Make Your Nuts Active

"When having a smackerel of something to eat with a friend, don't eat so much that you get stuck in the doorway trying to get out.". Winnie the Pooh

On the weekend I had some friends over for lunch. it was lovely to have the house filled with the warmth and comfort of true friendship and of course nourishing food. For nibbles I served some of my home made activated almonds and macadamias, which went down well. A little too well... Its important to soak your nuts before consuming, this helps to reduce the phytic acid in the nuts. Phytic acid is a form of phosphorus, found in nuts, seeds, beans and grains, which can block the absorption of other nutrients such as iron, calcium and magnesium. Phytic acid can also inhibit enzymes needed for digestion of protein and sugar. More info, including a list of foods and their phytic acid levels, can be found here. In order to neutralise most of the phytic acid, it is ideal to soak nuts for 18 hours, then dry them out at a low temp, and roast them. You can purchase pre-packaged activated nuts in the shops, at an exorbitant price. Sure it takes longer, but it's way more fun to make your own, plus you can flavour them any way you like.  So here's my recipe for activated nuts. 1-2 handfuls of your favourite nuts (I mostly use almonds and macadamias) Soak the nuts in a glass or ceramic bowl of filtered water overnight, up to 18 hours if you can. In the morning, pat the nuts dry lightly with some paper towel. Add your choice of spices, herbs and salt. I like to use sprinkles of himalayan pink salt and  Vata spice blend, which contains Cumin, Ginger, Fenugreek, Turmeric, Turbinado Sugar, Salt and Asafoetida . I sometimes also add cinnamon for a sweeter taste. Pop the nuts on a tray and into the oven on the lowest temp possible until they dry out. You can then roast them at a hotter temp until they are crispy.  Allow to cool, and enjoy! See if you can save some for later... Nat x