Almonds

[arrty]

So I've been making a lot of raw almond milk recently because it tastes so good with my banana or strawberry smoothies. But a recent google search on almonds brought up this article about a law that would require all almonds to be pasteurized.

Here's the article I read: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?pfriendly=1&tname=dailytip&dbid=324

I buy my almonds from costco in the biggest bag I can find thinking they were 100% raw and organic... but I am now wondering if they are pasteurized and essentially "dead" almonds? Is this true?

The article says that unpasteurized almonds can be purchased at local farmers markets... but that's quite a lot of work to just get almonds. There's gotta be an easier way.

[RawKnitster]

Almonds have been pastuerized since Sept 2007. There is a loophole in the law which allows almond farms to sell 100 pounds a day direct to consumers, not for resale. One farm I read about (on this site) has a 10lb minimum order for shipping.

I buy organic unpastuerized California almonds at a small store that brings in limited quantities. Very pricey at $11 a pound. They taste a lot better than any other almond I've tried, but that could be because of the type of almond which is called Non-pareil.

I don't think using Costco almonds is so terrible. Better than not having any. It is the outside of the almond that is being heated and sterilized. Perhaps the inside is not cooked...???

Here is some info on the different methods. http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=242476

Edited to add: I should have read your link first. :) All the important info is included in that article.

[Mary Kay]

If you look hard enough, you can find truly raw organic almonds on the internet for oh, $6 - 7/lb.

HTH,

Mary Kay