Hemp Nut Butter:

Yield: approx. 4 1/2 cups

Ingredients 4 1/2 cups hulled hemp nut

3 – 4 tbs hemp oil (or other cold pressed oil)

Directions The challenge to making hemp nut butter in the Vita-Mix is to ensure the hemp nut does not heat up. Both heat and light can damage the essential fatty acids in hemp which diminishes its nutritional value. Keep the hulled hemp nut in the freezer. You will probably purchase it in a vacuum sealed bag or in bulk in the refrigerated section of your local health food store. Keep it in the freezer overnight before making the nut butter. Chill the Vita-Mix container in your refrigerator for a few hours before beginning this recipe. Place all ingredients into Vita-Mix in order listed. Secure lid and tamper. Starting at low, walk speed up to high. Work quickly, vigorously pushing hemp nut into the blades for no longer than one and a half minutes. Put Vita-Mix container in freezer for an hour to chill hemp nut again. Repeat blending procedure for about one more minute. You should end up with a smooth butter with a few chunky bits. The nut butter should be cool to the touch at all stages of the blending process to maintain nutritional value of the final product. Scoop out into a plastic storage container with a sealed lid. Store in fridge or freezer. The hemp butter should keep for a few weeks in the fridge and longer in the freezer. I would recommend this processing method for most nut butters. While hemp is a particularly volatile oil, all polyunsaturated oils that come from nuts and seeds are damaged by heat and light.

“An excellent source of essential fatty acids and protein. Use in sandwiches, on crackers, in celery hollows and in smoothies.” Recipe by: Robin Russell