Raw Almond Butter

[twinee1]

I have only seen the Organic Almond Butter but the almonds are roasted..not raw. Anyone know of good resource online for Raw Almond Butter. I have been grinding my own, a pain !!

[Sasha1200]

trader joe's has a raw almond butter

[PandaBear]

You must buy from livingtreecommunity.com ! The almond butter is 100% raw, organic and trustworthy and... Delicious! They have great products including really raw olive oil and olive and sun-dried fruits and veggies.

[twinee1]

Ok I will check there. We have no Trader Joes in this remote area of NY..so online is the ticket.

[mbf]

I order mine from www.eatraw.com they are in Brooklyn and ship very quickly ! They have the best Almond Butter I have tried so far ! It's like Alissa's coconut oil that she sells, one you have it you won't like any others !

I did try Maranthas raw almond butter but it wasn't very good.

MBF

[ambiguous]

A secret--

www.sweetwatermarket.net has almond butter made of soaked & dehydrated organic raw almonds (they call it "Better Than Roasted"), and their price is comparable to others on the market.

I've been keeping this secret for a few weeks because I don't want demand and thus price to skyrocket . . .

[twinee1]

They sound yummy..and pricey ! Worth it htough. Sounds like quite a process. It make me think that I could do that myself as I already grind my own...but it would be time consuming for sure !!

[shakalover]

i buy mine from trader joe's and whole foods.

[RawFoodieMom]

twinee1, how do you make your almond butter? Can I do it in my VitaMix? I've been wanting to make my own, since I've been figuring that the "raw almond butters" on the market, I'm sure they're raw and everything but most likely they don't soak the almonds so it's probably full of enzyme inhibitors. The website with the soaked and dehydrated almond butter would be good but I most likely couldn't afford the shipping to Canada. ;) Anyway, can I soak & dehydrate almonds and use the vitamix or do you use a food processor when you do yours? Does it turn out good?

Debra

[twinee1]

twinee1, how do you make your almond butter? Can I do it in my VitaMix? I've been wanting to make my own, since I've been figuring that the "raw almond butters" on the market, I'm sure they're raw and everything but most likely they don't soak the almonds so it's probably full of enzyme inhibitors. The website with the soaked and dehydrated almond butter would be good but I most likely couldn't afford the shipping to Canada. ;) Anyway, can I soak & dehydrate almonds and use the vitamix or do you use a food processor when you do yours? Does it turn out good?

Debra

I have made my own nut butters for many years. I am from a family with a PB Addiction (passed through my father genes...lol :p ) so I found if I had PB or Almond Butter in the house I would eat it at almost every meal, so I began to make it in small qauntities to control consumption. Then when I went Raw and gave up the Peanuts (raw peanuts taste horrible to me so what does that saw about the peanut ? ) and now make only the Almond Butter! I have been making it with the Raw Almonds, now I am using the Raw, Sprouted dried ones and it is awesome !!

I use my Faberware Coffee Grinder. It is a awesome little thing and makes just a half a cup. But yes you can use the Vitamix.

This should help you out. I got it somewhere on the net and it is good directive. The various oils you add can change the taste so if I am using it in a recipe I may skip adding oils, though the butter is dry in a recipe it can be moistened. You need to experiment with what you like/prefer.

Raw Nut Butter
Freshly made raw nut or seed butter is not only delicious but a good source of nutrients such as protein and essential fats. Raw is far more nutritious than roasted as heat denatures the essential fats which are necessary for proper function of the brain, skin, nervous system and sexual organs.

200 g Nuts or seeds of choice
Oil Seasoning (optional)

Powder nuts or seeds in a coffee grinder or Vitamix. The powder should be as fine as you can get it although a few chunks are OK. If using a Vitamix be careful not to blend too long as this will heat the nuts and denature the fatty acids. Chilling your Vitamix container beforehand and storing nuts in the freezer can help prevent heating.

