Why soak almonds?
Almonds have many beneficial properties, making them extremely popular among vegetarians and health-conscious people. Nuts have a high concentration of fatty acids and contain no cholesterol at all.
According to Ayurveda, it is not enough to eat certain foods. Any food product must undergo special preparation to obtain its maximum benefits. The Indian practice is to soak the almonds overnight. Adherents of Ayurveda believe that eating soaked fruits helps regulate stomach acidity and prevents heartburn.
Almonds are a storehouse of nutrients. It contains proteins, fiber, vitamin E and essential minerals. These elements are beneficial to the human body. They support the health of many organs and systems. However, nutrients, especially micronutrients, are poorly absorbed by the body when a person consumes raw almonds.
Improves heart health
Almonds are rich in magnesium, potassium and protein. All of these substances are beneficial for heart health. When the nut is soaked, it retains all its beneficial properties.
Russian Sputnik V entered the top 3 most popular vaccines against COVID-19
Found a way to remove bias from the decision-making process
Rhinestones, lace, train: Elena Vorobey is getting married in an expensive dress
Do I need to wash nuts before eating?
Nuts must be washed before use, especially if they are bought in bulk from the market or somewhere else. Moreover, you need to wash both shelled and shelled nuts.
Firstly, due to the fact that the nuts were lying in the open air, they are simply covered in dust and particles of dirt from the surrounding area, even though this may be completely unnoticeable. They can also contain viruses, bacteria, and even parasite eggs, after all, from people who were near them, breathed on them, touched them with their hands.
Secondly, in order for the nuts to be stored longer, and also to prevent them from being eaten by food moths and other pests, of course, they can be chemically treated in some way.
Therefore, be sure to wash the nuts. And even those that are sold packaged in a store are better, and not just loose from the market. Salted ones fried in oil, of course, should not be washed, and perhaps also those produced by some foreign or our premium brands. But all the rest, which are cheaper, need to be washed - judging by their appearance, these are the same nuts that are sold by weight on the market, just distributed in packages.
Which nuts need to be soaked before eating?
It is best to use an environmentally friendly product, not treated with chemicals. If possible, the fruits are collected independently. You can choose any type - for example, walnuts, common in our country. They are cleaned, washed and soaked in portions. A glass is enough for one use - more product may spoil. The awakened kernels are stored for no more than three days in the refrigerator.
If you are using a store-bought product, you should pay attention to the appearance. Choose to your taste, but keep a few points in mind:
- the kernels must be whole;
- the nut in the husk is better protected from fungi and other harmful factors;
- if you buy in a supermarket, look at the bottom of the bag or box - if there is nut dust there, and the surface has small holes, it means that a bug is snacking on the treat. It is better to refuse such a purchase immediately.
We recommend: 7 products for virus protection
Best ways
The fastest
You can quickly peel a large amount of almonds using a rolling pin or a dry towel after blanching.
It will help to free almonds from their shells in the shortest possible time.:
- garlic press;
- pliers;
- nutcracker
Kernel safe
The safest way to remove the skin from a nut is to soak it in cold water . This cleaning method eliminates heating, which means it allows the kernels to retain a maximum of useful components.
Advice
Maximum integrity of the kernel when freed from the shell is ensured by a nut cracker - this device is designed specifically for cleaning nuts and helps keep almonds safe and sound.
Suitable for several nuts
You can quickly peel a few nuts using a knife . There is no need to waste time soaking or boiling the product before cleaning. However, this method is the most traumatic for nuts: the knife, along with the skin, also removes part of the kernel itself.
How to soak almonds
Soaking almonds is easy—and much cheaper than buying pre-soaked almonds from the store.
Here's an easy way to soak it overnight:
- Place almonds in a bowl, add enough warm, clean water to completely cover, and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon salt for every 1 cup (140 grams) of nuts.
- Cover the bowl and let sit on the counter overnight or for 8 to 12 hours.
- Drain and rinse. You can also remove the skin for a smoother texture.
- Pat the almonds dry using a clean paper towel.
The soaked nuts can be eaten immediately.
You can also dry them in several ways:
- In the oven . Preheat the oven to 79°C and place the almonds on a baking sheet. Dry for 12-24 hours or until dry.
- In a dehydrator . Spread the soaked nuts in an even layer on one or two trays. Set dehydrator to 68°C and dry for 12 hours or until crisp.
