Are nuts washed only by clean people or is it really necessary?

In this article I will tell you a few things that are useful to know about nuts . The information given here applies to absolutely any nuts, since they all have one common property: they are difficult and take a long time to digest. Therefore, before use, they must be processed in one way or another: fried, sprouted, or at least soaked. And in general, before eating, they at least need to be washed with water, even packaged ones. There are also restrictions on how many nuts you can eat per day. And, finally, you also need to eat them correctly and at a certain time.

Only if all these conditions are met will the nuts be best digested, bring us the maximum benefit and cause the least amount of trouble.

And if you love cashews as much as I do :), then I recommend reading my review of high-quality organic cashews - in Russia they are difficult to find and will be expensive. They are cheaper on iHerb. Well, I recommend taking a look at the review about sweet almonds, if you have trouble breathing about this nut, there is also information about pastes (urbechi), flour and petals from it. In both reviews you will find links for inexpensive purchases.

So here's the outline of the article. Using the links you can go directly to the section you are interested in:

1. Do nuts need to be washed?
2. How to wash them correctly
3. Fry or soak?
4. How to fry correctly
5. How to soak properly
6. Where, how and how much to store
7. How many nuts can you eat per day?
8. When is the best time to eat them?
9. How to eat them correctly and how to chop them

Go!

Advantages and disadvantages

+ The benefits of soaking are as follows:

• The mass of nuts is cleaned of dust, dirt and possible pests.
• Pieces of nut pulp are revealed that have already begun to deteriorate. If you sort through the soaked nuts, you can find those that are slightly moldy, dry, or have become unusable for other reasons. They are not always noticeable in the dry mass.
• The nuts become soft and similar in taste and consistency to freshly picked ones.
• Soaked nuts do not injure the esophagus and stomach walls; they can be eaten on an empty stomach - and this is one of the best ways to consume them.

- However, there are also disadvantages:

• Dry walnuts can be stored for a year or more. But if you soak them, they must be eaten immediately, within a couple of days at most. It will take them longer to deteriorate. Therefore, each portion must be prepared separately.
• Tannins washed out by water are not always harmful. Tannins and other compounds found in nuts are beneficial for intestinal upset and also act as mild stimulants. They are not found in soaked nuts.
• Any manipulation of nuts leads to loss of nutrients. Soaking in this regard is a gentle procedure, but even with it the nutritional value is slightly reduced.

Storage rules and periods

To ensure that valuable fruits do not lose their beneficial properties, they must also be stored correctly.

The shelf life of nuts depends on whether they are shelled or not, roasted or raw.

Unpeeled and unprocessed fruits last the longest. Inshell nuts can be stored in a clean, dark, dry place for about a year.

If you peel the nuts and thoroughly wash and dry them, the shelf life of the product is reduced to 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

Roasted nuts are stored for no longer than 3-7 days.

Where the fruit is stored is also important. It is strictly forbidden to store fruits in plastic containers. Storage containers should be glass or natural wood.

Pour raw or fried fruits into a clean and dry container and cover with a lid.

Store shelled nuts in the refrigerator. Since in a warm room the oils, which are present in large quantities in the fruits, begin to deteriorate.

Nuts, regardless of variety, contain a storehouse of useful substances. They activate human mental activity and improve memory. Saturate the body with all the necessary vitamins and microelements. They contain valuable oils, as well as protein, which is absorbed by the body better than proteins of animal origin. Therefore, such a delicacy should be regularly consumed by children, adolescents, the elderly, those who fast, vegetarians and raw foodists.

To get the most benefit from nuts, you need to store and soak them properly.

In this article I want to tell you some useful facts about nuts. The information I will share applies to absolutely all types of nuts.

And if you, like me, are a nut lover, then I advise you to look for organic products on the official iHerb website. Now you can grab the promotion using this link.

Many varieties are difficult to find in our stores, and their prices will be impressive. In the iHerb online store, all this is much cheaper and of proven high quality. You will find cashews, almonds, various pastes (urbechi) and many other products at great prices with delivery to Russia, Belarus and other countries around the world.

