Almonds are so delicious and nutritious, and they’re even more so when sprouted! Better yet, almonds’ nutritional value skyrockets when they come alive – when sprouted, almonds increase in B-complex vitamins as well as vitamin C. In addition to being about 25 percent protein, almonds contain lots of vitamin A and E as well as all the essential amino acids: Calcium, iron, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus and potassium. However, you may have a hard time getting your hands on sproutable almonds these days.
To show all the Mom Prepares readers just how easy and delicious sprouted almonds are to make and eat, I tried to sprout these raw almonds pictured here; the package said raw almonds and nothing about pasteurization – I’d never even heard that almonds might be pasteurized. Apparently the process was the result of a few cases of food-borne illness from bird droppings in the orchard but, nevertheless, the FDA decided that all almonds must be processed to avoid this issue.
The result? Almonds which don’t sprout. Who would know? The package of almonds I purchased said nothing about it, only claiming they were “raw.” I began the sprouting process anyway, hoping against good advice that my almonds would indeed sprout.
From what I now understand, the only sources of almonds that will sprout are either from the California farmer directly or bought online. If you plan to sprout almonds, I recommend you find a good online source for raw, organic and unpasteurized almonds such as Sprout People or Nuts.com. There are lots of other sources online for good quality almonds.
My Unsprouted Almonds
The almonds pictured here were soaked and allowed to sprout in exactly the proper way, but did not show any signs of sprouting after thirty six hours. Pictured close up in the picture to the right, you can see that absolutely nothing has happened. My conclusion is clear: Almonds bought in stores are not sproutable.
Now, they are quite tasty after they soak and swell up, in fact, I find them even more delicious this way but they are “dead” and will not grow sprouts. When I want sprouts, I’ll buy unpasteurized almonds online – but if I want to eat plain almonds, I think I will buy grocery store almonds and soak them for four to ten hours, and enjoy the goodness the good soak gives the almonds.
Sprouted Almonds = Delicious, Living Food
If you’ve never tried sprouting almonds, I highly recommend you try it. And don’t make the mistake I did and buy “sterile” almonds, go online and buy a few pounds of truly raw almonds to add to your food stash -because once you try these delicious sprouted almonds you will want these “living food” nuts around all the time. The versatility, nutrition and ease of almond sprouting makes almonds the perfect food for any well-prepped kitchen and long-term food stores. The increased nutrition makes it a great addition to your cooking as well as your stash of emergency preparedness foods.
Don’t miss out on the advantages living foods such as sprouted almonds give us just because you have to go out of your way to get sproutable almonds. You’ll be glad you went to the trouble to find the unpasteurized ones.
Thank you! I bought my almonds at Costco so I doubt that they will sprout. I live in Mexico so I am going to try to buy local almonds. I doubt that they will have been pasteurized. I have two almond trees growing in my yard but, one is only a seedling. I am looking to sprout a different variety so that I get more chances for fruit. My other tree is almost three years old and three meters tall so I am expecting this coming year to have blossoms.
I tried sprouting a bag of presidents choice almonds from superstore and nothing happened even after soaking for almost 4 days.
I will not buy any pasteurized or dead almonds anymore. Pasteurization at 200 C kills enzymes, vitamins, good fats and good proteins, making almonds no longer nutritious. Its a waste of my money.
yes but, which brands are pasteurized and which not?? If it’s not mentioned on the label, it can be a big issue.
ALL store bought almonds in the U. S. are pasteurized – by law. The only way to obtain unpasteurized almonds in the U. S. is to buy online direct from the grower.
Thanks for info re CA nuts Lauren.
Such a headache finding a small farm with unpasteurized sprouted nuts and seeds / forget reasonable prices. Local food coops might be next best research. Will look into sprouting seeds nuts myself.
Evlaleah