Homemade Almond Butter

I've written before about how awful store-bought nut butter is for you. Between the rancid oils in the roasted seeds, the trans-fats in the hydrogenated oils mixed in for creaminess, and the processed sugar sweetener, the stuff is basically a heart attack in a jar.

But nut butter needn't be bad for you. In fact, if you make it at home, it can be quite nourishing. You may buy natural nut butters, but they're usually made with roasted seeds--oxidizing the natural oils--and they're almost NEVER made with soaked or sprouted seeds--a process that rids the nuts of mineral-blocking phytates. Not to mention how expensive these nut butters are.

So, for a healthy treat to spread on toast or mix into recipes, you'll need to soak, dehydrate, and then blend your own almond, peanut, macadamia, etc. butters. The following recipe works well for most nuts, but for some reason, cashews must be handles a little differently. Stay tuned for a post on those:

Ingredients

• 4 Cups Organic, Raw Almonds
• 3/4 Cup Organic, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Celtic Sea Salt
• Raw Honey to taste (optional)
• Filtered Water

This recipe yields about 3 cups of nut butter.

Method

 1. Place your almonds in a large glass bowl and add salt. Mix well.

2. Cover with water and mix again. Some seeds may float, but it doesn't matter. Then, cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for about 12 hours. This leaches out the phytates. They may even sprout.

3. Rinse the almonds well in a colander, and then spread them on a stone or stainless steel baking sheet. You could eat them at this point, but if you make nut butter out of them, it will spoil quickly.

4. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Then place the nuts in there to dry. Don't let your oven go over 150, because the oils in the nuts may oxidize, rendering them rancid. If your oven doesn't go that low, you need to get creative. I turned mine on for 8 minutes, then let it sit for 20, and I did this for a solid day. Some people don't have that luxury (or patience), so you might try propping the door open a bit or investing in a dehydrator.

5. Let your almonds dry inside the oven for another 12-24 hours, stirring occasionally  You'll notice that they'll shrink and shrivel a little bit, and they will have more of a crunch than before (because you know you had to snack on one or two).

6. Now place the dried nuts into a food processor and obliterate them for about 15 minutes. Once it has become as fine a paste as you can make it, you're almost done.

7. Now add the coconut oil, a little at a time, until you get the desired consistency. You don't have to add coconut oil, but it will be very dry if you don't. I suspect the reason commercial butters manage to get so creamy without added oils is through all that roasting--which toxifies the oils in the nuts anyway.

8. And... Nut Butter! At this point, you can add sea salt and honey to taste, or you can store it as is. Personally, I think it's rather bland without these two flavorings, but it's up to you. Store in the fridge for best results

The mason jars in the front of this pic are sunflower seed butter, which I made the same way. The constancy will not be the same as Jiffy, but it is a much healthier, more nourishing food for your family. Enjoy!