Do I need to dry it?

Soaked nuts can be consumed immediately. After draining the water, the kernels are laid out on a towel to remove excess moisture. For those who like to crunch, the method of dehydration at a minimum temperature in an oven or electric dryer is suitable. But it is worth remembering that it is advisable to bake nuts on a baking sheet for at least 4 hours at a temperature no higher than 60–70 degrees. Drying quickly at high temperature will have a roasting effect.

Kernels soaked in water are healthier than dried and fried ones. They increase the amount of active ingredients that are more easily absorbed by the body. In addition, the taste improves and the nut becomes softer. You should try soaking nuts yourself at least once to feel the difference.

Peeling nuts from husks (skins, skins, films)

You can remove the bitter thin shell from the nut in different ways:

• keep the nuts in salted water (for 1 liter - 1.5 tablespoons of salt) for 12 hours, and then rinse and dry;
• put the fruits in a deep bowl and pour boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then drain the water, transfer the nuts to a hard towel and rub with your hands through the material;
• fry without oil over low heat for 5 minutes, wrap the fruit in a cloth and roll in your hands - the husk will come off during the frying process.

When soaking nuts in salted water, you will have to wait several hours, but the express method with boiling water can be used, especially in emergency cases. In addition, this way you can restore the taste of even slightly stale fruits. Experts agree that heat treatment is preferable, as it simplifies cleaning and reveals the quality of the nuts. If you smell rot or mold during processing, do not eat the product. Bad odors indicate a violation of storage rules. Even if the fruits look attractive, they are dangerous to health.

How to disinfect peeled fruits

There is no need to wash nuts purchased in shell again with water after cleaning. And if you purchased already peeled fruits, then you need to disinfect them in one of the following ways:

1. Rinse in warm water, but never boiling water, and dry on a towel. Remove the nuts from the water using a slotted spoon or ladle. Do not drain the water, otherwise dirt will rise from the bottom of the bowl and end up back on the nuts.
2. Rinse and dry in the oven.
3. Heat in a frying pan.

Do I need to wash nuts before roasting?

Nuts grown on a tree fall to the ground, then go through the process of being collected, transported and stored in a warehouse. Once on the shelves, they are often sold in the open air. Suppliers rarely care about the purity of the product. Add to this the unfavorable environmental conditions and unwashed hands of workers, and the question of the need to wash nuts will disappear by itself. Whole nuts in the shell - for example, walnuts - need to be treated with boiling water to get rid of germs:

place the unshelled nuts in a bowl or basin; pour boiling water so that the water covers the entire contents; leave for about half an hour, then carefully remove the nuts using a slotted spoon and rinse under warm running water.

This treatment will allow you to easily open the shell, which will become softer under the influence of hot water.

As for other types of nuts, the rules are as follows:

Peanuts grow in the ground, so they must be scalded with boiling water before eating. Hazelnuts can also be poured with boiling water, and after 5 minutes carefully removed from the water. Coconuts should be rinsed under running water and fibers removed near the puncture site before cutting. In this case, dirt and germs will not get inside. The macadamia nut is known for its extremely hard shell

This type is sold with a cut, so before cleaning it should be doused with boiling water to get rid of dirt and bacteria. Pine nuts can be washed under running water and then roasted in the oven.

It is better to rinse the peeled nuts with a stream of warm running water. The same applies to dried fruits.

Many people like to enjoy roasted nuts. Heat treatment makes them crispier and tastier. But during the frying process, nuts lose not only moisture, but also some useful substances, so you should adhere to the rule: the lower the processing temperature, the healthier the product.

Heat treatment kills pathogenic bacteria, but after purchasing nuts at a point located in the open air, for your own peace of mind, it is better to first rinse them with running water.

If you haven't even thought about washing nuts, try doing it for the first time, and very soon proper processing will become a habit. This will help you avoid unpleasant diseases and maintain the health of your loved ones.

