I love Almonds. They're used a lot in raw food with good reason! They're not only nutritional powerhouses but they have great textural properties in many dishes.  I want to help you understand the nature of this little nut a bit better so I've put together some useful information on activation, almond skins and pasteurisation (I know, I know- What? WHY?!) 

Activation

You may recall poor Pete Evans being lambasted when he was interviewed for ‘My Day on a Plate’ because amongst other things, he mentioned that he activated his almonds before eating them. Apparently, it sounded a little too far out for the average Sunday Age reader, some would say (and did) that it was a little bit ‘wanky’.

 The fact is, Almonds taste better when they’re activated, and they’re also significantly more nutritious and easier to digest. The same goes for most nuts actually, but today we’re talking almonds.

 Almonds are considered one of the most nutritious tree nuts.  They are a fantastic source of calcium (better after soaking), Vitamin E, B vitamins and a raft of other vitamins and minerals. They’re also a super source of protein and fatty acids. You can find out a huge amount about the benefits of Almonds by reading this fact sheet. http://www.nutsforlife.com.au/wp-content/uploads/pdf/nut-fact-sheets/Nut-fact-sheet-almond-2013.pdf

 Soaking your almonds overnight helps release phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that every seed contains in order to stop the germination process until conditions are perfect. Soaking essentially tells the seed that it’s time to start growing. So it unlocks (I like to say it ‘loses it’s inhibitions!’) and begins the sprouting process. This makes more of the nutrients available (the inhibitors can bind minerals such as zinc, calcium and magnesium making them difficult to absorb- no good being a super high source of calcium if you can’t use it is there!)  But the big thing in my mind is that it makes them easier to digest. If you’re eating raw or roasted nuts of any kind, they are pretty tough on your system. The enzyme inhibitors mean that your body has to make the enzymes to digest them, and they are pretty dense little beggers. Digesting a food that contains the enzymes needed to break it down in your body is way, way easier. When the germination process begins, some of the complex starches are converted to simpler sugars that really help get the goodness into you with less effort, and activating means the proteins are broken down, it’s natures way of fuelling the plant’s growth: eating them at this stage makes the protein far easier to assimilate.

So, how do you activate Almonds?

 Take a cup of almonds, cover them with water and soak overnight.

 Lay them on a dehydrator tray and dry them over 48 hours or so- I leave them for several days to make them super crispy and it’s important for them to be really dry.

 YES, you can put them in the oven, but on the lowest temperature (50deg) and for at least 24 hours (they must be fully dry), they will not be ‘raw’ but they will be better than roasted. Of course, only dry them if you’re not using them straight up to make Almond milk for example.  Next time you make a cheesecake base, use your dried almonds, you won’t believe the biscuity crunch you’ll get!

  To skin or not to skin?

OK, I am not a skinner. There are many people who are. The fact is, most of the enzyme inhibitors are found in the tannins in the skin. Soaking removes them, end of story. Yes, you’ve heard stories of toxins and other nasties lurking in there. These are stories. I rely on science and science says there is nothing wrong with them. Actually, it’s saying quite the opposite!:

A 2010 study at Policlinico Universitario in Messina, Italy reveals that naturally occurring chemicals found in the skin of the nut boost the immune system's response to certain infections.

‘’Researchers found almond skins improved the ability of the white blood cells to detect viruses whilst increasing the body's ability to prevent viruses from replicating and so spreading inside the body.

They discovered that even after the almonds had been digested in the gut, there was still an increase in the immune system's defence against viruses.

The findings suggest that the nuts can increase the immune system's ability to fight off a wide range of viruses, including those that cause flu and the common cold.

They said although they have still to carry out research on how many almonds must be eaten to obtain a beneficial effect, it was likely that eating almonds regularly could help protect people from becoming infected with viruses in the first place, while it could also help those already infected to fight off their illness.

 There is also work being done on the use of Almond Bran (that is, just the almond skins) being used as a prebiotic in label friendly food formulations, early trials show that it extends the shelf life and increases probiotic activity in yoghurt for example.

 In another study from The Journal of Nutrition  it was found that the flavonoids found in almond skin when combined with the vitamin E in the nut, delivers twice the antioxidants.

"We have identified a unique combination of flavonoids in almonds," said Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., senior scientist and director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University. "Further blood tests demonstrated that eating almonds with their skins significantly increases both flavonoids and vitamin E in the body. This could have significant health implications, especially as people age."

I’ll take that!

 Pasteurisation

 Despite thorough testing and naturally low levels of pathogenic bacteria, mandatory pasteurisation is set to be introduced in Australia. At this stage we don’t know when this will happen but the fact is, the big producers have started doing this already, so chances are, if you haven’t checked your source, you are already buying pasteurised almonds (at present, they don’t have to be labeled as such).

 Why? Well around 10 years ago there were some cases of salmonella related to almonds in the United States and Canada. Mandatory pasteurisation was introduced there in 2007. There was also a recall of contaminated almonds here in Australia in 2012. The ABA (Almond Board of Australia) have proposed mandatory pasteurisation to FSANZ in a broad brush approach to protect their industry. The fact is, the risk of contamination is miniscule, often extreme weather related and can be mitigated by other means by the farmer. Understandably, the big players in the market want to remove any risk.

 How will they pasteurise our raw organic almonds?  They will be heated with steam to a temperature of 200 degC. This will of course destroy a number of important enzymes and nutrients. Also the natural oils found in almonds are unstable (as are all nut and seed oils) so once heated, they oxidise, and ingesting them increases free radical activity in the body (yes, this is also true for roasted almonds!)

 Some studies have shown that if Almonds are heated at levels like this, they may create dangerous levels of toxic acrylamide, which has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.

 I source my almonds from http://www.royalnutcompany.com.au/nuts/almonds/   (and they offer organic you just need to request it) who have secured some smaller suppliers who will not pasteurise until they absolutely have to . I personally think it is ridiculous:  I am strongly opposed to this introduction and have written to FSANZ to tell them so. Everything that is good in Almonds will be affected and please don’t believe ANY site that tells you it doesn’t impact on the flavour- just taste side by side and you’ll know the difference.Pasteurised or not, activating the nut will still improve its digestibility.

  In a nutshell:

• Activate your almonds don’t roast them
• Leave the skin on
• Seek out unpasteurised almonds from a good source- you need to ask because they aren’t labelled
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