Soak 'Dem Nuts
Crackly, sweet, never bitter. It's worth the effort to soak and bake your nuts.
A nut is not a foregone conclusion — there is always room for improvement.
Come with me as we take the scenic route toward something ultimately, delicious, and arguably worth the extra effort — soaking and dehydrating your nuts.
Today, I am sharing my recipe for basic “sprouted” nuts, (habit more than “recipe” per se) plus, what to watch and listen to on repeat this week.
In an informal survey conducted in-flight from LAX to JFK last week, I found that ninety percent of passengers were watching The Materialists or Anyone but You. I am proud to report that I resisted the groupthink and put on Bonjour Tristesse, Durga Chew-Bose’s 2024 remake of the Otto Preminger film. No regrets.
The film revolves around a father-daughter relationship, one that’s slightly irresponsible but bottomlessly deep. Chloë Sevigny plays an icy, exquisitely dressed step-mother-to-be— the kind of woman you’d reorganize your life to befriend. As if that weren’t enough, it was the costumes, the palid color palette, and the interiors that got me: that spare, Riviera château, barely furnished, windows always open, nothing “fancy” but everything “comme ça.”
75 year old artist and musician Lonnie Holley is the king of “making something out of nothing.” He gathers what the world discards—rusted metal, splintered wood, old shoes, grief—and arranges it into objects and songs that hum.
I am going to dub Lonnie Holley, “music to ‘soup’ to,” meaning, he brings the groove o buoy your best winter stew, or the simmering chicken stock that is life itself. As we speak, I have beans on the stove and Holley’s album, Oh Me, Oh My playing on repeat.
Why Soak and Dry Your Nuts?
The process from start to finish is lengthy, but it’s passive time. And if your day is otherwise completely unproductive, you can rest your laurels on the fact that your nuts were soaking while you were flitting away the hours.
Improved digestibility
Raw nuts contain compounds that can make them harder to digest. Soaking helps neutralize these. If you have a sensitive stomach, this is for you.
Better nutrient absorption
Nuts are rich in phytic acid, which binds to naturally occurring minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Soaking reduces this binding effect, allowing the body to absorb more of those minerals.
Enhanced texture
Soaked and dehydrated nuts become ultra-crispy and snackable. The change is remarkable. They shatter in your mouth instead of turning into a wet paste.
Improved flavor
The skins on walnuts and almonds are high in tannins. These cause their characteristic astringency—the “cotton mouth” feeling, particularly with fresh walnuts. Soaking mellows bitterness, resulting in a cleaner, sweeter flavor.
Soaked & Oven-Dehydrated Walnuts
Nuts.com sells gorgeous red walnuts (pricey at $19/lb), and Corky’s ships theirs from CA. I do recommend getting high quality nuts, and storing them in the freezer until you are ready to use.
