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BS: Salted Nuts
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Subject: BS: Salted Nuts From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 04 Nov 07 - 05:37 PM Canned salted nuts, almonds, pecans, hazel, are expensive as a snack. In the Baking Goods sections, these nuts are found raw and unsalted in 1 kg (2 lb. +) packages, much lower in cost, but without flavor. The Canadian Press recently published this recipe for salted almonds, which we use. Slightly varied, it works with other raw, bulk nuts. Recipe from Michele Anna Jordan, author of "Salt and Pepper" (Broadway). Juice 1 lemon (or 1 teaspoon lemon juice). 1 (5ml) teaspoon sugar 1 cup (250ml) raw unsalted almonds, skin on 1 tablespoon (15 ml) (1 teaspoon) kosher or table salt. (Amounts in ( ) are my variation). In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and sugar. Add almonds, toss and mix, and set aside for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Drain off lemon juice and sugar. Spread nuts on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 300 F (150 C) until almonds are lightly browned and give off their aroma. DO NOT let them burn (I use 250 F), examine and shake pan lightly a couple of times during baking. Remove from oven, let cool. Store in a sealed container until ready to serve (They don't last long enough with us to worry about storage). |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: GUEST,Norval Date: 04 Nov 07 - 05:54 PM Sorry about the blank posting above. Q: Buying unsalted nuts in Canada saves you a few cents by not paying the GST (Goods and Services Tax). Unsalted nuts are considered baking items and not taxable, whereas salted nuts are considered to be junk food (snack food) and are taxed at 6%. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: michaelr Date: 04 Nov 07 - 05:56 PM Thanks for that, Q! A great money-saving tip. Of course you can add any spices you like, such as granulated garlic, chili powder, cumin, or cayenne pepper. Michele Anna Jordan is a local here in Sonoma County, CA, with a radio show and a regular column in the paper. I've met her a few times, and she is a delightful lady, in addition to being a great cook. Cheers, Michael |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Liz the Squeak Date: 04 Nov 07 - 06:18 PM They're probably healthier for you too, as you're not so likely to add so much salt as manufacturers do. I once had a bag that had obviously been filled at 5 to 4 on a Friday... it was full of salt and had one nut in it. LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: bobad Date: 04 Nov 07 - 06:22 PM Another good way to do almonds: Tamari Almonds Ingredients: 6 oz. (1 ¼ cups) raw whole almonds 1 tbsp. tamari 1/2 tsp. kosher salt Makes 1 ¼ cups 1 Stir tamari with almonds and marinate at room temperature for approximately 2 hours or until any puddling at the bottom of the bowl evaporates. Note: Tamari is a naturally brewed sauce made traditionally from water, whole soybeans, and salt. Shoyu is a similarly brewed sauce made from water, soybeans, salt, and roasted wheat. Either can be used in this recipe; however tamari has a more pungent flavor that better complements the roasted nut. Avoid use of commercial, chemically processed "soy sauce". It's known to contain caramel color, hydrochloric acid, sugar, and hexane, a petroleum derivative used to defat the soybeans. Yum. 2 Preheat over to 330°F. 3 Toss tamari-soaked almonds with kosher salt and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Note: Lining the baking sheet with aluminum foil will reduce cleanup time. 4 Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 4 minutes. Note: At 8 or 9 minutes the almonds will just begin to brown on the inside. At 15 minutes their insides will be quite toasted. 5 Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 04 Nov 07 - 06:24 PM If GST (sales tax) was all, I wouldn't worry about the cost difference, but a 250 g can of Diamond salted (or flavored) almonds costs up to $5.00, whereas a 1 kg package or raw almonds is usually less than $10.00. Cost is cut in half. True, michealr, very easy to vary the spice. A son likes them honey-flavored; I would have to experiment, but I found this video which I haven't tried yet (there are others on the net). Honey almonds |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 04 Nov 07 - 06:39 PM Tamari-flavored nuts are something I haven't tried, but I have seen something similar in the oriental foods section of the supermarket. Salted dry-roast peanuts are cheap and often on sale here, so I haven't tried roasting them. If I were still in the South, I would, because we got fresh raw peanuts there; those in stores here (Canada) are not the best. True, Liz. Planter's roasted peanuts are over-salted, to name one. I think some salted nuts, especially peanuts, have been soaked in brine, thus the salt has penetrated deeply into the nut. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Little Hawk Date: 04 Nov 07 - 07:53 PM Salted, roasted nuts ARE junk food. Are you aware, Q, that raw and unroasted nuts are about 10 times better for you than the salted, roasted variety? The raw ones still have life energy in them. "Prana". The cooked ones don't. They're energetically stone dead. The raw ones also have a delicate and excellent taste, perhaps not immediately detectable to a pallet that is normally deluged in salt, sugar, or other strong spices. The taste of the raw nut is a far better taste once you get used to it. Subtlety is something not to be missed...in either food or life...in my opinion. But, hey, if you are in a hurry to get your entire monthly salt requirements for a healthy body...and you want to do it in just one sitting....by all means, eat a bag of potato chips or a bag of salted nuts! ;-) For your entire YEARLY allotment of salt and a month's worth of overcooked oil besides, just scarf down a couple of orders of fries at a "New York Fries" place. They're dead too. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: GUEST Date: 04 Nov 07 - 08:15 PM Canada = Socialized Medicine?
If you bought salted/prepared Almonds - would have not - helped those less able....to continue, even at existance level.....according to provisisions within the Hague....
Resolved: You shoul feel guilty - acknowledge your crime quickly - and the penalty might be less severe. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 04 Nov 07 - 08:18 PM My next post will be on the definitive New York Fries. When I die I want my remains salt-cured. Just call me salty dog! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: michaelr Date: 04 Nov 07 - 10:41 PM Gargoyle, that was you at 8:15, wasn't it? Better spelling than jOhn from hUll, but making less sense. Cheers, Michael |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Rowan Date: 04 Nov 07 - 11:30 PM Another advantage of salting your own nuts (Down, there!) in bulk, apart from any commentaries from the Hague, is that you can use sea salt or iodised salt for the minimal (but essential) intake of iodate. Junk food companies avoid iodised salt. Not being from the relevant culture(s), nor yet catering for people from, them I have no idea how kosher (or halal) salt is differently constituted but I'm sure those who are concerned would already know. Cheers, Rowan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 05 Nov 07 - 12:27 AM I wonder about that, Rowan. In the U. S. and Canada, 1 part Potassium iodide is added to 10,000 parts salt (sodium chloride), eliminating goitre and thyroid problems and drastically reducing cretinism. I thought that this was the requirement for salt used commercially in food as well as sold as table salt. Anyone know the regulations? I know some people claim that iodized salt has a metallic flavor. Sea salt has many elements, iodine among them. In some countries, 1::100000 is the ratio, and some medical studies suggest that this is sufficient. Some foods (Maize or corn, Brassica greens, tapioca) increase the amount of iodide that should be ingested. I can't find any requirements for the UK, but haven't really looked. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Rowan Date: 05 Nov 07 - 01:02 AM Q, I'm only familiar with the Oz performance of processed and junk food companies; they're on record as refusing to use iodised salt in their processing. It gained some exposure recently as a result of medicos claiming that an Oz survey of consumers indicated that something approximating half of the population had insufficient iodine intake to avoid thyroid problems. I forget the details of whether the surveyed consumers were only pregnant women, only women of child-bearing age or the whole population, but the take-home message was that women intending pregnancy ought to ensure that whatever salt they ate (keeping it restricted to ensure sodium intake didn't get out of hand) was iodised. One suggested method was to try and convince bakers to use iodised salt (instead of ordinarily-refined salt) when baking bread, in much the same way as they use folate in bread to decrease the frequency of bubs affected by spina bifida; the largest baking companies refused point blank to even consider using iodised salt. Cheers, Rowan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Geoff the Duck Date: 05 Nov 07 - 03:15 AM Q - I am confused by your recipe in the first posting. In amounts you have listed :- "1 tablespoon (15 ml) (1 teaspoon) kosher or table salt." but in the cooking instructions, you do not actually mention the salt at all. What are we supposed to do? Cook the nuts after soaking in sugared lemon and then eat the spoonful of salt to wash them down with? Quack! GtD. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: catspaw49 Date: 05 Nov 07 - 08:52 AM Yeah, kinda' like a "mouth mixed" Margarita(:<)) Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Little Hawk Date: 05 Nov 07 - 10:30 AM Ahem! Here's an article on overconsumption of salt. Too much salt! Salt: Too Much of a Good Thing Americans eat too much salt. Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause heart disease and other health problems. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest reducing salt/sodium in your daily diet. Table salt is made up of sodium and chloride. Salt and other sodium containing ingredients are often found in processed or packaged foods. Most of the sodium in our meals comes from processed foods. Sodium is the part of salt that increases blood pressure. There is more sodium in salt than any other food that we eat. We eat salt because it makes food taste better. It enhances the flavor of almost everything we eat. Yet eating too much salt is dangerous. The body needs sodium to hold water in the blood vessels. Sodium also regulates water balance in all parts of the body. If too much water is held in the body, the amount of blood increases. If it increases too much, problems will arise. The increase in blood makes the heart work harder. The result can be high blood pressure. Other conditions, such as diabetes, can cause high blood pressure. The most common cause is eating too much salt/sodium. When high blood pressure is not controlled, it can lead to a heart attack, stroke or kidney disease. How much sodium is too much? Health experts recommend 1,100 - 3,300 mg of sodium per day for healthy adults. Most people eat 2,300 to 6,900 mg per day. This is too much sodium. Some people are salt/sodium sensitive. African Americans, Hispanics, and obese individuals are especially sensitive to salt. Controlling the salt in your daily diet can reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Check your blood pressure often. If it is high, see a doctor. High blood pressure is a reading of more than 140/85. If your blood pressure is normal, keep it that way. Exercising, eating less salt and fat, and keeping your weight down will help your blood pressure stay normal. Salt/sodium can hide in many foods. One teaspoon of salt contains 2,000 mg of sodium. The following suggestions can help lower salt intakes: Eat fewer salty snacks such as potato chips, nuts, cheese and pretzels. Read the "Nutrition Facts" panel on food labels to see how much sodium you are eating. Read the label. Look for the words, low-salt or reduced-sodium on products to replace those with high salt. Use fresh or frozen vegetables instead of high sodium canned Avoid pickled products like sauerkraut, deli meats, sausages and canned fish. Use herbs and spices like garlic powder, thyme, oregano, and basil to flavor food and use less salt. Season meat with lemon juice, bay leaf, crushed red pepper and rosemary. Season chicken with sage, seasoned vinegar and ginger. Limit the use of high-salt soy sauce, meat tenderizers, seasoned salt, and Worcestershire. Look for salt-free herb blends for cooking. Many people have learned to reduce salt in their diets without missing the salty taste. You can too. Cut back on salt slowly, allowing time for your tastebuds to adjust. Replace the salty taste with another flavor. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 05 Nov 07 - 12:47 PM Ah, me! I lost part of a sentence due to mental glitch; insufficient salt in my diet. Drain off any excess sugared lemon juice, mix salt and nuts. Put the salted nuts on the baking sheet. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Little Hawk Date: 05 Nov 07 - 12:48 PM Put enough salt in and you'll be pre-embalmed when you go. No need for cremation. ;-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 05 Nov 07 - 01:09 PM The Mayo Clinic says much the same, but emphasizes that 77% of the sodium in the average American diet comes from processed and prepared foods such as luncheon meats, canned vegetables and soups and frozen foods. Pickles, etc. in brine and pasta sauces are high in sodium. OK, cut the ham and bacalao but keep the salted nuts! