On my recent trip to California my friend Camilla tought me all about soaking and drying nuts, and I have been obsessed with the process ever sinse. Nutritionally speaking, it is important to eat raw organic nuts, as opposed to processed nuts that have been roasted. But raw nuts contain phytic acid, which prevents us from properly absorbing their many nutrients. Soaking the nuts first removes the phytic, making them highly digestible. You can see the impurities in the water in the photo below.
Most nuts need a soaking time of eight to 12 hours, so I've found the best way is to soak them in the morning, and then dry them overnight is a warm oven, set to the lowest possible heat. By the next morning the nuts are perfectly dry and brittle. I usually toss them with a bit of olive oil, oven dried rosemary, sea salt and cayenne pepper. They should then be stored in the refrigerator, as nuts are highly perishable. I bought a bunch of small mason jars for better storage, and because they make a nicer presentation when I hand them out as healthy gifts.
As you can see below, I also soak and dry walnuts the same way. Walnuts have more omega-3 fatty acids than any other nuts, and I eat them every day.
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