The fact is that nuts have one feature that is the same for everyone: the body digests them heavily and for quite a long time. This necessitates their certain processing before eating: frying, sprouting, or at least soaking.

1. Firstly, the goods during such a sale are located in the open air. It simply becomes covered with dust and dirt particles present in the air. This fact occurs even if it is completely invisible to us. In addition, it may contain various viruses, bacteria and even parasite eggs. They can get on the nuts from people nearby who breathed on them and touched them with their hands.
2. Secondly, for long-term storage and to prevent food moths and other pests from eating them, they can be treated with some kind of chemical composition.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with handmade soap ideas for the New Year. It is already clear that it is necessary to wash nuts. This also applies to packaged options. Those that are fried salted in oil, of course, do not need to be washed. Perhaps some imported too. But it is better to rinse all other inexpensive products. They look like they were taken by weight from the market, only packaged in packages.

How to wash?

The easiest way to wash nuts is those sold in shells. After all, they, as a rule, are not treated with chemicals.

Nuts in shell

There are no serious problems with washing nuts in shell. All you need to do is just pour them into some container and then place them under running water. This is done primarily in order to eliminate dust that has settled on their surface during transportation and storage.

While washing, stir the nuts several times. This will contribute to their better cleansing. A colander is best for washing nuts. The convenience is that the water does not stagnate and drains immediately.

In this case, a saucepan is much better suited. Moreover, its size must correspond to the number of nuts. Otherwise, you simply won’t be able to wash them thoroughly.

So, first you need to pour the nuts into a fairly spacious pan. Then you can pour water into the container. After this, the fruits should be stirred well. Then all contaminated liquid is drained and the pan is filled with a new portion of water.

This procedure with changing the water should be repeated at least three times. When washing is finished, the fruits should be dried. To do this, it is best to lay them out on a previously prepared dry towel.

Shelled nuts

Everything becomes much more complicated if you have to deal with purified kernels

In this case, you should pay attention to both their packaging and the manufacturer. You should trust only those companies that have a good reputation. Having bought packaged nuts, you must first pour them into a colander and rinse thoroughly under running water.

Then they need to be rinsed using plain drinking water. This will help to completely wash away any harmful chemicals remaining on the surface that were used to treat

Having bought packaged nuts, you must first pour them into a colander and rinse thoroughly under running water. Then they need to be rinsed using plain drinking water. This will help to finally wash away any harmful chemicals that were used in the treatment that remain on the surface.

If the nuts were purchased at the grocery market and, as a result, do not have any packaging, then they should be washed not just with water, but with boiling water. This is the best way to remove any bacteria from their surface that could be harmful.

Drying

If there are a lot of nuts soaked and they cannot be eaten at once, there is a way to preserve them longer.
To do this, after soaking, they need to be laid out on cloth or paper that absorbs moisture and left in a dry, dark room. Some, for example, place them on a cold baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place them in a non-operating oven for 24 hours. After this, the nuts can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

Important!

You can use a dryer or the same oven turned on at low temperature. This will help the nuts dry better and last longer. However, with this method, too much moisture will evaporate and the soaking itself will become useless.

Do I need to wash dried fruits?

Without additional treatment with preservatives, dried fruits will have an unpresentable appearance and a short shelf life. Therefore, absolutely all dried fruits, regardless of whether you plan to make compote from them, add them to baked goods, or simply eat them, must be washed before eating.

Sulfated dried apricots (treated with sulfur dioxide) are bright, beautiful, appetizing, while natural dried apricots without sulfur are wrinkled and dark.

It is recommended to first soak dried fruits for 20–25 minutes in water at room temperature. This step not only dissolves the sulfur dioxide used to treat the fruit after drying, but also prevents dehydration (reduction of fluid) that can occur when consuming dried fruit.

It is especially important to thoroughly rinse and rinse dried fruits that you plan to give to children with boiling water.

