FAQS

Which of your products are Non-GMO?

All of our products marked certified organic are non-GMO. Out of several hundred products that we offer, less than 10 are not certified organic; of our non-organic products, our wildcrafted carob is non-GMO and our sea salt and our Himalayan salt are naturally occurring minerals and thus cannot be genetically modified.

According to the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP), the use of genetic engineering or genetically modified organisms is prohibited in certified organic products. To meet the USDA organic regulations, farmers and processors must show they aren’t using GMOs and that they are protecting their products from contact with prohibited substances, such as GMOs, from the farm to the finished product.

Are your California Almonds pasteurized?

This is a statement from the provider of our California Almonds.

We utilize a hot, humid air treatment to destroy Salmonella found in untreated almonds. In this process, water is evaporated over electrical heating elements; the humid air is thoroughly mixed and then blown through a moving bed of almonds. Federal law requires a minimum of a 4-log reduction in Salmonella. We achieve this target using the least amount of water and the lowest level of heat required. The precise temperature exposure is a trade secret, but is below "cooking" levels

The FDA requires a 5-log reduction for any process claiming to "pasteurize" food. Accordingly, they do not claim that our almonds have been "pasteurized" or "flash pasteurized." As legal terms, these descriptions do not define our treatment. Our almonds should NOT be labeled "pasteurized.

Our almonds do, however, meet the Federal Marketing order requirement for California almonds sold in North America--the 4-log reduction identified previously.

Our process has been thoroughly reviewed and approved by the Technical Expert Review Panel associated with the Almond Board of California. In addition, as an entirely chemical-free process, our treatment has been designated "organic" by CCOF.

All organic almonds grown in California and sold in North America must be treated for Salmonella prior to retail sale. Currently, the only non-treated organic almonds available are imported nuts from countries such as Italy and Spain."

Why is sprouted good?

While humans lack the enzymes required to break down phytates, the sprouting process activates enzymes within the plant that can accomplish this task. This enzymatic action facilitates the release of minerals, enabling them to be more readily absorbed by the body. To learn more please click on the link...

Why Sprouted?

Why do you selectively stone-grind your nut and seed butters?

The benefits of stone grinding in the preparation of nut and seed butters (and flours, too) are numerous. Please click here to read all about it…

Why Stoneground?

How are your cashews cracked?

This is a statement from the provider of our cashews.

First cashews are soaked in a hot water bath to soften the shell. Cashews are then cracked manually—the kernel is put in a machine that holds the cashew between two plates, a person then uses a blade to crack the hard shell open. The kernel is covered in a red skin called testa (this protects the kernel from the caustic liquid inside the shell). The kernels are dried in an oven for 2 hours at 75-80 F⚬ degrees; most of the testa comes off in the oven but the remaining skin is manually scraped off.

Are your nut butters all mold, yeast, and aflatoxin free along with gluten, soy, and dairy free?

Blue Mountain Organics Distribution LLC (BMOD) takes pride in the quality and purity of the products it produces. In doing so, we use our best efforts to source organic and raw ingredients carefully. Our sourcing protocols include obtaining Certificates of Analysis on all raw materials. In addition BMOD conducts sample tests from time to time as a part of its HACCP. All tests are necessarily produced from samples and therefore are not necessarily a conclusive representation of the whole supply. Further while BMOD follows strict sanitary procedures the products processed and sold by BMOD are not subjected to a ‘kill step’ but are sold as ‘raw’. It should be understood that some risk can exist that raw products could pose a health risk to some consumers.

All Products sold by BMOD are labeled following FDA rules and regulations as well as those of the Organic and Kosher certifying bodies. BMOD represents to the best of their knowledge that the ingredients listed on the labels affixed to the package correctly represent the entire contents of the package and the nutritional panel included is drawn from the USDA data base for the ingredient listed.

Are your sesame seeds hulled?

Yes the sesame seeds have been hulled.

How are your sprouted flours different than regular flours?

