Nuts!

Oh, man! It’s been a long time since I had a fresh batch of nuts straight out of the dehydrator.

Light. Crunchy. That certain snap when you break one in half.

Mmmmm!

The goal was to have some nuts on hand for fall baking, but I’m telling you, these pecans are the best snack food! It may be a struggle saving some for those gluten-free, banana nut muffins I wanted to bake.

But, what’s this about dehydrating nuts? They look pretty dehydrated already.

Well, the goal is to ‘activate’ them. Shucks, just let me quote my first book, Toolkit for Wellness:

“Raw nuts are better than nuts highly processed in “Franken oils,” but raw nuts still have factors in them that inhibit proper absorption and can contribute to unhappy tummies. Enter the “activated nut,” which has been handled in such a way as to eliminate the anti-digestive phytates and to activate beneficial digestive enzymes instead.”

So, there you go.

Once you have had an activated nut, you’ll never want to go back to using the others.

Here’s the process for activating raw nuts right at home:

Using glass bowls, dissolve about 1 teaspoon of sea salt in 6 cups of water; add raw nuts, and soak.

My large bag of nuts from Costco requires two large bowls. The nuts will swell with water, so you need to give them enough room.

The water will turn quite brown. I have found that non-metal bowls work best as the brown nut residue can stain the metal ones.

Walnuts, almonds, and pecans can soak for 12 hours; cashews take just 6 hours.

Pour the soaked nuts and the water into a colander placed in the sink and thoroughly rinse them. Spread the rinsed nuts onto a large towel, rolling the towel up to let it absorb any extra moisture for a few minutes.

Remember the brown residue? The rinsed nuts will also leave a bit of color, so, I recommend using a large old bath towel dedicated to nuts (and blueberries!).

You can then move on to the dehydrating process.

If using a dehydrator, spread the nuts out in a single layer, leaving a bit of space between each one for air circulation. Place the trays into the dehydrator set to 115-125 degrees Fahrenheit (temperature for “living foods”) and set the timer for twelve hours.

Test one for dryness when time is up; add time as needed.

If using the oven method, spread nuts out on large baking trays – do not crowd them. Set oven for the lowest temperature possible.

The drying time will be shorter since the temperature is higher than the dehydrator. Stir the nuts every hour and check for crispness after 6 hours.

Store activated nuts in a closed container in a cool environment. Nuts can be frozen for longer storage.

Honestly, these activated nuts have such unique qualities of flavor, crispiness, and are gentler on the tummy – your baked goods will shine!

Then, again, you might just forget the sugary baked goods, save time, and use these as holiday snack food gifts!

In health –

Deidre

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