If you prefer to purchase dried fruits in packaging, then pay attention to the following:

• the matte color of dried fruits, the absence of foreign particles indicates that the manufacturer has washed the product and it can be eaten immediately;
• The bright, shiny color of dried fruits indicates the presence of chemicals on the surface. Be sure to wash this product.

Manufacturers must indicate on packages of dried fruit whether they are ready to eat or need to be rinsed

So eat nuts and dried fruits for your health, just wash them and do it right!

Quality comes first

Most often, nuts are sold in shells, so when purchasing you need to pay attention to:

• The surface must be clean
  , without residues of dried peel;
• The shell is intact
  , without visible large cracks or chips;
• The sizes of whole nuts should be approximately the same
  (example in the photo below);

Shelf life of walnuts in shell

— up to 6 months at temperatures from 0 to +10 °C.

You can buy nuts in an already shelled state, but their price will be slightly higher

What you should pay attention to:

• Smell
  – fresh kernels have a pleasant woody aroma;
• Taste
  - if there is bitterness, then the product is not the first freshness;
• Appearance
  - stains, mold, insects and their larvae - all this is a reason to refuse the purchase.

Do you need to wash dates?

Keep in mind that most wet dates and orchids need to be kept at a low temperature in the refrigerator or freezer, but some dried dates do not require refrigeration at all

In general, washing dates before use is a good recommendation to take into account as they can absorb dust and contaminants

So keep in mind that it is necessary to wash the product thoroughly before eating it so that you can safely and keep yourself away from all kinds of contaminants and germs. Know that dates, whether dry or ripe, packaged or opened, are not washed before they reach the shelves. Therefore, it is advisable to wash them thoroughly before consuming any type.

It should be noted that it is better to wash the dates immediately before consumption because if all the dates are washed and stored in the refrigerator, they can accumulate bacteria for several days under the supernatant and its thickness, and its texture weakens and therefore its shelf life is reduced.

It's best to wash the dates as they were before and before serving and store them in their own secure packaging, and if you want to move them to another container, be sure to use tightly sealed containers to avoid danger. Minimize the entry of all types of dirt, dust and insects.

The nuances of drying various nut products

Different types of nuts require an individual technological approach. The smoke points of oils start at 160 degrees. With such indicators, for example, tender cashews reach the minimum degree of roasting in 5-8 minutes.

In a hard, dense shell (walnuts, hazelnuts, hazelnuts, pecans)

Ripe and fallen specimens collected from the ground contain more moisture than those picked from a branch. They will have to dry longer, in two approaches. First, excess moisture is evaporated for 2-3 hours. Heating should not exceed 35-45 degrees. After a break for ventilation, the temperature is increased to 55-60 degrees and dried in a shorter time.

In a soft shell (peanuts, chufa, paper-shell almonds)

The beans are laid out on a baking sheet in an even layer and placed in an oven preheated to 160 ℃. After 15 minutes, the contents of the pan are mixed and the temperature is raised to 180 ℃.

The process is considered complete when a slight cracking sound begins. The oven is turned off, but the door is not opened. After 15 minutes, open it wide, but do not remove the baking sheet. Allow the mixture to cool completely, shaking occasionally.

When properly dried, the shells begin to crack; the grains in them rattle when shaken.

Chufa is dried at the most gentle temperatures with the door open, constantly stirring the “peas”. Readiness is determined visually and by touch. The nodules, ready for storage and consumption, should be hard, almost brown, with wrinkled skin.

In purified form

In some cases, if you plan to use the nuts in the very near future, it is more convenient to dry them peeled, without shells. Then they become more appetizing, crispy and fried from the inside, and acquire a pleasant aroma.

It is better to leave the covering film on the kernels and peel them off immediately before eating

The degree of drying depends on the duration and temperature. The higher the heat, the faster the product will cook, but the less vitamins will remain in it.