We start with organic grains, beans and pulses of the highest quality. We sort them, soak to germination, rinse repeatedly to remove phytic acid and/or anti-nutrients, and then dehydrate them at low temperatures. The germination process improves the nutritional composition of the food, giving it a nutritional profile more like a living plant than an inert seed. We then stone grind the flour, maintaining a low temperature, to preserve nutrients. See http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/living-with-phytic-acid for more information.

Are your sprouted flours stone ground or steel milled?

They are stone ground.

Where can I purchase your products in Canada?

Upaya Naturals sells our products in Canada.

Are your products sold in stores?

Our products are sold in many stores across the United States.

What is the difference between your Better Than Roasted brand and the Love Raw Foods brand?

Better Than Roasted is our sprouted brand, and includes raw sprouted nuts, seeds and butters. The nuts and seeds have been soaked to remove the phytic acid coating that inhibits enzymatic activity and absorption of minerals and other nutrients by the body. The raw nuts and seeds are then dehydrated at low temperatures to so as not to damage vital phytonutrients. Love Raw Foods nuts, seeds and butters are raw foods that have never been exposed to high heat. They are not soaked and dehydrated or processed in any way.

What is the difference between the Non-Pareil (California) Almonds and the European Almonds?

The California Almonds have been through a steam treatment as required by California law. They are still considered raw.
The European Almonds have not been steam treated, they come from Spain or Italy, and have slightly stronger almond flavor.

Is your sunflower lecithin organic?

We carry both organic lecithin and non-organic varieties.

Is your sunflower lecithin liquid or granular?

Liquid

Is expedited shipping available?

Yes, it is available. You must call to get this option.

Do you sell sprouted oats?

Yes, our Living Oats have been sprouted.

Should nuts, seeds and butters be refrigerated.

Yes we recommend that they be kept refrigerated once opened in order to maximize freshness and extend the shelf life of the product.

What is the shelf life of your nuts, seeds and butters:

Estimated shelf life under proper storage conditions is 12 months.

Can nuts and seeds be frozen to extend their shelf life?

Yes. The best conditions for nut storage is cold, dark and protected from the air.

What is the shelf life of The Raw Bakery Products?

Under proper storage conditions, estimated shelf life is six months.

Do your raw kale chips contain tree nuts?

Our Cheezy and Chocolate kale nuts contain cashews; our Tomato-Basil kale chips do not contain any tree nuts as they are made with sunflower seeds instead of cashews.

Are you products certified Gluten Free?

Our products are naturally gluten-free, and we do not carry any gluten-containing items. However, please note that we are not certified gluten-free.

Are there peanuts in your facility?

We are a 100% peanut free facility.

Why is shipping so expensive?

We control our costs the best we can to give our customers the best quality products and service at the lowest possible price. We are a small, family-owned and operated company and have negotiated the best shipping rates possible for a company of our size. Often, you will find that it costs just a little bit more to ship an order that is double or triple the size of a smaller order, so placing less frequent but larger orders helps lower your shipping costs, too. Shipping rates are more economical if you buy larger quantities per order AND check our specials and discounts page - quite often many of our most popular products are on sale - you just may find something there that you love, and save lots of money on your order to help cover the cost of shipping!

Why don't you offer free shipping?

As a small business, it's become too expensive to cover the shipping costs of all our customers.

Do you ship internationally?

No, we only ship within the USA using FedEx and do not offer international shipping, including to Alaska and Hawaii.

How can I find out more about special offers and discounts?

Follow this link...

Discounts and Specials

How do I sign up for your newsletter?

Is your agave raw?

At Blue Mountain we do not process agave nectar, however, our supplier of agave states in writing that it has conducted internal testing to see when enzymes start to breakdown at certain temperatures and different time durations. They further state that they have the processing down to an "exact science" and during that processing the agave nectar agave is never heated above 118 degrees F.

How do I sprout your sproutable seeds and beans?

SHORT SPROUTS (ADZUKI, CRIMSON LENTILS, GREEN PEAS):

EASY DIRECTIONS – SHORT SPROUTS

Soak 6 to 12 hours.

Put 4 Tbsp. seed in a wide mouthed jar.

Cover jar with screen; secure with rubber band.

Add water, swirl, and drain.

Refill jar halfway with water.

Soak seeds for 6 to 12 hours.

