Here's a message from Bob Avery, posted with his permission.

-Sol

> Someone forwarded me a copy of your post to raw-foods (as perhaps you
> know, Peter has banished me).

> You happen to have stumbled onto one of the few foods that can't be eate
> raw --- lima beans.  It turns out that most large beans --- kidney beans,
> lima beans, some people have trouble with fava beans, but i haven't,
> contain toxins that are not deactivated by soaking.  I once tried soaking
> lupinis, another large bean, but they were so bitter I had to throw them
> out.  A dozen raw kidney beans will kill a mouse (and maybe a human) I'm
> told.  I don't consider it to be any sacrifice being on a totally raw
> food diet to just not eat large beans.  There are so many other great
> foods out there!

> With pepitas (pumpkin seeds), I find that they are fine soaked so long as
> i don't try to sprout them.  Then they turn bitter.  Soak about 4 hrs,
> then rinse and eat.  If you forget and soak them longer, or overnight, I
> think they will be okay so long as you haven't already drained and rinsed
> the initial soak water yet.  Sesame seeds turn bitter on me too if
> sprouted.  You just have to experiment.

> But soaked nuts?  I'd never eat 'em any other way!  To may, dry pales by
> comparison.  It also keeps you from overeating them.  I decide the night
> before how much I'm going to soak for the next day (usually 2 oz these
> days), and when they're gone they're gone.  If I'm still hungry when I'm
> done, too bad.

> If you want to share any of this with raw-foods, feel free.

> Bob Avery ([log in to unmask])