Options for drying peeled kernels:

1. The raw materials are scattered onto a baking sheet covered with parchment and placed in an oven preheated to 100 ℃ for 30-60 minutes. Dry with the door ajar, stirring occasionally and testing for doneness.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 ℃, place a baking sheet inside, immediately turn off the heat and leave the raw material to bake. Keep the door closed until it cools completely.

How to soak different types of nuts in water

To get the most out of your food, you need to know how to properly revive nuts. Each of them has its own rules and subtleties of soaking. The main distinguishing feature is the time, how long this process lasts.

Walnut

After soaking the nuts, the fruits develop a delicate taste without the slightest sign of bitterness. The product is highly valued for its large number of beneficial properties, as well as a long feeling of fullness after consumption. Nuts revived after hibernation contain 2 times more nutrients and vitamins. Each of them is easily absorbed by humans. The body does not need to spend a lot of effort or time on digestion.

To eliminate mold and other harmful microorganisms, walnuts undergo a mandatory drying procedure. After this, the percentage of fruit moisture decreases to 8%. If they are sold in shell, then the product is disinfected and also heat treated. Thanks to this, all insects are destroyed. Some manufacturers use chemicals to increase shelf life.

To soak nuts in order to obtain a high-quality and healthy product, it is better to use environmentally friendly fruits. They are soaked for about 8 hours, after which the revived walnuts are ready for consumption.

Almond

Sprouted fruits have a delicate taste. This is one of the main reasons why people put dry almonds through the soaking process. To prevent the seed from acquiring a rancid taste or spoiling, it is not recommended to germinate nuts for more than 12 hours. In some cases, this time can be increased to one day. The main thing is not to forget to change the water to fresh water every 8 hours.

Almonds can be eaten with or without peel. It contains tannin, which is poorly absorbed by the body, which can lead to discomfort.

Peanut

Groundnuts are quite easy to germinate. Once revived, the kernels acquire a richer flavor than fresh fruits. To completely eliminate bitterness, some people additionally peel the red husks from the nuts before eating.

Nuts need to be soaked to break down and wash out inhibitors from them. If everything is done correctly, the nutrients will be transferred to the active phase. Thanks to this, a person receives a supply of vitamins. Useful amino acids and minerals in an easily digestible form. The product is energetically valuable and absolutely harmless to health.

Pine nuts

When the crop is fully harvested, the fruits are shelled and then dried. This negatively affects the embryo and also significantly reduces the chance of further germination.

To get the maximum benefit from the product, unshelled pine nuts should be soaked. To do this, the kernels are placed in clean water and left for 8 hours.

Hazelnut

To make further use of hazelnuts possible, before transportation they are first thoroughly washed and then dried, leaving only 8-10% moisture. Therefore, the process of germination of the fruit at home to obtain maximum benefits from the food product is almost impossible. It will take at least 8 hours to soak the nut to revive the embryo at least a little.

Many people do not know how to soak the kernels to activate the natural process of awakening growth. Therefore, they do not know for sure whether they need to soak the nut in order to get the maximum benefit from the product. If done correctly, phytic acid and other inhibitors will be completely destroyed. They will be replaced by nutrients. The main thing is not to delay eating soaked nuts. After some time, the fruits will begin to spend a lot of energy on the development of the sprout, as a result of which a person will receive less benefit from the product.

How to crack a walnut without damaging the kernel

The most valuable thing in a nut is the kernel. It is tasty and contains many important substances. For sale or personal use, you need to peel the walnuts so that they remain whole and without damage. This ensures better preservation of the kernels. Without defects, they do not lose their properties and do not taste bitter for several months.

Nut cracker

Walnut lovers or happy owners of a tree at their summer cottage, in order not to have to worry about cleaning the fruits, acquire a nut cracker. This simple mechanical device costs about 150-200 rubles. All you need to do is place a nut inside it and squeeze, the nut will immediately open, and the kernel will remain intact. The funnel in which the fruit is placed has special ribs. This allows you to securely fix a nut of any size.

