Whats the Difference?

[Alice]

Sorry, I have another question to ask. What is the difference between raw nuts and the nuts you can buy in the bags at Super Walmart and other grocery stores? Thanks :eek:

[twinyoga]

I believe most of the nuts you find at your average grocery store or Wal Mart is roasted. You should read the ingredients. For example, I was at a grocery store the other day and couldn't find one type of nut that was raw. Everything was roasted, salted, oil added, etc.

You want to buy almond butter, tahini, cashew butter...that say raw on it.

Good luck.

[Alice]

Thank you twinyoga for the information, everything I read on these boards are helpful. I am so glad Alissa suggested it to me. Everyone is wonderful. :)

[Rawmommie]

I have to get my raw nuts at a health food store, and even then I have to read read read because some of the nuts and nut butters are roasted there too!

[Alice]

I know what you mean rawmommie about having to look to make sure whatever we buy is raw. sometimes its hard to tell. Thanks for the info.

[Autumn]

I'm a bit confused about this. I've often bought nuts in the produce section of the grocery store. (NOT the snack aisle.) If they are still in the shell (like the mix bag of nuts, or the bags of just walnuts that you see during the holidays), how can they be roasted? Also, what about shelled nuts like almonds that are in the produce section? I always assumed they were nuts from the tree and put into the bag!

[tracyinfo]

I'm a bit confused about this. I've often bought nuts in the produce section of the grocery store. (NOT the snack aisle.) If they are still in the shell (like the mix bag of nuts, or the bags of just walnuts that you see during the holidays), how can they be roasted? Also, what about shelled nuts like almonds that are in the produce section? I always assumed they were nuts from the tree and put into the bag!

The nuts that are still in shells, are raw. The other bags of shelled almonds, walnuts, etc.. are raw unless they say toasted, roasted, etc..

You could ask the store employees to ask their distributor of that food. I sometimes hesitate to ask them though, because some people at big huge grocery stores are clueless. I try to do most of my shopping at smaller stores, where the employees know each distributor that comes in with either fresh produce or packaged nuts, etc..

---Tracy

[golfngardennut]

Nuts in the shell can also be roasted. From what I understand, almost all cashews are heated above 150 to get them out of the shells.... and I know I buy DH roasted, salted, in the shell peanuts....

[Rawist]

I don't understand. A raw nut is a raw nut. I've never seen a bag or a dispenser not labled roasted, salted, raw, whatever.

I try to stick to the spirit of this eating raw, that's what makes me comfortable. I'm not concerned if some nuts are heated to get them out of the shell. The bag says raw and that's good enough for me. They certainly taste raw, that bland taste instead of that roasted taste and their appearance is obviously uncooked. This diet is hard enough to stick to without being suspicious about what's raw and what's not. I just want some raw produce and nuts and get on with life other than eating. If something was labeled raw by mistake I'd be able to tell as soon as I ate it. Cooked has a very distinct taste just as raw does. :o :( :p

[Helen Of Tennessee]

I had read that when the nuts are in the shell still that they are dried. I'm not sure at what temperature. I did find this website that states that the nuts are washed, then dried:

http://www.walnuts.org/walnuts/wnt_process.asp

I'll keep looking, to see if I can see what the temp is, but it's been my understanding that the nuts in shells are not raw due to the drying of them (to make it easier to crack). I have opened nuts fresh off the tree and they are extremely hard to open and the nuts are really oily.

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[Autumn]

Helen,
Thanks for the article.

However, I have opened nuts fresh from the tree and they were actually easier to open and not oily at all.

So confusing! :o

[askcassyfirst]

Speaking of difficulty opening nuts: A good friend gave me a suggestion about nuts in the shell, brazil nuts, in particular. She suggested storing them in the freezer. If you use a nut cracker on them, because they are cold, they crack a whole lot easier.

Just a thought.

Personally, I buy a ton of nuts during the holidays, because you can get them in shells. I am not super picky to buy "GENUINE RAW' cashews, simply because the mail order is too expensive. I don't eat that many nuts really, so I figure the "mostly raw" possibly heated to get out of shell version available in my local health food store is ok by me. I suppose that is why I say I am high raw, and not 100 %.

The main thing is to look for as raw as can be. Don't buy prepacked nut mixes that list "other " ingredients such as salt, or those which state that they have been roasted. Nut butters are difficult, since very few companies grind at low temperatures. They start with raw nuts, so they can say so on the label...it is misleading if you don't know what to look for.

Hope that helps.

Cassy. :) :) :)