Fawn: Making almond milk for my son

[BikerAng]

If you sprout the almonds that will neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. It also increases the vitamin C and B vitamins.

[Kamalam]

Originally Posted by BikerAng

If you sprout the almonds that will neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. It also increases the vitamin C and B vitamins.

Ang, have you tried doing this yet? I think it's a great idea... though I'm wondering about how it tastes (more starchy??)... Would love the extra vities!

[NurseMonkee]

I contacted the almond seller mentioned earlier to ask about their raw almonds. This is the response that I got:

"these are not organic...raw means no pasturization of any kind. Even though we spray very little. These are not pasturized."

Is that good? Or should they be organic?

Sorry, I am still learning about all this stuff.
I want to make sure that I spend my money wisely. I've been buying things that I thought were healthy and then they turn out not to be so good after all.

Any advice?

[BikerAng]

I have sprouted almonds, they take about 2-3 days. I'm actually going to try a cup of my Costco almonds just to see if they will sprout (want to find out if the ones I have are actually irradiated). I was on a huge sprouting kick a while ago, but it does take a lot of work and I like to eat almonds as a snack roasted the best (but sprouted is much healthier). I've never made sprouted almond milk but it sounds interesting, I'll start sprouting the almonds tonight (it'll take at least 3 days w/overnight soak).

I really love sprouted sunflower seeds, they make an awesome and filling salad and they are amazingly easy and quick to sprout.

ETA: NurseMonkey - organic means they can't spray or irradiate either. If you want to be sure you're getting quality nuts, I'd go with organic. I have a huge bag of Costco almonds and the next batch of nuts I'll buy will be from my local food co-op from their organic bins. Organic are SO much more expensive but they are still alive, not irradiated (which you cannot sprout, that's kinda freaky to me).

[Kamalam]

Ang, please let us know what happens with your Costco almonds!! If they sprout I will be ecstatic (wow, doesn't take much to make me happy, lol).

Looking forward to your experiment with sprouted almond milk too - don't forget to come back and let us know!!

(btw, I'm so glad you mentioned that you like sprouted sunflower seeds - I just received my order for that today and will start the process after I get back from a retreat I start on Thursday.)

[PMoon]

From some of the stuff I read, it looks like just soaking them for several hours will help with the thyroid business.

P. Moon

[oyvey]

Originally Posted by BikerAng

ETA: NurseMonkey - organic means they can't spray or irradiate either. If you want to be sure you're getting quality nuts, I'd go with organic. I have a huge bag of Costco almonds and the next batch of nuts I'll buy will be from my local food co-op from their organic bins. Organic are SO much more expensive but they are still alive, not irradiated (which you cannot sprout, that's kinda freaky to me).

My understanding of the new law is that all CA almond growers have to irradiate, organic or not. I need to check that one out.

Also, I'm excited to hear about your results! I soak my almonds overnight before making almond milk (with the same aim as the sprouting), but I am always looking for new, more complicated food projects!

Also, I have found that soaking in salted water and then low roasting almonds (a la Nourishing Traditions), produces a healthier crispier almond that I really like. Now I'm just putting the "find a dehydrator at a thrift store" message out to the universe!

[BikerAng]

Ah boo! I hope they aren't irradiating ALL almonds out of CA. I remember reading an article about that a while ago (due to samonilla or something). I'll keep everyone posted on the Costco almond sprouting milk project!

Kamalam - sprouted sunflower seeds are probably my favorite. They only take an overnight soak then about 12 hours (rinse twice during the day) to sprout. They are so yummy! I need to make some! They turn black kind of quickly after they sprout, so I only sprout as many as I'm going to eat for the day.

[NurseMonkee]

Originally Posted by oyvey

My understanding of the new law is that all CA almond growers have to irradiate, organic or not. I need to check that one out.

Yup. That is the same thing I found out last night when I was looking up websites that sold organic almonds.

[BikerAng]

DARN! Well, I have a cups worth of almonds "sprouting" now - we'll see if anything happens but it doesn't sound like they are going to sprout if they are irradiated (or pasteurized). I'll give them 3 days just to see, it's a fun experiment anyway.

[BikerAng]

well, the Costco almonds are truly dead. This morning they are all moldy, and they certainly aren't growing. I even rinsed them at least 6 times a day (or more). What a bummer. I've been doing a bit of research and it seems the only way to get truly raw almonds it to buy it direct from the farmer or by Spanish raw almonds. How sad is that?!

[vli1127]

Oh for heaven's sake, we try to use soy and almonds and now both are linked to thyroid problems???? What is up with that.