It is best to store soaked almonds in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Conclusion:
To soak almonds at home, just cover them with water in a bowl and leave for 8-12 hours. If you prefer a crispier texture, you can dry it in the oven or dehydrator after soaking.
The main reason
Many people don't understand why nuts are soaked before eating. So, in almond peel there are two types of inhibitory substances that slow down digestion:
- Tannin. This phenolic compound inhibits the process of seed germination. Tannin is a natural antioxidant and at the same time interferes with the absorption of nutrients in the human body. There is a possibility that this substance may bind to proteins and interfere with their normal digestion.
- Phytic acid. Affects the activity of enzymes (pepsin, trypsin, lipase and amylase) that break down fat, protein and starch. Interferes with the absorption of iron, zinc and magnesium, leading to a lack of these microelements and problems with bone tissue. Disrupts vitamin D metabolism.
Luckily these chemicals are water soluble. If you soak nuts overnight, the tannin and phytic acid will remain in the water.
Research has revealed that the absence of phytic acid increases the absorption of magnesium by 60% and the absorption of zinc by 20%. Soaking almonds before eating makes the product easier to digest, even for people with a sensitive digestive system.
You need to soak not only almonds, but also other nuts before eating. However, it must be remembered that long soaking may dissolve some B vitamins.
A soaked nut is noticeably different from a dry one. It is soft and sweeter. The satiety does not change.
Is it possible to buy shelled nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts)?
Many people are primarily interested in whether it is possible to buy already shelled nuts in the store and on the market? The answer to this question depends on how many nuts you are going to buy, whether you will eat them right away or whether you will need to store them for a long time (buy for future use), and also whether you are confident in the product you are purchasing (have you already bought nuts at this outlet and you I liked the quality of the purchased nuts).
It is always better to buy shelled nuts in small quantities in order to eat them immediately or use them in preparing certain dishes, since having lost their protective shell, the shelf life of all types of nuts is reduced several times (the requirements for storage conditions for shelled nuts also change). Also, when buying shelled nuts, it is important to choose a quality product, because it is not known in what conditions the seller stored these nuts and for how long (this is important when buying shelled nuts by weight, when there is no way to know the expiration date, unlike nuts packaged by the manufacturer).
If you choose the right one, unshelled nuts will be a good buy and will save you from the tediousness of cleaning them at home, while if you buy nuts in stock, they can be preserved at home using the tips given below.
Why do you need to soak nuts?
The soaking procedure helps to avoid unpleasant sensations and help the body quickly absorb healthy protein. It awakens dormant kernels and starts the germination process. As a result, the taste changes along with the structure, the nut is enriched with enzymes that are responsible for the development of the sprout, and harmful phytic acid is eliminated.
The presence of phytic acid is noted in almost all types of nuts. During ripening, it provides the fruit with natural protection from premature eating in the natural environment by animals or birds. By the time of maturity, a small percentage of phytin remains in the kernel. But with constant consumption of raw nuts, acid can accumulate, causing harmful effects.
Explaining why you need to place the kernels in water before eating, nutritionists also note the harm of daily consumption of roasted nuts. If soaked almonds acquire the softness of marzipan with the aroma of exquisite amaretto and enrich the body with beneficial enzymes, then fried almonds produce the opposite effect.
During heat treatment, the oils contained in the composition interact with phytic acid and tannin (concentrated in the shell), as a result of which they oxidize. The amount of oil that increases during frying can cause discomfort in the stomach.
The benefits of consuming soaked nuts are observed if the daily intake does not exceed 300 g.
How to roast nuts correctly
I do not recommend frying nuts in a frying pan. Then the roasting will most likely be uneven, even if you stir them constantly. It would be better to use an oven. Also, if you roast in the oven, you can control the temperature and not let it go beyond the smoke point of the nut oil, otherwise it will begin to turn into a harmful form. And this, in general, is one of the advantages of frying nuts yourself, rather than buying them already roasted.
How and for how long to roast nuts in the oven
I find the optimal oven temperature to be 150 degrees since nut oil smoke points start at 160 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, cashews and almonds, for example, reach a degree of roasting that suits me in 8-10 minutes.
The nuts should be spread evenly on the baking sheet in one layer. If space allows, it is better to distribute them so that they do not touch each other - they will fry more evenly.
I haven’t tried roasting nuts in the microwave because I simply don’t have one. Various things are said on the Internet about microwave ovens and their harmful effects on food. It’s not clear what to believe, but some points are alarming. I decided that I could live normally without this device. And it works!
