“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer
Have you ever heard of activated almonds? The first time I did I was in a rather pretentious whole foods store, and I saw a tiny bag of them for an outlandish price.
It made me wonder what made these particular nuts so very special, and so poisonously expensive.
Of course, me being me, I went straight home to do some research.
As it turns out, activated almonds (and most other kinds of activated nuts) actually are pretty special. Essentially they are almonds that have been soaked to remove a naturally occurring substance called phytic acid. In your gut phytic acid mixes with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc and inhibits these minerals from being absorbed. If you already suffer from poor digestion and absorption, or have an undermethylation issue like me, activating your almonds makes their nutrients far more available to you, as well as making the nuts easier to digest.
Of course, activated almonds are also popular because Gwyneth Paltrow and celebrity chef Pete Evans eat and endorse these little goodies.
To activate almonds and other nuts you need to soak them in water for a minimum of twelve hours. This starts germination and the sprouting process which then neutralises the phytic acid.
Making activated almonds at home is easy and way more cost effective than buying them ready-made. Also, activated almonds are yum!
Basic Method:
Ingredients: 2 cups of dried almonds, water to cover, a pinch of good salt such as Himalayan or celtic
Place nuts in a large ceramic or glass bowl (better if you don’t use metal or plastic) and cover with water until the water is an inch or more over the top of the nuts. Add the pinch of salt and stir gently to combine. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to soak for between 12 to 24 hours.
Drain and rinse your almonds. They will be lovely and plump and delicious. These can now be eaten straight away. Keep moist almonds in a covered container in the fridge and consume within a few days.
If you prefer dry almonds to moist ones, place in a dehydrator or in your oven on the lowest possible setting for a few hours or until they are crunchy. The low setting prevents important nutrients being cooked out of them. These can now be stored indefinitely.
Delicious variation: Maple Tamari Activated Almonds
Mix two tablespoons of tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) and one tablespoon of maple syrup. (or adjust quantities accordingly). Add some salt and pepper to season.
Place the activated almonds on a baking paper lined metal tray or in an unlined ceramic or glass lasagne tray.
Pour the tamari mixture over the almonds and mix well with a spoon to coat them thoroughly. Place in oven on low, low heat. Stir briefly every half hour to re-coat the almonds with the tamari mixture. Over time the mixture will become thick and syrupy. This is excellent!
Remove nuts from oven when they are done to your liking – moist or dry. Cool and store in an airtight container. Eat with gusto!
I was just about to say that this reminds me of Gwyneth! But I love that you ended up roasting them. I must try it. Looks delicious!
I was just thinking about activated almonds the other day and then saw your post not long after that.
I was thinking too about that strange kneejerk reaction people have. Now, they are seen as a silly thing by a whole stack of people who don’t know anything about them, just because Pete Evans has popularised them.
I like exploring the things that sit on the edge of popular acceptance. When they are in that initial rejection stage it makes me feel sorry for them, with people giving them a bad name through no fault of their own. It makes me automatically drawn to them … until they get really, really popular, and everybody is loving them, and then their prices go up even more in the shops.
By then it’s the reverse – you have to struggle to remember why you like them, going beyond the bounds of popular or unpopular convention 😉
Nicole Cody you are my God sent Angel… I have recently been battling with gut issues and was told to lay off nuts and diary products…I love nuts and was already suffering from withdrawal symptoms, now I can’t wait to go home and try this. Thank you Thank you Thank you.
I love almonds they are my favourite nut
Oooo these look yummo! Thanks for sharing, I too have wondered about all this ‘activated’ stuff. Will definitely be giving these a go. Cheers, Shayne
I didn’t know this. Thanks for sharing!
I love Tamari almonds 🙂
yummy! yes, always soak your nuts 🙂 it is good to get this information out to the public. thanks for posting this so more people learn about the benefits of soaking grains, beans, seeds and nuts prior to eating or cooking.