[BikerAng]

soaking/sprouting removes a lot of the anti-nutrients (or fermenting in the case of soy) detrimental to the thyroid. Problem with almonds is that you can't buy truly raw almonds conventionally anymore (I didn't even realize this until reading this thread). The commercially sold almonds won't sprout because they've been steam pasteurized (cooked) or sprayed with Propylene Oxide Gas, a known carcinogen, that most commercial stores use for sterilization. The more research I do on foods I think are healthy the more frustrated I get.

[vli1127]

Originally Posted by BikerAng

The more research I do on foods I think are healthy the more frustrated I get.

Geesh, how on earth are we to eat healthy without all of the processing etc.? I guess grow our own, but not sure almond trees would do well around here

[BikerAng]

Seems the FDA just can't keep their hands off of just plain old raw foods, they want to irradiate, sterilize, and kill food. 90% of the worlds almonds come from California, and there was a law passed in 2007 requiring them to be sterilzed due to 2 separate samonella outbreaks. Kinda over the top I think.

[PMoon]

I emailed an almond seller on ebay and asked him if he sterilized his almonds and if so, how. He said he wasn't required to, being a small farmer and selling only direct to the public. He sent me a link to this article:

Almonds: New Federal Regulations on Raw Almonds

...basically confirming what he said. Farmers who sell directly to the public at fruit stands are not included in the regulations.

P. Moon

[oyvey]

BOO on moldy almonds!

I guess I need to check in to buying directly from almond growers if I want to eat almonds. Seems like every aspect of eating well benefits from a direct relationship with people that grow whatever it is, huh?

Soon I'll never darken the door of a store. That ain't bad (assuming I can afford it), I suppose.

[Kamalam]

Ang - thank you SO MUCH for your experiment and for telling us about it. What a disappointment - yet at the same time empowering... we have other options that I never even knew about! Had this topic not come up I would have continued to buy dead almonds from Costco... and I would have wondered just how "dead" the pateurization process really was... Thanks to you, now I know!!

I'm going to try and see if there are any almond growers at one of the many farmers markets in the area. If that proves too expensive (unfortunately), PMoon, can you tell us which organic almond seller you contacted on Ebay? Perhaps this is our best option, economically speaking... Thanks!

[BikerAng]

No problem, I love playing with my food! Looks like most commercial almonds are sprayed with Propylene Oxide Gas, so for me it's definitely time to look into almonds direct from farmers. I found some sproutable raw almonds online, but they are so expensive. It'd be great to hear where other folks are getting their true raw almonds, I don't want to pay 10X more than I need to.

[PMoon]

I got mine from gaspare5491. But he did not say they were organic. I didn't ask about his growing practices. Just about sterilization. He (or she) did say that he did not use manure. Manure is how those other almonds got contaminated.

For the difference between $2.85 per pound for the almonds I am getting and over $14.00 a pound for certified organic, I was in no position to ask too many questions.

I wouldn't have bought them for $14 a pound (though that's probably what I have been paying for my tiny bags of Blue Diamond that I've been getting at Wal-Mart.)

P. Moon

[Kamalam]

Originally Posted by PMoon

I got mine from gaspare5491. But he did not say they were organic. I didn't ask about his growing practices. Just about sterilization. He (or she) did say that he did not use manure. Manure is how those other almonds got contaminated.

For the difference between $2.85 per pound for the almonds I am getting and over $14.00 a pound for certified organic, I was in no position to ask too many questions.

I wouldn't have bought them for $14 a pound (though that's probably what I have been paying for my tiny bags of Blue Diamond that I've been getting at Wal-Mart.)

P. Moon

Ok, thanks! Just to clarify... he didn't say if they were organic, BUT that (at least) they weren't sterilized/ pateurized?

I'd love pure organic, but this might be an economical middleground... It seems the sterilization process is the biggest issue...

[PMoon]

Right. No sterilization. No info on organic.

I'd love to eat organic, too. But boy, don't get me started on how healthy, natural food is inacessable to 'regular' people! I may blow a fuse. LOL

P. Moon

[Kamalam]

Originally Posted by PMoon

Right. No sterilization. No info on organic.

I'd love to eat organic, too. But boy, don't get me started on how healthy, natural food is inacessable to 'regular' people! I may blow a fuse. LOL

P. Moon

I hear ya sister! The prices for natural food really floor me sometimes. Especially at farmers markets. In my area, there are several - we're fairly agricultural here even though we're by the ocean. Yet when I try and "shop locally" I have to shake my head and head on over to Trader Joes. Just too expensive for someone on my budget.

My plan this summer is to grow some of my own veggies. I've never done that before and almost all the plants I buy die. But... I'm hopeful that if I take it in baby steps I might just have access to some of the veggies I use most (like maybe the top five). I'd love to see a thread on that subject!

[Faia]

In a number of cases, farmers may qualify for organic certification, but do not have the money to pay for the actual certification. Or, to be more accurate, getting such certification would turn $3/pound almonds into $14/pound almonds with an extra logo on the bag, but otherwise the exact same almonds in the bag.