Drain well and invert jar at an angle in a sink or a bowl.

Rinse twice a day – Rinse seeds by refilling jar halfway with water and gently swirling.

Drain well and invert jar.

Enjoy! Ready to eat in 3 days. To keep fresh, refrigerate well drained sprouts.



LEAFY SPROUTS (ALFALFA, BROCCOLI, BROCCOLI BRASSICA BLEND, DAIKON RADISH, RED CLOVER, SANDWICH BOOSTER):

EASY DIRECTIONS – LEAFY SPROUTS

Soak 2 to 6 hours.

Put 1-2 Tbsp. seed in a wide mouthed jar.

Cover jar with screen; secure with a rubber band.

Add water, swirl, and drain.

Refill jar halfway with water.

Soak seeds for 2 to 6 hours.

Drain water well and invert jar at an angle in a sink or a bowl.

Rinse twice a day – Rinse seeds by refilling jar with water and gently swirling.

Drain well and invert jar.

Enjoy! Ready to eat in 5 days.To keep fresh, refrigerate well drained sprouts.



GELATINOUS SEED: CHIA FALLS INTO THIS CATEGORY, TOO

EASY DIRECTIONS – GELATINOUS SEED

Do Not Soak Seed – Sprout on grow pad.

Place grow pad on tray or flat dish.

Sprinkle dry seeds lightly onto grow pad, leaving space between the seeds.

Spritz seeds with water until damp but not too wet.

Preserve moisture by loosely covering seeds with clear plastic.

Spritz seeds twice a day. Keep damp, but not too wet. When established on pad, sprouts can be rinsed under a slow flowing tap.

MICROGREENS (GREEN PEAS CAN BE GROWN EITHER AS SHORT SPROUTS OR MICROGREENS):

EASY DIRECTIONS – MICROGREENS

Soak 6 to 12 hours

Rinse enough seed to cover the bottom of the sprouting tray.

Cover seed with water for 6 to 12 hours.

Drain, holding at an angle to remove excess water.

Spread seed evenly on bottom of sprouting tray.

Cover with lid or plastic bag.

Rinse twice a day – Rinse by holding sprouting tray under gentle flow of water, dipping in a sink of water, or misting with a mister. Drain thoroughly.

Enjoy! Ready in 10 to 12 days. Cut stems above roots. To keep fresh, refrigerate well drained sprouts.

WHAT IS THE COOKING TIME FOR THE SPROUTED GRAINS AND BEANS?

Sprouted Beans, seeds and grains are an excellent source of vegetarian protein and fiber.They have already been soaked and sprouted, therefore soaking overnight is not necessary. In general, because they are sprouted, they will cook up to 20% faster than their non-sprouted counterparts, thus using less energy and saving you time during your busy day. The chart below details how much water and how much time 1 cup of grains or beans would need to cook completely at simmering temperature in a saucepan that's covered or semi-covered. Please note that all measurements and times are approximate.

Click here to see the cooking chart.

WHAT DOES 2X MEAN FOR VANILLA EXTRACT?

For vanilla extract 2x denotes double-fold. A “fold” is the FDA’s regulated measurement of potency for vanilla extracts. In order to be a pure “single-fold” vanilla extract, each gallon of the finished extract must have been made with a minimum of 13.35 ounces of vanilla beans. Double-fold extract was made with 26.7 ounces of vanilla per gallon.

Am I at risk for novel coronavirus from product shipping from China?

There is still a lot that is unknown about the newly emerged 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and how it spreads. Two other coronaviruses have emerged previously to cause severe illness in people (MERS and SARS). 2019-nCoV is more genetically related to SARS than MERS, but both are betacoronaviruses with their origins in bats. While we don’t know for sure that this virus will behave the same way as SARS and MERS, we can use the information from both of these earlier coronaviruses to guide us. In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets. Currently, there is no evidence to support the transmission of 2019-nCoV associated with imported goods and there have not been any cases of 2019-nCoV in the United States associated with imported goods. Information will be provided on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus website as it becomes available.

Do you do co-packing or private labeling?

Yes, we do co-packing and private labeling. You may send your inquiries to wholesale@bluemountainorganics.com.