This is the safest way to crack nuts, it is also practically silent, and the fragments do not fly apart. If desired, you can use a nut cracker at home to peel up to 10 kg of fruit within an hour without damaging the center. The device is useful for those who process large batches of fruit. But nuts with very hard shells will require very strong hands. Sometimes a garlic crusher or pliers are used instead of a nut cracker, but these tools are less convenient.

Brine to soften shells

In addition to boiling water, brine will help facilitate the opening of the fruit. This method is suitable if it is not possible to boil water.

Preparation of the product:

1. The brine is prepared at the rate of 2 tablespoons of rock salt for every liter of water.
2. The salt must be stirred until completely dissolved.
3. Soak the fruits in this liquid for 30-40 minutes.
4. Remove the nuts from the brine and dry on a towel.
5. Chop with a knife and dry the kernels if necessary.

"Butterfly" hammer

The easiest method for cleaning shells is with a hammer. All you need to do is hold the fruit and hit it not very hard with a hammer. One, two, three blows will be enough to split. Just don’t hit it too hard, otherwise the core will flatten.

This method has many disadvantages:

• This is the noisiest method;
• fragments scatter over a long distance;
• There is always a high risk of being injured either by shrapnel or getting hit in the hand with a hammer.

For greater efficiency, you need to use some kind of fixing stand for the nut in the form of a ring. You can take a plumbing coupling, for example, with a diameter of 20 mm. Instead, for large fruits, the neck of a champagne bottle is suitable.

If you practice well, you can crack the nut in such a way that you get beautiful “butterflies” - intact halves of the kernel without partitions. This type of shelled nuts is especially valuable for sale. The sharp end of the hammer can be sharpened even further and the nuts can be cracked with this part. It is correct to hit the nuts not at the top or bottom, and not even at the seam. The optimal place to strike is right along the meridian that runs through the middle of the shell halves. Gently tapping the nut on both sides along this line helps to crack it so that “butterflies” are formed. At the same time, the partitions between the core remain intact; they can be easily removed and used for preparing tinctures. After cracking the shell, the kernel itself needs to be slightly pryed with a knife.

Knife

When using a knife, it is best to work with gloves, as you can get hurt if you handle it carelessly. This method is good after soaking nuts in boiling water.

It is necessary to insert the blade between the doors, and then turn the blade a little. The nut will open into two parts; the middle can also be pryed off using a tool. Both the shell and the kernel will remain intact. This cleaning method will also require skill, since the nut is not always easy to crack with a knife.

Do I need to wash nuts before eating?

Necessarily

Secondly, in order for the nuts to be stored longer, and also to prevent them from being eaten by food moths and other pests, of course, they can be chemically treated in some way.

Therefore, be sure to wash the nuts. And even those that are sold packaged in a store are better, and not just loose from the market. Salted ones fried in oil, of course, should not be washed, and perhaps also those produced by some foreign or our premium brands. But all the rest, which are cheaper, need to be washed - judging by their appearance, these are the same nuts that are sold by weight on the market, just distributed in packages.

Product benefits

Nuts contain large quantities of microelements (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, manganese and many others) necessary for the cardiovascular system and brain activity, almost all important vitamin B complexes, mono- and polyunsaturated fats .

Nuts differ in their taste, dietary fiber content, oil content, kernel density, shell hardness, and therefore the drying conditions that, for example, are ideal for preparing peanuts are completely inapplicable for cashews supplied without shells.

Natural way of drying

The drying method affects how high quality the dried product is and how long it can be stored. The natural method allows you to dry the nuts in their shells outdoors in the sun. It is not necessary to wash the harvested crop. If the fruits have been washed, they must be wiped dry. A cloth is spread on the ground, on which ripe nuts are scattered in one layer. It will take two or three weeks for the nuts to dry properly. To prevent dew and rain from soaking the crop, they bring it indoors at night and monitor the weather conditions. This method is easy, but outdated. When lying on the ground for a long time, harmful microorganisms can develop in the fruits. If even a little dampness gets into the raw material, some of it may deteriorate, as well as the taste of the nuts. Natural methods are used by conservative gardeners.

