2009 Almond Group Buy

The 2009 raw almond group buy is here! The focus of this group buy is raw almonds because they simply aren’t available anywhere else. You cannot get truly raw California almonds anymore through retailers, and if anything says “raw,” that just means “not roasted.” California law in September 2007 mandated pasteurization of almonds, which kills enzyme potential through heat.

Something exciting about this year’s buy is that despite food prices rising all year, I have been able to keep the price for raw almonds the same as last year!

However, I have even more exciting news. This year I am also offering ORGANIC raw almonds, imported from Spain! My price is far below what you’ll find anywhere else.

In addition to almonds, I am also offering several other high-nutrition items, including raw honey, extra-virgin olive oil, organic extra-virgin coconut oil, raw organic blue agave nectar, dehydrated green drink, pecan halves, hulled sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, cashew pieces, raw sesame seeds, raw hulled chia seeds, organic raw flaxseed, dates (chopped, in oat flour), organic whole dried apricots, and shredded coconut.

Since I can't easily provide an order form through my blog, please contact me if you want to order anything. Prices are as follows:

Raw Almonds: 5 pounds (comes in 50-pound box) - $20.00 ($4.00/pound)
Raw Organic Almonds: 5 pounds (comes in 50-pound box) - $31.30 ($6.26/pound)
Almonds should last up to a year at room temperature in your pantry. You can keep them in jars or freezer bags in the fridge for 2 years, or indefinitely in the freezer. They will germinate (sprout) after they are frozen, so this is a good way to preserve almonds and other nuts.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: one-gallon tin - $32.00 (a case is 6 tins)
This oil in the group buy, from Italy, is not only inexpensive, but it is also stored in tin, which helps the oil retain nutrition and not oxidize. (If olive oil is stored in clear bottles and with exposure to light, it will oxidize quickly, and your oil will be rancid within a year.) I have been told the oil will be good in cold storage for 15-20 years in these tins. I personally would plan on rotating it within five years, however, just to be safe. This oil is very green, from the first pressing of the olives, which indicates the highest nutrition levels.

Organic, Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil: one-gal. bucket - $53.00 (a case is 3 buckets)
This coconut oil comes in white plastic (food grade) buckets so the oil is protected from air and light. It is a saturated and therefore highly stable fat, and goes rancid much more slowly than other fats and therefore stores well. Plan on rotating it within a few years, and buy no more than a 5-year supply for your baking, cooking, and beauty regimen needs. If you don’t have a cool area to store the oil in, I recommend buying only a two-year supply.

Raw Honey: five-lb. bucket - $17.00 (a case is 6 buckets)
Honey literally keeps forever, never goes bad. This is in part because it is a natural anti-bacterial. You can put it on cuts and scrapes and burns for excellent healing properties. My source is in Utah, and the bees range on alfalfa. The honey is completely raw.

Organic, Raw, Dark Agave: one-gallon jug - $41.00 (a case is 4 jugs)
Agave will last many years on the shelf. Keep the amount you want for long-term storage in a cool area if possible, and buy up to a five-year supply.

Green Drink: 17.6 oz.-bottle - $53.00 (a case is 6 bottles)
One bottle of dehydrated greens product (brand name available upon request) is a 60-day supply for one person, if you use 1 tsp. daily shaken or stirred into a glass of water. It gives you incredible nutrition and energy, without fillers and at a decent price. Here is a list of the incredible ingredients, all dehydrated under 100 degrees to preserve enzymes, vitamins, and mineral content:
• Six grasses, dehydrated below 100 degrees for enzyme preservation (including barley, kamut, and wheat grass), micro-ground to release the energy in the cell walls
• Juices of alfalfa leaf, broccoli, kale, spinach and parsley
• The best plant protein in the world from freshwater spirulina and broken cell-wall chlorella, both nearly 60% protein and incredibly mineral-rich
• Kelp and dulse, the two best sea-plant foods to nourish the thyroid, needed by most women older than 20 and many men, too
• Every single enzyme your body needs
• A vast range of probiotics and natural soil organisms to promote gastrointestinal health and fight infection

Chia Seed: 5 pounds (comes in 25 lb. bag) - $29.40 ($5.88/pound)
Chia is a wonderful food for storage, because its crunchy exterior protects it from oxidation and keeps years without rancidity. Buy up to a five-year supply, and keep it in a cool place if possible. (Vacuum sealing it with a Food Saver in quart jars is a good way to keep it on the shelf for years.)

Flax Seed: 5 pounds (comes in 25 lb. bag) - $10.40 ($2.08/pound)
Flax oxidizes quickly when ground, so use them right away after grinding (in your blender or a coffee grinder). Freeze gallon bags of flax.

Shredded Coconut: 5 pounds (comes in 25 lb. bag) - $10.40 ($2.08/pound)
The product we are providing in the group buy is NOT what you get in the grocery store, which has two dangerous ingredients, among (potentially) others: sugar, and propylene glycol. What we are providing is pure, without additives.
You can keep it in jars for six months on the shelf, or you can refrigerate or freeze it in gallon freezer bags.

Pecan Halves: 5 pounds (comes in 30 lb. bag) - $31.40 ($6.28/pound)
Pecans do not last particularly long on the shelf, so buy only enough for a few months unless you have freezer space (they will keep frozen indefinitely, and quite a long time refrigerated as well).

Raw Pumpkin Seeds: 5 pounds (comes in 27.5 lb. bag) - $20.00 ($4.00/pound)
Store your pumpkin seeds in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for them to last a year, or freeze them indefinitely. They will remain fresh only a couple of months at room temperature, or 1-2 years vacuum sealed in quart jars.

Dates (chopped): 5 pounds (comes in 30 lb. bag) - $8.90 ($1.78/pound)
Store similarly to other dried fruits.

Sesame Seeds: 5 pounds (comes in 25 lb. bag) - $12.60 ($2.52/pound)
Keep it in jars for six months on the shelf, or you can refrigerate or freeze it in gallon freezer bags.

Cashews: 5 pounds (comes in 25 lb. bag) - $25.40 ($5.08/pound)
At room temperature, they’ll be good for only 6 months, so I recommend keeping them in your freezer indefinitely, or vacuum seal them in quart jars for 1-2 years in storage.

Dried Apricots: 5 pounds (comes in 28 lb. bags) - $18.20 ($3.64/pound)
Store similarly to other dried fruits.

Raw Sunflower Seeds: 5 pounds (comes in 25 lb. bags) - $10.20 ($2.04/pound)
Keep sunflower seeds for years in the freezer. They sprout very easily when you soak them overnight and then drain them. Leave them in the jar for a day or two, rinsing and draining twice a day. Their nutrition is maximized after the end of the seed just barely begins to grow a tail. Refrigerate them immediately at this point so growth slows and they are good for a week.