What does it mean to activate your nuts? Yes…yes….titter… of course I wrote it that way just to get your attention!
Today I made some almond butter with almonds that I had activated, I don’t usually bother, but, at the risk of sounding like Paleo Pete, it can be a useful thing to do on a nutritional level because it means the nuts are easier to digest and the nutrients in the nuts will be more easily absorbed. This is because nuts (and other legumes) contain phytic acid which can interfere with absorption of some nutrients. Also, ingesting nuts can cause some people to have social problems in the form of wind. This is a shame because they are choc full of health benefits and make great snacks. Also, it’s nice to have friends….
Anyway, I was making this for someone who is not very well and I wanted to make sure all the amazing nutrients were available and that there would no bloating or discomfort after eating. Activated nuts are very expensive, but it’s pretty easy to do it yourself – even without a dehydrator.
I soaked these almonds for 12 hours – softer nuts like cashews probably only need three or so – and then I drained, them, rinsed them and popped them on an oven tray on a super low heat (100c) overnight – again, 12 hours is good but just check to make sure they are dry and crisp. Apart from anything else, they also taste a lot nicer. I used the thermo to turn the nuts into a semi-crunchy almond butter. YUM!!