the following article was written at the request of a particular newsletter
(not the SF-LiFE newsletter). It was originally written as a brief summary
of my much longer article, "What A Raw-Fooder Should Know About Nuts",
then was expanded to include add'l info on selected seeds, as well.
Anyway, that newsletter has since decided to not publish this article
(it seems that I (and some of my writings) am considered to be "controversial"
in certain raw circles). Oh well, their loss is your gain. I am posting
the article on 3 e-mail lists, and it will go into the queue for articles
to be published in the SF-LiFE newsletter.
Note to other newsletters: I can cut out the material on nuts, and produce
a shorter article on seeds (only). If you are interested, let me know,
and I can produce such an article quickly, by editing the article below.
I hope you find the material below of interest. Even if you have seen
the nut info before, I encourage you to read the seed material below -
there is a lot of interesting info in there (at least I think so).
Regards,
Tom Billings
[log in to unmask]
====================
Posting/Copyright Notice: This post is approved for posting on raw-food,
veg-raw, living-foods, Intestinal Health, and the Paleo diet e-mail lists.
It is also approved for M2M, "Health & Beyond" (and web site), and "REAL News".
Posting on any other list/website, or publishing in any other manner requires
advance approval. Those portions of the post below written by me are also:
Copyright 1997, by Thomas E. Billings; all rights reserved.
================================
WHAT A RAW-FOODER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT NUTS AND SEEDS
by Thomas E. (Tom) Billings
Copyright 1997 by Thomas E. Billings, all rights reserved.
Many raw fooders are not aware that some of the nuts sold legally as "raw
nuts", have been heavily processed and, in some cases, heated. The amount
of heat a nut receives during processing varies by nut. However, in some
cases the "raw nuts" are heated to the temperature of boiling water, or
even hotter. Clearly, such high temperatures can devitalize the nut.
More difficult to assess is the impact of temperatures above 118 degrees F,
the temperature at which enzymes degrade, but well below the boiling point
of water. Some nuts and seeds can be exposed to such temperatures and still
sprout. Whether such nuts are "damaged" or not, is a controversial issue
among raw fooders.
In contrast to nuts, most seeds receive relatively little processing, and
many of them sprout readily. Let's examine the standard commercial
processing, and consumption, of some common nuts and seeds.
NUTS
* ALMONDS. Whole, unblanched, raw almonds will sprout, and are popular
among raw fooders. Soak the nuts overnight, and sprout for 1-2 days. The
nuts may turn rancid if sprouted longer than 2 days. Peel the sprouts for
best flavor (blanch with hot water from the faucet for 30 seconds, to make
peel removal easier). Peeled, sprouted almonds are delicious - try them!
* BRAZIL NUTS. Brazil nuts are boiled in water prior to shelling, so the
shelled nuts are devitalized. Suggest buying in-shell nuts and cracking by
hand.
* CASHEWS. The shell of the cashew nut contains caustic substances similar
to the active ingredients of poison ivy (a related plant). Extensive
processing is required to shell the nuts. As part of the processing, the
in-shell nuts may be steamed, then they are bathed in an oil bath at 170-200
degrees C, which is more than enough heat to devitalize the nut. One could
describe "raw" cashews as pre-cooked.
* CHESTNUTS. Chestnuts have the least fat of any major nut. Most chestnuts
sold in commerce are the European or Chinese varieties. European and Chinese
chestnuts are piled in layers on a floor, and allowed to cure or "sweat" for
1-10 days, depending on variety and conditions. American chestnuts, which are
of little commercial importance, are subject to weevil infestation, which is
treated with hot water dipping (49 degrees C, 30-45 minutes). The best way
to eat chestnuts is to shell them, then peel and eat.
* COCONUTS. Sprouted coconuts are a delicacy in some tropical countries, but
are usually not available outside the tropics. Green (immature) coconuts are
available in some parts of the U.S. and are perhaps the best way to eat
coconuts. Most mature coconuts sold in supermarkets are of very low quality.
* FILBERTS (HAZELNUTS). These are dried to reduce the moisture content prior
to shipping; no precise information available on drying temperatures.
* MACADAMIAS. These are oven-dried to give a low moisture content (1.5%).
Shelled nuts may be graded in brine, which requires washing and more
oven drying. The viability of these nuts is dubious/uncertain.
* PEANUTS. Peanuts are actually a legume. Peanuts will sprout, and they
taste better if you remove the skins (easier after the dry peanuts have
soaked in water for 1 hour, at the beginning of the sprouting process).
In my experience, yellow mold is very common on sprouting peanuts, whether
commercial or organic. Caution advised - don't eat sprouted peanuts that
mold.
* PECANS. Per the regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
pecans selected for sale as shelled nuts must be pre-conditioned by
soaking in hot (near boiling point) water, to kill E. coli bacteria. This
indicates that shelled pecans are devitalized. Suggest buying in-shell,
and shelling by hand.