Transfer to a food processor. While processor is running, add oil one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. The consistency should be a little runnier than your normal preference as raw nut butters must be refrigerated which will cause them to thicken. The amount of oil you add will vary depending on the type of nut or seed you are using (some nuts have a higher natural oil content than others). Add seasonings as desired. Seasonings will depend on the type of nut butter being made. I have found that a dash of sea salt and a teaspoon of honey taste great with almond butter. When your nut butter is made, transfer into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. Oil will separate during storage so stir before using.

Nuts: raw almonds, walnuts, cashews,(peanuts) and pecans make great nut butters.

Seeds: sesame seeds, hemp, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are also good choices; however, use caution with these types of seeds. Their oils tend to be volatile and it only takes a few "bad seeds" to ruin of whole batch of seed butter. Seeds should be carefully scrutinized before making your butter. Remove any that are discoloured as this indicates that they are likely rancid.

Unhulled sesame seeds while higher in calcium than hulled are usually a little bitter tasting. Hemp seed needs to be hulled for good results. Look for hulled hemp seed (sometimes called hemp nut) either in vacuum sealed packages or in the refrigerated section of your local health food store.

All nuts and seeds should be purchased as fresh as possible and stored in the fridge or freezer.

Oils: I recommend using an oil blend such as Udo's Choice or Omega Essential Balance. These oil blends help ensure your diet is rich in both omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. If you feel your overall diet is deficient in omega-3 then you can use any good brand of flax oil.

[Raw_Medic]

Twinee,
Thank you, Thank you...this is exactly what I was looking for! I just recently found out that Maranatha's isn't really raw...and I was bummed...I have no problem making my own nut butters...I was afraid I was going to have to buy a new food processor, but now that I know I can use my coffee grinder instead! I'm so happy, thanks for this post!

Ursula

[Matilda]

So are you not soaking your nuts first?
Just curious. I use to make some nut butters by grinding in my coffee grinder. But they were dry nuts. I didn't attempt soaked nuts--didn't sound like it would work well.
Anyway, wondering what everyone is doing. The coffee grinder gets the dry nuts very nicely ground. Better than my blender gets the soaked nuts.
Okay, just curious. :)

[Matilda]

Well, it looks like I should try the soaking, than dehydrating, than the grinding.
Anyone tried that?

[sweetgoddess]

I dont soak almonds before making almond butter. I have been eating it for close to a year and have not felt any adverse effects--I love it! :)

[Raw_Medic]

SG, how do you make your almond butter?

[sweetgoddess]

I grind them in the food processor and add orange juice, celtic sea salt and raw honey. :)
I have also done it in a coffee grinder but it makes such a tiny amount at a time that I cant be bothered with that way.

[twinee1]

I think either way works dry almonds...or soaked sprouted and dried. Try it both ways. If I am in a rush I just use the raw almonds as is.

[andromedastrain]

trader joe's has a raw almond butter

I just found out that Trader Joe's "raw" almond butter is pasteurized :(

Apparently someone got sick from some raw nut butter so now they (Trader Joe's at least) pasteurize all of it!!!

[RawFoodieMom]

I just found out that Trader Joe's "raw" almond butter is pasteurized :(

Apparently someone got sick from some raw nut butter so now they (Trader Joe's at least) pasteurize all of it!!!

It's so frustrating that none of this that affects raw foodists is regulated. The term "raw" is not regulated at all, and I'm finding out more and more that supposedly raw foods are pasteurized. I'm still trying to find out where I can buy raw almonds that aren't pasteurized because I found out that the almonds at Costco (at least here in Canada) are actually pasteurized and same with possibly ALL of the nuts at my local health food store bulk bins. :( I tried to find out from the company that supplies Costco's almonds (Paramount farms) by email, and all they did was call me instead of email me back and give me a California phone number to call them back instead of answering my question. :( Maybe if I put the number here one of you might be in that area code and can call and ask for all of us?? ;)

Debra

[RawTruth]

Sure -- post the number.

By the way -- back to the OP's question -- It is my understanding that true raw almond butter must be refrigerated. So, if you're not buying it from the fridge section, it's not really raw. This seems only logical considering that if it sat out, it'd spoil. Thus, they have to refrigerate it or pasteurize it to keep it from spoiling. Remember that "raw" on the label doesn't necessarily mean the finished product is raw; it can mean only that they originally used raw ingredients.

