Almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, even the humble peanut – all these nuts make me swoon. I’m one of those people who thinks pretty much anything can be better with a handful of toasted nuts (same rule applies to cheese).

This made me somewhat dismayed to learn about phytic acid. It’s a component of nuts that binds with healthy minerals, depriving your body of their nourishing value. The good news is that there are various long-practiced methods to help unlock or activate the nutritive value of nuts by reducing the phytic acid. These include soaking (various websites mention using salt water or water with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar), spouting and souring (as in sourdough bread).

If you are interested in learning more about any of these practices, just Google “nuts” and “phytic acid.” If it sounds interesting but too daunting to put into practice in your own kitchen, you can have it both ways. Local resident Diana Swanger has a fledgling company called Bee Goodness that offers gluten-free granola made with activated nuts (meaning they are soaked then dehydrated to make the nutrients available for absorption). Presently, the only way to get her granola is by contacting her directly but she has plans to expand soon. For more information, email her at diana@bee-goodness.com.