informational posts I find from so many on these forums. Pretty awesome of Doctor D'Adamo to provide us with such an excellent forum resource. Too many times nutritional and/or lifestyle forums are, at best, an afterthought meant solely to boost sales for various parties ... but these forums definitely are not. Really appreciate them. (:

Quoted from ruthiegirl

According to some opinions, roasting also destroys "anti-nutrients" that interfere with absorption, making soaking un-necessary for roasted nuts.

The most serious concern I have, ruthiegirl, about the roasting of nuts is the acrylamide formation that occurs in roasted nuts, especially those with higher levels of the amino acid asparagine; e.g., almonds, hazelnuts, et al. Since acrylamide is a potential carcinogen, and easily avoidable by not high-heat roasting nut meats, I prefer to avoid the roasted varieties. I know the scientific community is still not agreed as to exactly what harm there might be from the levels of acrylamide in roasted nut meats. I'd just rather take the 'better safe than sorry' path.

Too, just as high-quality olive oil is somewhat delicate and really should not be cooked with at high temperatures (oxidizes and destroys part of the flavor profile), most nut oils are also fairly delicate. The high heat at which the nut meat processors roast the nuts oxidizes their oils. Personally, I think it destroys the true flavors of the respective nuts. I know some people really enjoy the flavor of salted, roasted nuts. So did I until I learned what I was missing out on, flavor-wise, by preparing them in a more traditional manner. Just my two pennies. (:

Quoted from Conor

What I do is soak a week's worth of them at a time and, once they've finished soaking, lay them out single-layer in my food dehaydrator trays and let them dry out.

Alternately, if you don't have a dehydrator, you can accomplish pretty much the same thing by setting your conventional oven to its lowest setting (most are 170-degrees but some of the newer ones will allow you to adjust them even lower). Let the oven warm up to temperature with the door closed and, in the meantime, lay out the walnuts single-layer on one or two cookie sheets. Once your oven has warmed to temperature, place cookie sheets on oven racks and leave oven door cracked open two to three inches. This should allow a gentle heat to evaporate the walnuts without destroying their enzymes or harming their flavor (actually, I find that soaking and dehydrating really enhances the flavor while minimizing any inherent bitterness).
(:

Thanks, Connor.  Very encouraging.   I'll try it.  

I got a tip yesterday from the Acupuncturist on drying nuts/seeds.  Apparently after the soak, boil them for 5 minutes and then take them out quickly and the heat will help them dry off very fast.
I haven't actually tried it yet but have some walnuts soaking that I will try tonight.
Lin

So I did the experiment and boiled walnuts and pumpkin seeds and then put them in the oven on lowest setting for a brief time. They came out great.

Quoted from Lin

I got a tip yesterday from the Acupuncturist on drying nuts/seeds.  Apparently after the soak, boil them for 5 minutes and then take them out quickly and the heat will help them dry off very fast.
I haven't actually tried it yet but have some walnuts soaking that I will try tonight.Lin

& boiling them for 5 minutes doesn't destroy the nutritional element?

Quoted from Possum

& boiling them for 5 minutes doesn't destroy the nutritional element?

Hi Possum, I think it definitely impacts (negatively) the enzymes in the nuts/seeds. Here's why:

And, here: Enzymes and their impact: an interview with Brenda Davis, R.D.

Thanks Conor - great article!! - I kinda thought it would have to be that way...

Conor, that makes sense.  thanks, Lin

I've only recently started soaking nuts.  Do you HAVE to 'dry/dehydrate' them?

I've been soaking a couple days worth of walnuts overnight in salted water. In the morning I just rinse them, lay them out and 'dry' them manually with a towel and then let them air dry a little longer. Then I store them in the fridge until I want them.

I was surprised, but they are actually still crunchy enough. A tender crunch, but still crunchy-good. And not bitter at all. In fact, my type O hubs always said he didn't like walnuts due to the bitterness, but now says these are good. I do get organic walnuts to start with though, and I do think they taste better...  

Anyway, seems simple enough. I don't have a dehydrator and don't usually want to run my oven either.

I am guessing it would all depend on how many you soaked & how long you wanted to keep them... Obviously the longer you wanted to keep them & the more you soaked, the risk of them going mouldy increases...

I haven't had any of them mold in the short time I've kept them in the fridge...

I wonder if it would be ok to freeze them after air-drying?

Seems like that would hold off the mold too...  

Freezing nuts should work... Maybe it is only something you will find out by trying though? I froze some almond meal the other week, as I still had some left in the fridge, of the bag I'd already bought...

veggiequeen, sounds like you have a perfect plan for your walnuts!

http://www.livingnutz.com/2011/04/the-truth-about-almond-pasteurization-methods/

Someone please tell me this isn't true.  I'm looking at getting my own trees.  I don't understand why we can't just have our food in it's natural state.  Unpoisoned

Eeek & Sheesh!!

I have worked both in growing nuts and the production of nut products. Freezing is necessary if you intend to store the nuts for an extended period of time. Not necessary for short periods of times.