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Little Hawk Date: 05 Nov 07 - 01:14 PM Yeah, the meats, soups, and processed foods are definitely the worst offenders when it comes to salt content. Soft drinks and a whole host of processed foods (including most soups!) are the worst when it comes to sugar. Tomato ketchup has a very high sugar content, for instance. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Geoff the Duck Date: 05 Nov 07 - 06:29 PM Actually, Q, it answers one real question I had. A while back I bought a big (2Kg or similar) bag of raw cashew kernels and tried roasting them. I did okay on finding a temperature that didn't burn them to a crisp. The problem I had was trying to get salt to stick. I just ended up with a tray of left-over salt and virtually none on the nuts. They still tasted nice, and cooked fresh in small batches, just did what we needed as nibbles on any particular night. Quack! Geoff. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Little Hawk Date: 05 Nov 07 - 07:29 PM Why anyone would want to add salt to the glorious taste of a cashew is beyond me... ;-) I love unsalted cashews, raw or roasted. The raw ones have quite a different taste, just as do raw peanuts (which taste kind of like peas...hence the name: "peanuts"). |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Bee Date: 06 Nov 07 - 01:41 PM The raw starch in uncooked nuts gives my tummy the growlies. There is, by the way, this interesting thing about humans and raw starch. When humans started cooking their starchy roots back in the stone age, they were able to retain far more of the nutrients of such foods, and thus grew bigger and healthier. On saly: my Mom, bless her heart, having being diagnosed with high blood pressure and advised to avoid saly, avoided all of it. If it said salt on the package, she didn't eat it. Did all her own cooking salt free. No iodine in her diet to speak of. Developed a goitre big enough to cause her to faint when it pressed on her carotid as she turned her head. Had to have her thyroid removed. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 06 Nov 07 - 02:42 PM Haven't tried to flavor cashews. I think they may be more difficult to treat. Temperature-time probably has to be very carefully controlled. In university, a friend in the dorm used to get raw peanuts by the gunny sack from his family farm (Texas). They were very large and almost sweet. Haven't ever found any like them in the stores. They were very good raw. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: jeffp Date: 06 Nov 07 - 02:53 PM The raw cashews you get in the store aren't really raw. They have been cooked, but not salted or roasted. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Don Firth Date: 06 Nov 07 - 03:11 PM The Trader Joe's near where we live sells cashews with 50% less salt. Marvelous! Salt doesn't just contain sodium and clorine, it is sodium and clorine (NaCl). Necessary for life, but too much can cause high blood pressure. One can learn to regulate one's taste and back off on foods that taste too salty--such as the cashews (and other nuts) in a can that the run-of-the-mill supermarkets sell. Same with processed sandwich meats, Read labels and use your taste buds. By the way, at age 76, my blood pressure is 120/70. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Rowan Date: 06 Nov 07 - 04:43 PM Pedant alert! "Salt doesn't just contain sodium and clorine, it is sodium and clorine (NaCl)." Don's correct in that refined table salt is NaCl but a chemist would assert this means it contains sodium and chloride. If it contained chlorine we'd probably be very unhappy about it. Such terminology can get confusing; in earlier posts I mentioned iodine (in much the same way that Don mentioned chlorine), iodate (a commonly-used commercial term for added iodide, the counterpart of chloride) and iodised, the even more commonly used commercial term for a product (usually table salt or bread) where some digestible form of iodine (there I go again) has been added during processing. Cheers, Rowan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Don Firth Date: 06 Nov 07 - 05:55 PM Right. It's been a long time since I took high school chemistry. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: BS: Salted Nuts From: Little Hawk Date: 06 Nov 07 - 06:20 PM Sounds like your Mom carried it just a bit too far, Bee... As several here have said, extremes are to be avoided. |
