Preparing the Nuts

• To get the maximum benefits from the raw nuts, you need to take a little extra preparation time. Raw nuts contain enzyme inhibitors that can wreak havoc with your digestion and interfere with your body's natural enzyme production. Soaking raw nuts before dehydrating them helps deactivate these enzyme inhibitors. To soak nuts, place the nuts in a large glass bowl or mason and fill the container with cool, filtered water. Add a pinch of sea salt, stir or shake the container and cover. Allow the nuts to soak at room temperature.

Soaking Times

• The amount of time that nuts need to soak varies from 2 to 12 hours, depending on the type of nut. For example, cashews only need approximately 2 hours, while walnuts need 4 to 6 hours and almonds need eight to 12 hours. Generally, unless you’re pressed for time, you can let the nuts soak overnight and even up to 24 hours. Once the nuts have soaked, drain and rinse them thoroughly.

Necessary Equipment

• The beauty of dehydrating food is that you don’t need to run out and buy special kitchen equipment. Although a dehydrator works wonders for dehydrating raw nuts, you can also achieve the same results using your oven; simply preheat the oven to the lowest available setting and arrange the nuts in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. The settings vary depending on the oven model and manufacturer; some ovens only go as low as 170 degrees Fahrenheit, but if you can, set it down to 150 F or lower. If you have a dehydrator, crank it to 120 F and arrange the nuts in a single layer on the dehydrator tray.

Timing and Storage Information

• The goal is to dehydrate all of the moisture out of the nuts, leaving them dry and crispy. In addition to adding texture, dehydrating the nuts extends their shelf life. If you're using a dehydrator, check the nuts after 8 hours or so. The goal is to keep dehydrating the nuts until they are crispy, which can take up to 24 hours in a dehydrator. If you're using your oven, let the nuts dehydrate overnight, or until they are crisp. If you’ve dehydrated several types of nuts, store them in separate containers. You can keep the nuts in a cool spot for up to 2 months.