* PISTACHIOS. Dried within 24 hours of harvest, using air heated to 150-160
degrees F. I have seen a claim that pistachios can be sprouted, but my
attempts to sprout them were never successful.
* PINE NUTS. Milled pine nuts are low viability, as the milling process
often removes the germ. Unmilled nuts (if you can find them) are better,
and can be sprouted like almonds (leave the skin on), with similar results.
* WALNUTS. Walnuts for in-shell sale have their shells bleached, and may
be fumigated (in the past, methyl bromide was used as fumigant) prior to
storage. Shelled walnuts may be treated with an anti-oxidant to preserve
them in storage. Suggest that you buy only organic, in-shell or shelled.
Storage of nuts. Stored at room temperature, nuts will eventually turn
rancid. The time required will vary according to type of nut and local
storage temperatures. (Most nuts will last only a few months at room
temperatures.)
The best conditions to store most nuts are: just above 32 degrees F, and
approximately 65% relative humidity. The "meat tray" found in many
refrigerators provides such conditions. Nuts can also be frozen, then
moved to the refrigerator for later usage.
Note: The above is a summary of a long article on nuts, the full text of
which is available on Internet at address: <http://www.living-foods.com>.
SEEDS
* FENUGREEK. A common ingredient in the cuisine of India. Fenugreek seeds
are said to help digestion, and may be good for a hypo-active liver. The
seeds sprout readily and quickly. They can be grown long to produce greens
as well; however, the greens can be rather bitter - try both greened and
ungreened to see which you prefer. Hard seeds - seeds that don't sprout
and are hard like little rocks - are common in fenugreek. If you soak the
seeds in a large container with a flat bottom, you can pick out many of
the hard seeds at the end of the soak stage (tedious work). Alternately,
try stirring the soaked seeds in water, so the hard seeds settle to the
bottom, then carefully pour off (only) the good seeds. Neither technique
is foolproof, but they can reduce the number of hard seeds in the final
product. One caution - hard seeds may present a risk to those with
"fragile" dental work (e.g., porcelain crowns).
* PUMPKIN SEEDS. Most pumpkin seeds have a very tough hull. However, the
pumpkin seeds sold for human consumption are the 'Lady Godiva' variety
(developed by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture), which is 'naked' - it has no
hull. Pumpkin seeds can be sprouted, but they develop root shoots only
very rarely, and they turn rancid very quickly (in 2 days, sometimes less).
Recommend soaking in water (in refrigerator) and eating, rather than
sprouting. Note that some related plants (watermelon and other melons)
have edible seeds as well, but their tough hulls make eating them difficult.
* SESAME SEEDS. An important source of oil that is popular around the world,
and is that is widely used in Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of
India. Hulled sunflower seeds are usually white, and don't sprout. Unhulled
seeds may be beige (tan), brown, or black. A red form exists but is rare in
commerce. Unhulled seeds sprout nicely: sprout for 1-2 days. Surprisingly,
non-organic seeds usually sprout better than organic. The seeds may turn
bitter if sprouted too long. The seed hulls contain oxalates, an
anti-nutritive factor, the levels of which are greatly reduced if the seeds
are soaked and rinsed (i.e., in the sprouting process). Some people find
unsoaked, unhulled sesame seeds to be hard to digest. The seeds are a
heating food, as the oil they contain is very heating. (You can prove the
heating properties of sesame oil, by massaging yourself with unrefined
sesame oil, and leaving it on for 30 minutes or so - hot!)
* SUNFLOWER SEEDS. Hulled sunflower seeds can be sprouted: soak 12 hours,
pour off hulls (important - will spoil quickly if hulls left in), and
sprout for 1-2 days. Unhulled sunflower seeds are generally grown for 7
days or so, to yield sunflower greens. Unhulled seeds may be striped
(black/white or black/gray), which are grown for direct human consumption,
or pure black, which are primarily grown for oil extraction (of course,
they all can be sprouted).
An interesting fact about the sunflower plant: sunflower blooms that are
not fully mature, display a type of heliotropic motion called nutation.
The bloom faces east in the morning, turns with the sun as it moves across
the sky to face west at sundown, then turns to face east at night, in
preparation for the next sunrise. Given this property, one observes that
the name, sunflower, is very appropriate indeed!
MUCILAGINOUS SEEDS: FLAX, PSYLLIUM, CHIA. Flax seed oil is a popular food
supplement, but it is very expensive and spoils quickly. Flax, psyllium,
and chia seeds can be sprouted to yield greens, but a special technique is
required (use of a clay saucer sprouter). Also, the greens can be highly
laxative. Probably the best way to eat these seeds is to soak them in water
in the refrigerator, then grind up in a blender to eat them (can put in
drinks, use as dressing, etc.)
Storage of seeds. Refrigeration is recommended, to extend shelf life. Seed
storage is similar to nut storage (see above). Seeds that are low in oil,
such as fenugreek, chia, psyllium, can be stored at room temperature for
long periods (a year or more) before losing viability or going rancid.
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