Toasted Nuts & Seeds 🥜

Today’s lesson is 423 words, a 1 min 41 sec reading time. Subscribe here. 📍 Introduction: Nuts & seeds add sweet, rich, complex flavors to salads, in addition to crunchy & creamy textures. When raw, they can be a bit soft and bland. A quick toast makes their flavors shine, and crunch come out. One of the best things about toasting nuts and seeds is that they can be stored for 1-2 weeks, making them ideal for meal prep. Go ahead, get creative and create your own unique blends for many salads to come! 🧂 Ingredients: * Nuts or seeds (see Notes for suggestions) ☑️ Instructions: Pan method (faster) * Preheat a pan on high, add nuts & turn down to medium * Monitor & lightly toss the nuts every 1-2 min * When golden brown & fragrant (about 2-5 min), remove from heat * Chop (optional) * Toss with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt (optional) Oven/Toaster-Oven method (easier) * Pour nuts onto a small roasting pan or dish in a single layer * Bake/roast at 350 for about 5-10 min; check & shake every 5 min * Remove when golden brown & fragrant * Chop (optional) 📝 Notes Tips & Tricks * Recommended nuts: almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, peanuts, macadamia, cashew * Recommended seeds: sesame (black & white), poppy, caraway, chia, flax, amaranth, sunflower, coriander, cumin, anise * Nuts & seeds burn easily & fast. Don’t walk away for more than a minute or two. * Chop nuts after toasting, not before * Toasted nuts & seeds can be stored and saved in airtight containers for two weeks. Let them cool before storing, or they will get soggy from the steam. * Stride ahead by toasting nuts alongside something else that’s already roasting or baking * For extra flavor, try adding oil, salt, herbs (e.g., rosemary, thyme, sage) or spices (e.g., cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric) before toasting the nuts * Seed mixes are versatile & a fun way to get creative in the kitchen. Try using them to top avocado, scrambled eggs, grain bowls, etc. * To ensure nuts are fresh, take a little sniff and taste. If they smell like chemicals (e.g., paint, plastic), they’ve gone bad. If they taste bitter or sour, throw them out. Trust your instincts. * Hack to prevent messy chopping - capture flyaway nuts by placing a cutting board inside a rimmed baking sheet * Store nuts in the fridge or freezer to ~double their shelf life. Some nuts spoil faster than others (e.g., pine & pistachio). Most are good ~1-2 years unopened. If opened, ~ 6-12 months. 🎓 Further Study * How Long Do Nuts Last? (Chart) * The 3 Major Mistakes You’re Making When Buying and Storing Nuts —————————————————— 🎧 Prefer to listen? Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify or Overcast. ☎️ Do you have ideas about how to make Life School better? Sign up here for a 15-min call with Founder & Chief Researcher, Michelle. 📚 Check out more in the Table of Contents This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.trylifeschool.com