inexpensive almond source?

[miboje]

Hi! I am new to this board and have thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts.
I live in the northeast where almonds are expensive (6.00 / lb.) Does anyone know when almond season is in so I could buy in bulk, or a less expensive source?

[Ariannah]

Sorry I can't help you, but I pay $9.99 CDN for raw almonds at "The Bulk Barn" in Canada, make it even more if I go where they are organic at the healthfood store. It's a great way to get me to eat them sparingly :D so I only soak one ounce (22 or 23 counted almonds) at a time about once a week and nibble them then.

[Autumn]

Miboje,

I hate to mention this, but you are getting your almonds pretty cheap! The cheapest I can find them here in AL is $6.59/lb and I have read people on this board who pay $9 or $10/lb. Like RawandNatural, the high cost of nuts helps me from binging on them. :) Perhaps though, there will be someone here who gets them a little cheaper and will share their source with all of us.

[ksabe98]

I don't know about your area but I went up to Ojai with my parents about 3 weeks ago and there are a great number of farmer's stands along the road. We were able to get a pound of almonds for $5.99 which is the best price I have ever paid. I think you may be getting a good price already. But if you have local farms not too far from you that would grow almonds you may want to check into that avenue. I also bought 30 pounds of oranges for $5 that was awesome drank orange juice until I turned into an orange. he he.
Lisa

[Revvell]

The only place I have found raw, organic almonds, they cost $9 a pound. Not sure if I want to spend the gas to go to Ojai ~ or the 126 ~ cuz I'm thinking they are not organic? Or are they?

R.

[ebonysea7]

I would KILLto pay $6.00/lb.

(Not really. :D )

/gfj

[ReneeSC]

In our one space of existance - we have 3 health food stores. well.. 4.

All 4 of them are differently priced. We picked which store we'd patron by how expensive their almonds were. lol

The most expensive was close to 12.00 lb. We went with a little over 6.00 lb.

If you want to purchase them online, though.. that's a different story. We have a healthfood coop - and we can order by the mega lb if we want to.

Have you done much searching in your area?

[rawpriestess]

The cheapest source for raw almonds that I could find was Costco at 3 pounds for 15.99, they were only 7.99 two months ago, but alas, the world turns.

The health food stores here, and there are several are all over $10 per pound.

[mandarin honey]

I paid $7.99/lb at Whole Foods just yesterday.

[miboje]

:o I absolutely adore almond milk shakes and it is one raw thing I can get the family to drink, no problem. They love them too. I have tried reducing my almonds to 3/4 cup per 4 1/2 cups water today and I cannot tell the difference so that will help. I currently get my almonds at an amish owned bulk food store here in Pennsylvania. No one growns any that I know of, I don't think we have the right climate, except for a HAllS hardy almond for my growing zone but I have heard they are not very good. I am considering planting my own trees, though in the fall. Thank you to everyone for your responses!

[RawFoodieMom]

Sorry I can't help you, but I pay $9.99 CDN for raw almonds at "The Bulk Barn" in Canada, make it even more if I go where they are organic at the healthfood store. It's a great way to get me to eat them sparingly :D so I only soak one ounce (22 or 23 counted almonds) at a time about once a week and nibble them then.

The Bulk Barn has raw almonds???? Going to check it out tomorrow, there's a Bulk Barn across the street from my house and I've never been there! LOL!

I've been going to the health food store to get them, and they only say they are "natural almonds" on the bin. I have no idea if they are organic or not. I haven't been able to find anything labelled "raw" for almonds.

[Ariannah]

The bulk barn bin doesn't say "raw almonds" either, it just says "Natural Supreme", but they soak and provide a little sprout, so they indeed are raw.

[RawFoodieMom]

The bulk barn bin doesn't say "raw almonds" either, it just says "Natural Supreme", but they soak and provide a little sprout, so they indeed are raw.

Thanks rawandnatural. :) I never thought of that, to try and sprout the ones that I've been getting at the health food store to see if they sprout successfully so I can tell if they're raw, great idea. :)

So far I've just soaked them overnight to make almond milk. How long does it usually take to see a sprout from an almond? Do you just do the usual rinse 2x a day?

Hey, are you doing an October challenge? I need something to keep me accountable so I can get a jump start. I had a false start today, I was raw for only part of the day, but it's a start at least! I'm very new to this.

Debra

[ReneeSC]

Debra, scoot on down to the 30 Day Challenge Board.

We'll meet you there!

[Ariannah]

So far I've just soaked them overnight to make almond milk. How long does it usually take to see a sprout from an almond? Do you just do the usual rinse 2x a day?

Soaking them for 12 hours and then rinsing them, you'll start to see a tiny sproutlet at the tip. The sprouts are not very big. I think - and I could be incorrect here - that the sprouting time is something like 24 hours after soaking or something.



