Almonds like most nuts and seeds contain phytic acid which binds to minerals such as zinc, magnesium and calcium in the digestive tract making them unavailable  for absorption. So when we eat food with phytic acid our ability to absorb minerals is impaired. Of course this is not a problem if you don’t eat a lot of nuts and seeds. If you feel uncomfortable in the gut after eating nuts and seeds then you may want to consider preparing them in the traditional ancestral way. The way to reduce phytic acid and neutralise the enzyme inhibitors in nuts and seeds is to soak, sprout and or ferment them.

In this recipe the almonds are first soaked then roasted before processing into a versatile nut butter.

ingredients

2 cups of almonds.

brine made with 1/2 tablespoon of Himalayan or Celtic salt to 500ml of water.

Soak the almonds in the brine for at least 24 hours then drain and rinse.Spread the almonds onto an oven tray and bake at 150c for 40 mins, after this time turn the oven off and leave them in the oven to cool, they should be completely dry before using them to make almond butter.

Put them into a food processor and process, it takes a long time for the almonds to release their oil. The top right photo is after 2 minutes the bottom right is after 5 minutes.

The left photo is after 6 minutes and the right photo is after 8 minutes. Your processor may be different but you want a thick oily spread.When it is done to your satisfaction test for saltiness, you may need to add a bit more but the almonds will be fairly salty form the brine soaking. Then spoon into a jar and refrigerate. This is great spread onto flax crackers, or celery sticks, or I like to use it in salad dressings for a lovely nuttiness.