[PMoon]

Originally Posted by Faia

In a number of cases, farmers may qualify for organic certification, but do not have the money to pay for the actual certification. Or, to be more accurate, getting such certification would turn $3/pound almonds into $14/pound almonds with an extra logo on the bag, but otherwise the exact same almonds in the bag.

Faia, I wondered about that, too. I know a lot of small local farmers who grow things organic, but can't SAY that because they'd have to pay the big certification fees if they did.

I got an email from gaspare saying the almonds shipped out today. Hopefully I will have them later this week. I'll let y'all know how they are.

[BikerAng]

I was at Whole Foods yesterday and they had sprouted raw almonds in their bulk bins! They were WAY expensive ($15.99 a lb), but I was glad to see them there. I buy a lot of produce from farmers markets this time of year and most aren't certified organic but practice organic or sustainable farming.

[NurseMonkee]

Originally Posted by PMoon

I got mine from gaspare5491. But he did not say they were organic. I didn't ask about his growing practices. Just about sterilization. He (or she) did say that he did not use manure. Manure is how those other almonds got contaminated.

For the difference between $2.85 per pound for the almonds I am getting and over $14.00 a pound for certified organic, I was in no position to ask too many questions.

I wouldn't have bought them for $14 a pound (though that's probably what I have been paying for my tiny bags of Blue Diamond that I've been getting at Wal-Mart.)

P. Moon

They are not organic.
I contacted him/her before and was told that they are not organic, but they are only sprayed lightly and they are not pasturized.

[PMoon]

The spraying doesn't bother me as much as it probably should. Probably because from the time I was old enough to walk and carry a bucket at the same time, I was in the garden helping my grandmother put chemical fertilizer in the garden and dust the tomatoes with sevin dust. ... That's an exageration. I was probably six.

From what I have read, pesticide residue is not a real huge problem on almonds. Looks like their shells protect them from the brunt of it.

I try to do what I can, personally, to reduce my overall exposure to toxic chemicals. --like growing as much of my own food as I can. I have used a little bit of chemical fertilizer this year. But I have composts bins, chickens, and rabbits working so that over time I can use only organic fertilizer.

So far, I haven't done anything about the bugs. I find that, in a row of plants, they choose one or two stalks and mostly leave everything else alone. As long as that keeps up, I can live with that.

However, I have had worms in my quince for the last two years. If that doesn't straighten out, they are getting sprayed next spring and i will take my chances. LOL When it comes to sharing my produce with critters, I have to draw the line somewhere.

I have actually thought about planting a couple of almond trees myself, but I don't know how well they grow and produce in my location. And I wonder... if we decide we can use 20 lbs a year, how many trees would I need to get that many nuts. Hmmm.... Must look into that some more.

[miboje]

I planted a Hall's Hardy Almond tree here in PA last year when I found out about the killing of innocent almonds. I have been making sprouted almond milk for about 10 years, and was so disappointed when I heard that. It's debatable whether or not the Hall's Hardy almonds will be bitter or sweet, so I have also planted 2 hazelnut trees. I have 5 hazelnuts so far!Lol...but it's a start.

Those of you in the suitable growing zones for almonds are lucky!

Actual pounds of nuts harvested is going to depend on many factors such as the age of the tree, weather conditions, soil conditions, proper care and pruning, etc. There is much to learn. I have a small orchard, and every year is a learning experience.

[PMoon]

Originally Posted by miboje

I planted a Hall's Hardy Almond tree here in PA last year when I found out about the killing of innocent almonds. I have been making sprouted almond milk for about 10 years, and was so disappointed when I heard that. It's debatable whether or not the Hall's Hardy almonds will be bitter or sweet, so I have also planted 2 hazelnut trees. I have 5 hazelnuts so far!Lol...but it's a start.

Those of you in the suitable growing zones for almonds are lucky!

Actual pounds of nuts harvested is going to depend on many factors such as the age of the tree, weather conditions, soil conditions, proper care and pruning, etc. There is much to learn. I have a small orchard, and every year is a learning experience.

YUM! We have a part of the yard that we want to turn into a nut grove eventually. Pecans are very popular here in MS and we love them. I would also like to try some of the more "exotic" types like you have. And for sure will throw a few almond trees in there to see how they do. I wonder if we have too many freezing nights for them, though.

I got my twenty pounds of almonds today. They arrived in good condition and taste great! They are different from the Blue Diamonds I have been buying. The Blues make an acceptable almond milk, but I wouldn't eat them plain. They taste a little bit "green" is the best way to describe it. The raw ones I got today seem like they have been dried just a bit and almost ... almost... taste toasted.

My hubby and son ate a few handsful while I was packing them up in individual zipper bags for the deep freezer. It came out to three gallon bags and three quart bags. Can't wait to use them!