Hey, are you doing an October challenge? I need something to keep me accountable so I can get a jump start. I had a false start today, I was raw for only part of the day, but it's a start at least! I'm very new to this.


Jump on over to the monthly challenge section, and start one! End of sept is almost here, and it'd be a great month to try again. I got so eager in august, I was suggesting a September one about a week or so before Sept was even around ;) haha...

[deannlynn]

I found a site that sells raw almods at $5.99/lb. http://www.georgehowe.com/detail.aspx?ID=274&N=Raw-Almonds
They also offer free shipping on orders of $25 or more.

Here in Central Oregon bulk prices mean $7.99/lb. This price is much better!

Hope it helps.

[exurb]

Costco is a less expensive place to buy nuts, conventional not organic.

However, beware, in Canada, Costco almonds are NOT raw, they are pasteurized. According to their buyer, all other raw nuts sold there are raw and have no additives. I bought their pine nuts, walnuts, and pecans, the pine nuts are a great price and I substitute them for macadamias to save $$.

Raw and Natural, you might want to look into all the nuts & stuff you buy at Bulk Barn. They don't state raw anymore on the almonds, just "natural". Their walnuts are coated with gross stuff like BHA, BHT, and other oils (I can't remember what). Their raisins are covered in oils, some stuff even hydrogenated oils. IMO you have to inquire carefully, I haven't checked about their almonds.

I think it's only recently that "the bulk barn" started posting ingredients on some of their stuff, I was not impressed to see hydrogenated oils, and preservatives and stuff like that. Their dates are clean (and cheap) so I still get those and their sunflower seeds, but don't get much else there anymore.

The buyer at Costco told me that there is something more picky about the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that made them decide to pasteurize almonds in Canada (so that would make me check into those Bulk Barn almonds too). He said the Costco almonds are still unpasteurized in the U.S.

I'm going to look into ordering a case of organic almonds, not cheap, but I haven't been able to find a source of almonds that I trust to be raw. Or maybe I'll just keep devouring those jars of Maranatha and not buy almonds at all :D !

I spoke to my local organic supplier, who said that almonds last year were in a short supply and it drove the price up. Apparently the ones imported from Italy are cheaper, but less uniform in appearance.

BTW, does the "see if it sprouts" test really work to tell you for sure they're raw, because some stuff can appear to sprout but just be swelling not sprouting, like wild rice that's been heated.

[exurb]

miboje, I forgot to answer your question about the season, my understanding is that they are in season now, the main harvest has passed, but the new crop has hit the market now.

[RawFoodieMom]

However, beware, in Canada, Costco almonds are NOT raw, they are pasteurized. According to their buyer, all other raw nuts sold there are raw and have no additives. I bought their pine nuts, walnuts, and pecans, the pine nuts are a great price and I substitute them for macadamias to save $$.

:( This is so frustrating. It seems like every time I finally find a product that is raw that I can actually get in my local area it turns out not to be raw. Sigh... I appreciate this info though. And I'm really glad that it's only the almonds and not the pine nuts especially because they are soooooo much cheaper there! Have you ever had a problem in a recipe substituting the pine nuts for macadamias? Everywhere I've looked macadamias are insanely priced.

Since almonds don't sprout they only "swell", at least that's what I read in another thread, how do I know if the almonds I buy are raw or not? Like the ones at my local health food store?

Where are you getting the Maranatha almond butter you buy? At my local Costco they have Maranatha but it doesn't seem they have the raw variety, only "roasted" and "creamy" or something like that. I found a raw almond butter at the health food store, so I bought it because it's all I could find, but the ingredients say raw almonds, and "pure almond oil". Do you think the almond oil is most likely not raw? I've been wondering about that.

THANKS for sharing the info about the Canadian Costco almonds... I appreciate it, would have had no idea otherwise about the pasteurization.

Debra

[exurb]

RawFoodieMom, I get the Maranatha Raw at the Loblaws/Superstore/Zehrs chain in their health food department. They carry both the raw and roasted, just look on the front the raw says raw. The only ingredients are raw almonds, no additional oil. It used to be $5.99 CDN for a 340 g jar, last time it was $6.99 :mad: . (My husband said it's because I bought so much of it they figured they could raise the price). They also have raw Maranatha tahini, but in my other post sounds like it doesn't taste good so I haven't bought it. It's too bad Costco gets just the roasted almond butter, I got all excited when I saw it from afar in that huge jar, then bummer, it was roasted.

I haven't tried it yet but someone told me you can make a quickie almond milk with the Maranatha and some coconut oil and water in the blender.

