A Brief Story of the Odd Nut

The Why:

In 2017, I was inspired to change my lifestyle and my food choices. Out went most of the ultra-processed foods, fatty meats, and other unhealthy stuff I was eating. Instead I made healthier choices, focusing on more natural, wholesome foods, especially those with protein and fiber like vegetables, lean meats, and nut butters.  

Like many kids, I’d eaten peanut butter (not actually a nut) and jelly sandwiches, but I didn’t have much more interest in nut butters at the time. Now I ventured into almond butter and beyond. Eventually, I researched how to make these nut butters at home, excited by the ability to craft nut butters the way I wanted them.

The How:

Grit, a food processor, flavorings, oil, and research. That was how it started.  My first batch of nut butter took over an hour because I didn’t know I should roast them first as it helps soften the nut before grinding them. Things got easier from there.

The What:

Eventually, I started to explore the other types of nuts out there, the less common “odd nuts”. What about cashews (not a nut either but a seed, it turns out)? Pecans? Would they make tasty nut butters? I worked with roasting times and flavoring combinations until I arrived at what would become The Odd Nut starting line up of Honey Walnut, Maple Pecan, and Dark Chocolate Cashew nut butters and this stuff was too good to keep to myself.

Sustainability and Nut Butters

During my education in “nutology” I learned a lot about nuts and nut farming, especially when it came to sustainability. According to the United Nations sustainability is ““meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (1)(www.un.org/en/academic-impact/sustainability). Environmental impact has become a key issue today, and the trees that grow the nuts and seeds used in the nut butters leave their mark on the air, soil, water, etc. I wanted to make sure I was being as environmentally conscious as I could be, which affected which nuts I chose to include and what ingredients and packaging I used. For example, I use glass jars instead of plastic ones to reduce landfill. The more I researched, the more complex the sustainability question became as many factors go into tree nut growing, including where they are grown, how they are grown, and who grows them.  I’m determined to make great products while helping to sustain the environment.  

1. “Sustainability.” Academic Impact United Nations, www.un.org/en/academic-   impact/sustainability. Acessed April 7, 2025.