There is a natural method when the nuts are dried not in the open outdoor space, but in a drying shed, where there should be air circulation. The room during the process should be well ventilated.

You can use wooden lattice trays. Before drying walnuts, they are cleaned and sorted. Be sure to wash the nuts. It is better to lay out the products on the racks in one layer. Boxes or trays with products should be placed on the shelves of the rack. There should be good air flow to each tray. Dried fruits make an excellent food supplement; they can be eaten as a separate product or planted in the spring.

Is plush edible?

Before use, it is recommended to clean almonds, apricot kernels, and walnut drupes from the pluses and partitions . They contain a high concentration of lectins, phenols, tannins and astringents, which negatively affect the condition of the intestines, causing the appearance of slag deposits, and complicate the functioning of the pancreas and liver.

The skin of apricot kernels contains a small amount of hydrocyanic acid.

The peel comes off easily after a short soaking

How and Why to soak nuts. Why soak nuts?

Many people love to chew nuts. They are known to be a source of protein and a variety of microelements. However, few people know that it is necessary to soak nuts before eating.

Why do you need soaking?

Nuts are a type of seed with which the plant reproduces. Therefore, dry nuts are absorbed by the body poorly and slowly - nature has provided a mechanism to protect the embryos. Enzyme inhibitors are responsible for this, which “preserve” the nutrients in the nut, preserving the viability of the sprout before entering the nutrient medium. In addition to preserving the viability of the embryo, they protect it if it enters the stomach and suppress the secretion of digestive juices responsible for the digestion of food. In addition, there is evidence that the phytic acid contained in nuts greatly slows down the absorption of minerals. Therefore, large consumption of dry nuts can lead to rickets and osteoporosis. An increase in humidity serves as a signal that the nut is in a favorable environment and starts growth processes. As a result, enzyme inhibitors are destroyed, the enzymes themselves are released and begin the process of converting complex organic compounds into simpler ones. There is no need to wait until the nuts sprout: most of the nutrients will go into the sprout. Several hours of soaking will activate the necessary processes, as a result of which the nuts will become healthier and absorbed faster. Also, soaking nuts before eating has a positive effect on the taste: the bitterness disappears into the water, the nuts become sweeter and more tender.

How to soak nuts correctly

The nuts are poured with boiled or filtered water, maybe hot, but not boiling water. Water takes twice as many nuts. Many health experts recommend adding sea or pink Himalayan salt to your water. There are tips on using soda for these purposes. It is believed that salt and soda accelerate the destruction of protective mechanisms. The time for soaking nuts depends on their type. Experts say that a sign of a high content of enzyme-inhibiting substances is the brown color of the skin. Therefore, nuts such as walnuts, almonds or pecans need to be kept in water for several hours. It is convenient to soak the nuts overnight and eat them in the morning. Light-colored fruits require less processing time; 2-3 hours are usually enough for them. Small nuts, for example, pine nuts, can be eaten without soaking at all, although many supporters of a healthy diet prefer to first fill them with water for at least a quarter of an hour. After soaking, the nuts need to be washed and peeled. When they are planned to be eaten not immediately, but over several days, the nuts are dried naturally, placed in a dry glass container and put in the refrigerator, where they can be stored for several days.

How many nuts can you eat per day?

The first information I received on this matter a long time ago was that you can eat no more than 100 grams of nuts per day, because they are very high in calories. I’m not inclined to be overweight, so the calorie content didn’t scare me, and sometimes I ate too much on nuts, not counting exactly how many of them went into me.

However, later I heard about an even smaller figure - 40-50 grams, and not so much nuts to eat in one meal, but for the whole day. The explanations for this were already more relevant for me: that they are difficult to digest and create a large load on the liver. I am not in perfect condition yet, and my digestion is not yet stable, so I decided to eat nuts within this amount. And indeed the liver became noticeably calmer. In addition, very quickly and in principle I stopped wanting to eat a lot of nuts - now sometimes I can’t even eat 50 grams. In general, I started using them less often; now I don’t eat them every day—I just don’t feel like it.

