Do you make your own nut butter?

[AwakenedMama]

If so, what appliance do you make it in?

Do you soak the nuts first? dry them?

And where do you buy bulk nuts?

Thanks for sharing!

[cristeen]

I haven't gotten so far as soaking nuts yet, but I do make my nut butter in my food processor. I get nuts either at the HFS or at Trader Joes.

[AwakenedMama]

What food processor do you have? Do you think you need a really good one, or will any do?

[cristeen]

I have a KA. I wouldn't try doing it in a mini... the one of those I've used couldn't even handle chopping an onion. But I do have a FP attachment for my blender that probably could handle it, since the blender motor is strong enough.

I make a pound at a time, though. A pound makes a little less than a quart of butter.

[EarthyMamaofDaisy]

I soak peanuts or cashews, then dehydrate them, then run them through my juicer. I have the Lexen Healthy Juicer, and it is made to be able to grind nut butter - but from soft nuts only -no almonds. If it's not spreadable enough you can add a little coconut oil or honey.

[Koalamom]

I soak almonds and then dehydrate them. Then I run them through my champion juicer. I have delicious almond butter now!

[Fi'sMom]

Organic Almonds?

Do you use organic almonds? Seems to me that using organic would be super expensive to make even a pint's worth of the butter. I eat a ton of Marantha's natural (non-organic) raw almond butter - $8.59/16 oz. - almost daily. Would you think the organic is worth the money?

[Koalamom]

I have to be honest, I don't use organic almonds. I bought 50 lbs in 2003 that were raw, but not organic. I would prefer them to be org, but oh well.

[motherbirth]

I'm interested in food processor recs too... I tried making pumpkin seed butter in a mini and it didn't work well at all.