Yesterday, I made my quarterly trip to Raw Vegan Source in Redmond, WA. Susan Park and Tom Armstrong have a wonderful store with hundreds of raw and vegan products. I go regularly to restock my cupboard with raw, unpasteurized nuts and seeds. Yesterday, I purchased three pounds of almonds and walnuts. As nuts are best digested once sprouted (or soaked), my process is to then soak and dehydrate before using. This way, your nuts are ready to eat plain or make into raw dishes anytime.

As you know, I love a good handful and mouthful of nuts. It’s the perfect anytime snack. I especially like nuts when they are not only salty but spicy. This simple recipe can be made in a dehydrator or in your oven on low.

Preparation
Prep time: 6-8 hours (inactive)
Make time: 5 min (active) 12-24 hours (inactive)
Equipment: Bowl, measuring spoons/cups, dehydrator or cookie sheets for use in an oven
Yield: 4 cups, 16 servings

Ingredients
4 cups nuts (almonds* walnuts)
2/3 c tamari or nama shoyu
1 T cumin
1 T turmeric

Instructions
Soak nuts in clean water (enough to cover with at least an inch of water above the nuts) for 6 hours, no more than 12. Rinse clean, pat dry and return to bowl. Add tamari and spices. Toss your nuts, thoroughly coating with the sauce. Let stand for 15-30 minutes to absorb the flavor. Spread on dehydrator sheets or cookie sheets. Dehydrate at 105˚F for 12-24 hours, as long as needed to achieve desired crunchiness. If using an oven, set the temperature to your lowest setting and allow to dry overnight on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.

*Note: Most commerically purchased almonds are not raw as they have been pasteurized to remove the threat of bacteria. If you want truly raw almonds (or cashews) you have to purchase them in bulk from raw food vendors such as Raw Vegan Source. Also, to achieve a raw result, never dehydrate over 108˚F. Oven drying will “cook” the nuts. The taste is not affected but it cannot be considered a raw food.