"Theola Baker" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> From: "Bruce Kleisner"
> > Do you have a book, article, or link to substantiate that
> > most nuts are dried at high temperatures, Theola or Kirt?
> > What temperature do the nuts reach during drying? Note:
> > I'm not asking the temperature of surrounding air.
>
> Well, Bruce, I was going to suggest 1) that you re-read my message,
> especially the part that says "I don't know what temps they undergo or
> whether such drying would be akin to light cooking" and 2) that you do the
> research yourself.  :-)

I've studied the topic. That's why I phrased my questions very
deliberately. I also don't see how one can get fat eating nuts
(plain, by themselves), given that nuts have almost no insulin
or blood sugar response above fasting levels. Eating nuts with
carbs (including fruit) probably would put on weight.

> However, out of my own curiosity I called Commercial Dehydrator Systems
> http://www.dryer.com/history.html
> Toll Free: 1-800-369-4283
> In a nutshell, here is what Rod Stone of the company told me.  Forced hot
> air blows through the porous nutshells to dry the nutmeats inside.
> Solid-shell nuts (ex. filberts/hazelnuts) start the drying process at 90
> degrees.  Split-shell nuts (ex. walnuts) are begun at 100 degrees.

So far, I don't see anything resembling "high temperature".
Many nuts would experience temperatures that high in native
climate. Only the most extreme raw-foodists would say that
dry heat of 90-100F damages food.

> Then for all nuts the temp is
> raised to 120 degrees max.  That's ambient air temp.  Above 120 degrees, the
> oil cells within the nutmeats will burst, causing rancidity to develop.  The
> nutmeats inside the shell heat to within about 5 degrees of the 120, so 115
> degrees, Rod said.  Total drying time takes about 36 hours.

If plants could not survive 115 degrees heat, there would be
no raw bananas or coconuts or other tropical foods. Enzymes
in raw food break down quickly from WET HEAT of 118F (liquid
foods or hot water immersion) and DRY HEAT of 150F (ambient
temperature). Unless Kirt has other information, I don't see
how he calls this "high temperature".

http://www.westonaprice.org/nutrition_greats/howell.html

-Bruce Kleisner