I've gone to the other nuts I know are raw and with no additives from Costco, and sort of have given up temporarily on buying raw almonds. From what the Costco buyer said, it made me think that other almonds in Canada are also more likely to be pasteurized.

as for your question about pine nuts/macadamias, I've never had a problem... maybe the macadamias would taste better in some cases, but they are both higher fat nuts and sort of "white nut" tasting... In addition to the macadamias being expensive here, I also think they're stale or toward rancidity sometimes, so I've been preferring the pine nuts. I make "ricotta" out of them all the time for pizzas.

[twinee1]

Wegmans sells them Raw for 7.99 a pound, but alas that is a Northeast Store...Organic Raw 14.00 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RawFoodieMom]

RawFoodieMom, I get the Maranatha Raw at the Loblaws/Superstore/Zehrs chain in their health food department. They carry both the raw and roasted, just look on the front the raw says raw. The only ingredients are raw almonds, no additional oil. It used to be $5.99 CDN for a 340 g jar, last time it was $6.99 :mad: . (My husband said it's because I bought so much of it they figured they could raise the price).

LOL!! Your husband is funny... It wouldn't be funny if that were really true, but I had to laugh... :)

You would faint if you went to my health food store then! I guess I totally overpaid, I hope Loblaws has the kind with only raw almonds, because the kind I bought at my health food store with raw almonds and "pure almond oil" was 500 grams for $14.65! :eek: Bigger bottle, but not twice as big as yours! :mad: I'm going to make a price comparison sheet with the stores that carry the things I've found so far because the price seems to vary so much. I just realized that one health food store charges $14.60/kg for cashews and the other one is $16.95/kg. :confused: These differences could really add up over the course of a month and I'm not rich... :rolleyes:

Anyway... This is all so new, and it's funny because when it comes to SAD foods and all that processed stuff, the prices vary somewhat but not nearly as much as these raw foods we need. The price doesn't vary several dollars when it comes to a box of Cheerios, you know what I mean?

The quickie almond milk sounds really cool, and may come in handy, sometimes I forget to soak almonds the night before I need some, so I'm going to try this. :)

I have wondered about the freshness of Macadamias too. One health food store keeps them in the fridge, so I bought a few there just to experience the taste (haven't used them yet), but the other store just had them in a baggie on the shelf and they didn't look so hot, especially considering the price.

Maybe I will venture over the U.S. border once a month or so and buy my stock of almonds there, if the nearest U.S. Costco isn't too far, if there's one in Watertown it might be doable. I think the membership would still be good, I will have to ask. Maybe I could even find some Nama Shoyu as I can't find that anywhere here.

Debra

[exurb]

LOL!! Your husband is funny...

You have no idea :rolleyes:

Last night when I asked him if he wants some mock tuna, he said "How do you mock a tuna?..." then started saying "hey tuna," then making all these mocking comments to a tuna... :rolleyes:

[Live Free]

I also live in the North east and the food prices are crazy. I am glad I dont have to really think about the price too much. Although I do.

Twinee1- I know all about Wegmans. I grew up in Rochester, NY. Are you near there?

I have gotten my raw almonds lately at Shaws. They are not organic but they are priced at $6.99lb. I am always looking for other places to get my supplies at a cheaper price. Because I was spending about $200 week for food, but I think I will have to keep a closer eye on it.

When the almond butter is on sale at my health food store I buy a few jars of it. I sometimes get a coupon to add to the sale price. That helps alot. The almond butter in NH is anywhere from $11.19 to $15.00 a jar. It goes quick in my house.

I figured out if I were to make my own almond butter, it would be more expensive then just buying a jar of it.

Good luck everyone.
Teresa and Mae
Live Free

[jocelynAZ]

There are 2 sources for raw organic almonds that I know of:

1) Zinke Orchards in Chowchilla, CA (559-665-2909) ~ you buy in 50lb bulk. I paid $218.44 (includes shipping!) for it, so it comes $4.37 per lb. The couple who leads a Hallelujah Acres group in our area told me about this company. Their almonds are wonderful!

2) Anderson Almonds in Hilmar, CA (www.andersonalmonds.com) ~ I've not ordered from them before but I came across their site through the FromSadtoRaw.com site. Their 25lb (nonpareil almonds) case run between $4.25 - $4.50 per lb.


HTH!
Jocelyn <><
AZ

[rawpriestess]

macademia nuts are fresh when white, when they start to turn yellow, they are rancid. So, MOST macademias you buy in the stores are yellow.

I go in and only buy them when they are white, and pick out the yellow ones, and I keep them in my freezer.

[happy_kauai]

thanks for the websites! Here ( in Hawaii) almonds are $9.99 - $10.99 a pound. To make it worse, i finally got some and used a cup of them to make crackers and they turned out terrible!! I threw them all out. From now on I will definately be ordering from one of these sites...I hope they ship to hawaii :)

Thanks again!