I have come into a great deal on almonds at my fave produce market: $1.99/lb.! They are "raw," but chances are they are also pasteurized. I tried a couple and they taste very fresh that I almost wonder if they could be really raw. In any case, although I wish they were truly raw, I still plan to buy more bags because Whole Foods sells non-organic, pasteurized almonds for $5.99/lb. and that's supposed to be a pretty good deal! My questions:

1) Can I store them in the freezer?

2) I plan to remove the skins. Should I soak them in the fridge so they won't spoil? What about other nuts that are not really raw--is there any point to soaking them or do the enzyme inhibitors disappear when treated with heat?

3) Does anyone know a good alternative to a nut mylk bag or cheesecloth for straining?

4) Can I still make almond cheeze with pasteurized nuts or will they get funky sitting out if they aren't truly raw?

Thanks!

If you're buying them from Whole Foods you can almost guarantee they are pateurized. If you're near a farmer's market, that is usually the best bet for getting *truly* raw nuts. Here's a go at your questions:

1) Can I store them in the freezer?

Yes - I find I get freezer-burn on mine unless I wrap them up in several layers of bags.

2) I plan to remove the skins. Should I soak them in the fridge so they won't spoil? What about other nuts that are not really raw--is there any point to soaking them or do the enzyme inhibitors disappear when treated with heat?

I doubt you have *raw* stuff, but I think soaking still makes them easier to digest...not sure...

3) Does anyone know a good alternative to a nut mylk bag or cheesecloth for straining?

Yes! Go to your hardware store and buy a "paint strainer" bag - they are like $2 tops.

4) Can I still make almond cheeze with pasteurized nuts or will they get funky sitting out if they aren't truly raw?

I've made 'cheeze' with nuts that I suspect were not raw. Worked ok for me.

Good luck!

CJJ: Thank you so, so much! I am so glad about the painter strainer bags. I knew there was something out there that was cheap and that I could just go buy and not have to order. I haven't seen almonds at the farmer's market but at my produce market they are selling green almonds. They are fuzzy on the outside! I don't have an inkling of a clue about how to approach them so I am sticking to the "regular" kind. Oh, and I know that WF's almonds are pasteurized. They recently had to stop labeling the non-roasted ones 'raw.' Do you happen to know if in-shell almonds grown in the USA are raw? Or do they treat them with heat after shelling them?