How to Soak and Dehydrate Nuts

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Last Updated on December 16, 2023

HOW TO SOAK NUTS

Ok, I mentioned that I was soaking nuts to see if it would help with my allergy to them and it has helped.   Soaking and dehydrating them allows me to enjoy them as a treat only.   Too many and I start to have issues.

So why does soaking help?  Nuts and seeds contain phytic acid which are the plants’ natural defense against being eaten by humans and animals.  They cause digestive issues. However, we can trick the seed to release these chemicals by soaking them.  I’m not going to get into the science of this so click the link if you want to learn more.    Soaking is super easy but you have to plan head (which is not always easy).

What you need

2 cups of nuts

1/2 tablespoon of sea salt

filtered water

HOW TO SOAK NUTS

Add your sea salt to a large bowl

HOW TO SOAK NUTS

Whisk the sea salt into a cup of water until it is completely dissolved.

HOW TO SOAK NUTS

Add the nuts and cover completely with the filtered water.  I like to cover the nuts with a good amount of water because some will double in size from soaking.   Cover with a plate and set in a warm place – like your oven with the light on.

HOW TO SOAK NUTS

I’ve let the nuts soak for 15 hours.  You can get away with this with most nuts except cashews which you will only want to soak  for 7 hours.

Notice how milky the water looks.  Each type of nut will leave a different kind of residue in the water.  I’m soaking some pecans as I type and the water is dark brown.

HOW TO SOAK NUTS

Drain the nuts and rinse them to get off all the residue.

HOW TO SOAK NUS

I have an Excalibur dehydrator so I dry them at 125 degrees for  12  hours or until crispy.  The longer you dry them the crispier they will get. If you have an oven, turn the oven to the lowest setting and dry for  12 hours until crispy.  I want to note that I have taken them out of the dehyrdator after 5 hours and while they are dry and edible, they are not super crispy like they are after 12 hours.

HOW TO SOAK NUTS

A before shot of the nuts going into the dehydrator.

how to soak nuts

The finished product! This is great as a snack or I even use these nuts in my nut milk maker to make some fresh almond milk.

 

30 thoughts on “How to Soak and Dehydrate Nuts”

    • I hope you try making some soon 😛 I usually make bigger batches but I can not have that many nuts around the house or I will EAT them.

      Reply
    • I bought my dehydrator years ago when I was a raw vegan – yes I had a brief stint as raw vegan – and I don’t use it as much as I should. I can see you putting one to use!

      Reply
  1. II had been soaking almonds for awhile, but then stopped when I was pregnant with my third child and now she is 8 months old and I am finally trying to get back to many things including this. I have had row almonds in my freezer downstairs for probably 2 years … would they still be good to soak and dehydrate?

    Reply
    • The USDA states that most nuts are good for 9 – 12 months. I’ve heard that nuts can keep in the freezer for 2 – 3 years. I would pull out a pack and smell/taste check them after they have defrosted. You never know.

      Reply
  2. There’s been a furore here in Australia over activated nuts …a Sydney based chef trended on Twitter with his Activated Almonds and was branded a pretentious twat by the media and got a wrap from the nutritionist who “analysed” his diet. Check him out on FB at Pete Evans…if even just to see him in boardshorts! https://www.facebook.com/peteevanschef/app_422330817789381
    BTW…I’ve been soaking nuts and seeds for years and I always encourage others to do so to enhance digestibility. I look forward to more of your wonderful posts:)

    Reply
  3. I sprout my almonds and peel the skin off, they taste quite nice in that form. I will have to look into a dehydrator at some point.

    Reply

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