Almond update

I can tell that after reading the Daily Dose on pasteurized almonds, you got up from your computer, went straight to the cabinet where you keep your almonds, and checked the label. After seeing "Raw Almonds" written plain as day on the packaging, you came right back to your computer, sat down, and wrote to me.

Many of the questions were similar to this one: "If the label says 'Raw Almonds', does that mean it's not pasteurized?" The answer to your question is one of the great paradoxes of this whole frustrating issue. The labels DO NOT have to indicate that the almonds have been pasteurized. In fact, they can still be labeled as "raw."

If you're truly concerned about getting raw, UNpasteurized almonds, you cannot simply go to your grocery store-or even your whole foods store-and toss a bag in your cart. You'll have to do a little leg work to find out the source of those almonds to truly determine if they've been processed or not.

I think one of the easiest ways to ensure you're getting unpasteurized almonds is to order them from an online source that you can have direct contact with. A number of you wrote in with recommendations of such sources, and I'm happy to share them below.

Here are a number of the sources recommended by Daily Dose readers:

1. Organic Pastures (www.OrganicPastures.com; 877-729-6455). Yes, even though they're from California, they can still sell unpasteurized almonds because they're a farm- direct company that personally packs and distributes its products. For all of you who asked about in shell almonds, you can get them here. And incidentally, they also sell raw milk.

2. Living Nuts (www.LivingNutz.com; 207-780-1101). Another great source of unpasteurized almonds recommended by a number of readers. While you're there, sign the petition that requests that unpasteurized almonds be labeled as such.

And my favorite recommendations:

3. Richard says to "plant trees in your yard and grow them raw!"

4. And finally, Rosie says to boycott almonds altogether. If you just stop buying almonds, the growers will get the message in their empty pockets.

Not a bad idea, Rosie.