If you have seen the word activated on a bag of nuts, here is what it means for ours: the nuts are soaked in salted water for several hours and then dried again. That is the whole process, and the rest of this guide is about the two nuts it is applied to and how to enjoy them.
What "activated" does and does not tell you
It describes a method, not a nutritional result. Soaking softens a nut, and drying brings the crunch back; the salt in the water leaves a light seasoning. We make no claims about nutrient absorption or digestibility. When researchers tested nut soaking directly in 2020, soaking whole and chopped almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts and walnuts in salt solution or plain water for 4 or 12 hours, they found phytate levels differed only slightly from untreated nuts (from about 12% lower to about 10% higher) and that mineral concentrations generally fell. Their conclusion was that the results do not support the claim that activating nuts improves bioavailability.
Our two activated nuts
- Activated Organic Almonds: crunchy but tender, and sweet. Per 100g: 647kcal, 23g protein, 9.6g fibre, 58g fat (6.2g saturates) and 0.6g salt.
- Activated Organic Walnuts: mild and buttery. Per 100g: 741kcal, 18g protein, 6.6g fibre, 72g fat (8.0g saturates) and 0.45g salt.
Both are organic, activated with water and sea salt, and dried, so they are ready to eat from the bag. Walnuts are more energy-dense than almonds because they are richer in fat, which supplies 37kJ per gram against 17kJ for protein. A 30g handful works out at about 194kcal of almonds or 222kcal of walnuts, with 0.18g or about 0.14g of salt respectively.
Choosing between them
On the numbers, almonds give you more protein (23g against 18g per 100g) and more fibre (9.6g against 6.6g), while walnuts carry more fat (72g against 58g) and therefore more energy (741kcal against 647kcal). Neither is a better nut in general; they are different. Many people keep both and mix a handful of each. The salt is similar in the two, at 0.6g per 100g for the almonds and 0.45g for the walnuts, so the choice comes down to the nutrition figures above and to which flavour and bite you prefer.
About the almond
The almond (Prunus dulcis) belongs to the rose family and is native to south-western Asia, says Britannica. What we eat is the seed. According to the Almond Board of California's description of the crop, it matures from March to June with its shell hardening inside a fuzzy hull, the hull splits open in July, and the nuts are shaken from the trees between August and October. Honey bees pollinate the white and pale-pink spring blossom.
About the walnut
The walnut is a different tree altogether. Juglans regia is a large tree reaching about 25 metres, with a fruit 4 to 6cm across wrapped in a husk that splits irregularly. Trees and Shrubs Online, from the International Dendrology Society, gives it as probably native in Pakistan and likely in Afghanistan, north-west India and southern Tajikistan, adds that its wider native range is debated, and says historical references to its use go back to 7000 BCE in Persia.
The kernel is covered by a thin, papery skin. A flavour chemist quoted by the California walnut industry says tannins and catechin in that skin are behind the walnut's astringent, mouth-drying edge, and the same source says walnuts can turn rancid if stored poorly. On nutrition, the NHS lists walnuts among plant sources of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, alongside almonds and cashews for omega-6.
Ways to use them
- Snack on them on their own or with a piece of fruit.
- Scatter over porridge, overnight oats or yoghurt.
- Chop into salads for crunch.
- Fold into baking, granola and energy balls.
Because they are lightly salted, go easy on any extra salt in a recipe. Try them in our maple cinnamon granola clusters.
Good to know
Store in a cool, dry place and use within 3 months of opening. Research from the Almond Board of California and UC Davis names heat, light and oxygen as the usual triggers of rancidity in almonds, so a cupboard away from the cooker is a better home than a sunny shelf. May contain traces of tree nuts and sesame seeds.
Sources
- Kumari et al., Does 'activating' nuts affect nutrient bioavailability? (Food Chemistry, 2020)
- Almond (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- The almond lifecycle (Almond Board of California)
- Juglans regia (Trees and Shrubs Online, International Dendrology Society)
- To understand walnut flavor, get under the skin (California Walnuts)
- Different fats and nutrition (NHS)
- Understanding rancidity development in almonds (Almond Board of California / UC Davis)
