Soaking Nuts and Seeds

Much like beans and other legumes, nuts and seeds should be soaked, or sprouted for the best nutrition and digestibility. Nuts are best soaked in a salt water solution, similar to beans and other legumes. They can then be drained, rinsed and stored in the fridge for snacking, up to a week, or you can dehydrate them for a crunchy version. Store dehydrated nuts at room temperature, or in the freezer. You will likely notice an improvement in flavor as well, for instance, the bitterness of walnuts is greatly reduced. When dehydrated, these nuts are great for making this easy raw nut butter.

Soaked Nuts and Seeds

• 1 1/2 cup nuts and/or seeds

• 3 cups water

• 1 tsp. salt

1. Place nuts or seeds in a container 3x the volume of the amount being soaked. The nuts, or seeds will expand, so you want to give them enough room.

2. Add water and salt.

3. Stir to incorporate salt and soak for 12-24 hours.

4. After 12-24 hours, drain and rinse the nuts or seeds. Place a kitchen towel or paper towel on the counter and spread the nuts, or seeds on the towel. Pat them dry with another towel. You will not be able to remove all the moisture, but remove as much as you reasonably can by just patting them.

6. You can then place the nuts in an airtight container and store in them in the fridge, for up to a week. If you like them soft, go ahead and enjoy them as a snack. Otherwise, sometime during the week you can dehydrate them until crispy.

7. If you don't have a dehydrator, place the nuts in an oven on the lowest temperature, usually 170, and bake for 3-6 hours, or until crispy. The length of time will depend on the size of the nut or seed, and how dry they were to begin with.

TIPS

Nuts will mold if they are not crispy and have too much moisture when storing at room temperature.

Nuts can be stored in the freezer for longer storage.