I've always read that toasting nuts destroys the goodness of the oil in them. So I've forced myself to eat raw nuts for years. I really hate raw nuts.
In several places (MarksDailyApple), articles, and some Primal cookbooks, the recipes call for toasted nuts.
So is the raw nut thing a myth?
Please say yes.
Dr. Weil recommends buying them raw, roasting them in small batches and eating them in short order--there is nothing inherently wrong with a roasted nut--it's just that the nut oils go rancid much faster in a roasted nut. You won't really taste this, but it does contribute to free radical formation and inflammation. Buy raw, roast what you need, and enjoy them -- keep all raw nuts in the fridge. Possibly refrigerate your roasted nuts as well. Personally I keep most walnuts in the fridge, I keep almonds in the freezer (they are raw). I keep roasted curry cashews out (sealed in a bag--we eat these a lot.) If I wanted roasted almonds, I would take them out of the freezer and let them thaw, then roast enough for about a week only. I hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteOkay... I cannot comment on the nut thing... but I am sitting in front of a cozy fire drinking a cup of tea and eating a Primal cookie and thought of your family. I have recently starting going primal much to the chagrin of my family who miss all the baking I used to do. I recently bought a few cookbooks and would like to tell you that one called "Make it Paleo" by Bill Staley and Hayley Mason is fantastic (No, don't know them and am not getting any kick backs for the plug). I just found that the whole section on baked goods (carrot cake, muffins, cupcakes etc...) has made the transition easier for my kids who really miss the grains. The cookie I am enjoying at this moment is a Chocolate chip with.... candied bacon!. yes, I know it sounds weird, however I assure you it is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know - roasted nuts are bad because of the oils they are roasted in. Roasting them at home is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteThanks all!
ReplyDeleteThe problem is I cannot find raw nuts locally. Almost all of them are toasted. Some of them are roasted in the bad oils, but I can find some that are roasted without oil, or within sunflower oil... so I buy these.
THis helps a lot. Thanks!
And I will definitely Google that, Drail, thanks!
Heather, you should check out a food co-op in our area called Azure Standard (azurestandard.com). They have lots of organic produce, raw nuts, grass-fed beef/lamb, and lots and lots of other items. You have to create an account to see the prices (the account is free) and they have a weekly drop point in the Auburn area. You order and pay online by Tuesday evening at 6pm and the delivery truck comes anywhere from Friday to Sunday. Then you go to the delivery point and pick up your stuff! I have found that some of their things are really pricey (specifically their meats) but their produce is wonderful. A lot of times, you can get organic apples for less than a dollar a pound. Let me know if you want more info.
ReplyDeleteYep. :)
ReplyDeleteI have found raw nuts at Trader Joe's, almost all of the regular grocery stores in the baking section and at Costco. They are usually individual types of nuts, I've never found a mixture of raw nuts. I roast them at home too, it's easy and my boys love roasted nuts with sea salt. They never eat nuts out of a can but if they see them on a baking sheet coming out of the oven they are all over them.
ReplyDeleteThe curried nuts someone else mentioned are really good too. I make them at Christmas but now I want some after reading that.
hey i just found out there is no such thing as raw cashews. http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-cashews.html
ReplyDeleteapparently there's toxic liquid (like, caustic to touch) in with them and they have to be cooked to get them out.
Also I know there are no truly raw almonds unless you get them from this one company in CA and I'm not sure even they are allowed to sell them raw anymore. I think they all have to be heated or irradiated or something. So, there ya go. :)
You might want to consider using the recipe for Crispy Nuts from the Weston A Price folks. (They're very Primal friendly and gave a good review of the book in their journal) Assuming you can find a source of raw nuts (I second looking in the baking rather than snack section of the store), it's not onerous. You just soak them in salt water overnight, drain them, and them roast them at about 125 degrees for 12 hours. So assuming your stove has a pilot light or a low setting, just start soaking in the morning, drain them and put them in before you go to bed, and they'll be ready at wake up, or thereabouts. If your oven is pathetic, like mine, and doesn't have a low setting, just keep an eye on them and expect that they'll be fully dry and toasted at 200 degrees in an hour or too. Start with a small batch, since the oils do go rancid faster when toasted, and if you burn them, you don't want to have wasted too many nuts. But if it comes off right, they're crispy, buttery, and slightly sweet. The soaking neutralizes acids in the nuts that block mineral absorbtion, and the low roasting temperature protects the oils from rancidity.
ReplyDeleteNatural Grocers in Lawrence has a large selection of nuts and, they seem to be reasonably priced (the raw almonds are roughly 1/2 the price of roasted in my local supermarket). I don't know if there is a location closer to you.
ReplyDeleteGood news! Roasted nuts are more healthy than raw nuts because roasting deactivates some of the anti-nutrients. Melli is right - the problem with store-bought nuts is that they are generally roasted in bad oils like sunflower or peanut oil. When buying roasted nuts from mainstream sources choose dry roasted nuts to avoid the bad oils.
ReplyDelete