How to fry correctly at home?

There is no need to fry large quantities at once. The more nuts, the more evenly they are fried. It's better to cook in portions.

There are no recipes for how to properly roast peanuts. There are only general rules, following which you can create your own unique recipe. How long to fry peanuts depends on the cooking method: from 3-4 minutes in the microwave to 40-50 minutes open. The following are examples of how to properly roast peanuts at home:

• in a frying pan;
• in the oven;
• in the microwave.

Peanuts prepared for roasting

In a frying pan

Surely many have come across the question of how to fry peanuts in a frying pan. You will need a thick, deep bowl and a wooden spatula. A simple recipe for frying unshelled peanuts in a frying pan: heat the beans over low heat for 40-50 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shells become light creamy and brittle. The advantage of this method is that the inside of the groundnut grains practically does not burn.

Another example of how to fry peanuts in a frying pan in their husks differs in that you need to be careful not to burn the fruits. Half an hour and everything is ready. The finished roasted nuts have a dark red husk that easily separates from the grains. Another example of how to fry peanuts in a frying pan with salt and spices is not much different from the previous one:

1. Take salt at the rate of a heaped teaspoon per 0.5 kg of nuts.
2. Mix with nuts.
3. Fry for 20 minutes.
4. Add spices to taste and fry for another 10 minutes.

How long to fry peanuts in a frying pan depends on various conditions. Time on average 30-40 minutes.

Even in a set aside frying pan, the frying process continues for another 20 minutes. Therefore, it is better to stir the grains several more times.

In the microwave

Is it possible to fry peanuts in the microwave - the answer lies on the surface. The microwave oven does not fry, but heats the food. Microwave radiation does not penetrate the product evenly, so the grains on the outside will be harder and drier, and closer to the core they will be more reminiscent of boiled ones. To get a more even result, there are several recipes for roasting peanuts in the microwave. You will need a microwave safe container with a tight lid. There should be a hole in the lid to allow steam to escape.

For the first method, a container with a small bottom and high walls is better suited. Procedure:

Pour the grains into the container and close the lid. Set the power regulator to the “medium” position, time 3-5 minutes. The dishes should be shaken vigorously every 20 seconds. After turning off, shake the tray with nuts again and leave to stand for ten minutes

Carefully! The fruits are very hot. Large volumes (more than a kilogram) require intensive mixing and the exposure time will increase two to three times. Nuts are drier and harder

The nuts turn out drier and harder.

Large volumes (more than a kilogram) require intensive mixing and the exposure time will increase two to three times. The nuts turn out drier and harder.

The second method, how to fry peanuts in the microwave with salt, is no different from the previous one, only before frying you need to add coarse salt at the rate of 5 g of salt per 200 g of product.

You can add aromatic spices to the peanuts if desired.

In the oven

An example of how to roast peanuts in the oven is very simple:

1. Heat the oven to a temperature of 170-190˚C.
2. Place the fruits in a thin layer on a deep baking sheet.
3. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The following method is how to roast peanuts in an oven if it is electric:

1. Turn on top and bottom heat together.
2. Set the temperature to 190˚C.
3. Fry the fruits in this mode for 15-20 minutes.
4. Be sure to stir, as soon as the nuts begin to crackle, turn off and let “ripen” for another 10 minutes.

Do I need to soak it?

There is an opinion that kernels removed from the shell should not only be washed, but also soaked to more thoroughly remove contaminants. The process will not take much time and effort, just:

1. Place the kernels in a container and fill with drinking hot water. High temperature helps destroy harmful microorganisms. Adding baking soda is a double whammy.
2. Leave for several hours, best left in this state overnight.

Nuts that have been soaked acquire a sweetish and pleasant taste, and the bitterness inherent in the product goes away. The only drawback is that the nuts become less crunchy.