Raw nuts?

[daisyduke]

Well, I haven't eaten any overt fat (nuts, seeds or avos) since January (except once). I am opening up to the idea of incorporating some more into my diet. Before I do this though, I have a few questions. How do I know if they are really raw? There are bins at our Whole Foods that say they are raw - can this be trusted? Also, do you always soak them before eating? If so, how do you do that? Thank you in advance!

[rawbeliever]

hi DaisyDuke (love your handle, by the way :)),

Yep, nuts at whole foods that are labelled raw can be trusted. I think there is some controversey over raw cashews, though...something about how in order to get them out of the shell, they have to be processed out (i.e. i think they are blanched). When I soak nuts, I just put a bunch in a bowl of water for eight to twelve hours, less time for seeds.

good luck,
robbie

[daisyduke]

Thank you for that information! I will try it.

[Dimond]

Just because it's labeled raw doesn't mean it is raw. Every Whole Foods is uses different suppliers and it's best to confirm with them.

[jiujitsugirl]

yea ask them if they are truly raw and dont buy cashews or peanuts of course

[Pierre]

Poison ivy belongs to the cashew family; the cashew fruit consists of a shell with a paper-thin lining (as in a mango, which also belongs to the cashew family) and the seed inside that. The paper-thin lining contains an irritant which can get on the seed. There are two ways to make sure it doesn't: destroy it with heat, in which case the seed is no longer raw, or use a special tool, which is how they shell the cashews NFL sells.

The cashew "fruit" (marañón, not to be confused with Maranhão) is actually an accessory fruit, a thickening of the stem behind the true fruit.

What's wrong with peanuts? You just pull the pods out of the ground and open them, right?

[Lay-Lay]

Hey Pierre. I am interested in where you learned this. Did you have a source of reference? Thanks! Peanuts have some kind of mold on them. I eat them anyway. There is controversy on them.

[alex]

Raw or not, I love cashews!

Is it really necessary to be 100% raw??? Will health really be affected in a major or even a noticable way if one is only 95 or 90% raw??


alex

[rawfigure]

Raw or not, I love cashews!

Is it really necessary to be 100% raw??? Will health really be affected in a major or even a noticable way if one is only 95 or 90% raw??


alex

I will leave the question alone because everyone has an opinion on that one :confused: but I do think that if you are going to eat cashews the "raw" ones are far better choice than the roasted and salted ones ! :p

I don't eat them as I don't truely think they are Raw, but yet I choose to use Cacao from NFL and there is controversy as to if they are raw. And I am going to get some of Alissa's Chocolate Sauce too and that has cacao in it.

So I guess it is all how you look at it..hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :rolleyes:

[Pierre]

Hey Pierre. I am interested in where you learned this. Did you have a source of reference? Thanks! Peanuts have some kind of mold on them. I eat them anyway. There is controversy on them.
The tool I read about on NFL (http://www.rawfood.com/cashews.html), the liner I found by cutting open a mango pit, and the family is called Anacardiaceae and you can look it up and see what's in it. The pistachio is sometimes split off into its own family.

The mold is Aspergillus flavus, which produces aflatoxin. NFL sells peanuts from the Shuars in Ecuador, which don't have aflatoxin.

[daisyduke]

Lots of great info here. But what is NFL? I keep thinking about the Steelers when I read that- I'm from Pittsburgh!!

[Adrian]

Hey Daisyduke,

I am not from Pittsburgh, but love the Steelers!! My husband has been a fan since he was a little boy in the 70's and he has since recruited me. :)

So anyway, I am wondering too, what does NFL mean??

[veganman]

Today, I contacted International Harvest, which are the suppliers to alot of distributors and stores like Whole Foods for various products. I asked the cashew question. I was told that it depends on where the cashews come from. The owner stated that cashews from Brazil use the hot oil method. Those from Sri Lanka and Vietnam use a sundrying method that addresses the toxic poison, but without the hot oil. Anybody hear of different methods for different countries?

[Lay-Lay]

The tool I read about on NFL (http://www.rawfood.com/cashews.html), the liner I found by cutting open a mango pit, and the family is called Anacardiaceae and you can look it up and see what's in it. The pistachio is sometimes split off into its own family.

The mold is Aspergillus flavus, which produces aflatoxin. NFL sells peanuts from the Shuars in Ecuador, which don't have aflatoxin.


Thank you for the info, yes that was the mold I was talking about.

[Lay-Lay]

Raw or not, I love cashews!

Is it really necessary to be 100% raw??? Will health really be affected in a major or even a noticable way if one is only 95 or 90% raw??


alex

For me I have tried just to be partial many times and it doesn't work for me, but everyone must find their own way. I have a friend that is 70% and he is experiencing wonderful health benefits and is happy at that level. For me I only get optimal health at 100%.

[veganman]

I think the issue if it isn't 100% raw is that the enzymes will not be intact. Same problem if you don't soak nuts - they have enzyme inhibitors on them and it affects your body's ability to digest. Therefore, if you have nuts that aren't raw (I don't mean the roasted and salted kind), taking enzymes might level the playing field.

What do you all think of that hypothesis?

[Linda1970]

Lots of great info here. But what is NFL? I keep thinking about the Steelers when I read that- I'm from Pittsburgh!!

I think it's Nature's First Law, which is the company here: rawfood.com