Eventually, a handful of soaked nuts will satisfy your body. Then, you won't have to worry about labelling on purchased products because what you'll be purchasing will be whole and label-free!!! (p.s. - watch the size of your hands, though!! LOL)

[RawFoodieMom]

I managed to find another email address for the almond supplier of Costco and possibly Trader Joe's, so I have sent them another email, and my phone number is not in it, so hopefully they will answer my questions via email. :D I will share the response as soon as I get an answer from them! :)

Where does everyone get their raw almonds from?

Debra

[twinee1]

I get my raw almonds from either Wegmans (Northeast area) or the Health Food Store. They always sprout so they are raw.

If you have loads of time, you really get nuts in the shell and de shell them...but I do not have time for that !!

I make my butter for the reason that the ones at the store are processed.

[RawFoodieMom]

I get my raw almonds from either Wegmans (Northeast area) or the Health Food Store. They always sprout so they are raw.

Okay, another dumb newbie question from me I guess, but how do I know if my almonds sprout? I've read here many times that almonds don't sprout? Whenever I soak almonds they just swell or whatever, but I've never soaked/rinsed them for more then 24 hours, so I don't know what they look like longer than that. So what do they look like when they "sprout" so you know they're raw?

Debra

[ReneeSC]

RFM, ( Deb )

Easy! Just sprout 'em! Soak them in clean water for .. up to 8 to 12+ ( rinsing inbetween ) - soak again if they're not permiated enough.. and keep them wet. I did mine on the counter. Very simple.

[RawTruth]

what do they look like when they "sprout" so you know they're raw?You're right. They don't really sprout - certainly not like sunflower seeds or alfalfa seeds. The end that has a little nub gets a bit more prominent.

As to making sure your almonds are raw -- You just need to be very careful about where you buy them. Costco and other places have no incentive to provide raw nuts because very few people demand them. You need to buy from a place where the people are knowledgeable and reliable in their information.

I buy mine from Wild Oats or Whole Foods or Mother's (a local healthy grocery chain) or Trader Joe's when I'm assured that they're really raw. My local TJ's has been straightforward about which products aren't really raw -- as in the almond butter. Also, there's a vendor at the local farmer's market who sells raw almonds.

If you have none of these nearby, you may need to have them shipped to you.

Good luck!

[twinee1]

At first I thought my almonds were not sprouting as I was looking for the traditional type sprout you get from a mung bean i..well duh...t is such a small little nub on the end, you need to take the skin off and you will see it, split it in half and you can see the little nub...so cute.

[twinee1]

So if the Raw Almond Butter needs to be refridged..then the next question is how long of a shelf/fridge life is there ???

[Raspberry4]

RawFoodMom - please do not feel that any question is 'dumb'. I am shocked as I have been purchasing what I thought was raw almond butter vs. roasted almond butter for years (Marantha's is one I have been using) now only to find that it really is not raw? What's up with that? It just seemed like one convenience item for me that I did not have time to do myself (make my own butter) but now it looks like I might have to. And, I was not sure what sprouted almonds look like either as I have been soaking mine for up to 24 hours too and have never seen a tail. They do increase in size of course. I will crack one open as was suggested to see the 'nub'. Thanks for the questions. We all learn from each other. I would like to know how the others found out the product was not really raw? The health food store that I buy at are not well educated regarding raw. They always say "look at the label" and I have had to resort to purchasing from grocery store shelves (not any more though). Oh brother.... :confused:

[RawFoodieMom]

Twinee, thanks for the tips... I'm going to crack open an almond and see what it looks like before soaking, then soak/sprout and see if I can tell if they're sprouting. ;)

Thanks Raspberry4, it's nice to know that other people are struggling with the same thing. I'm finding it really frustrating actually. I'm finding out a lot of the products I'd thought were raw are not. I'm still having trouble finding out if the almonds I've been buying are raw or pasteurized... It's turning into quite the project... :rolleyes:

Debra