You May Want To Think Twice Before Putting Whole Nuts In The Blender

From DIY margaritas to soups and from fruit smoothies to sauces, your blender is the trusted tool for many of your favorite at-home recipes. With the placement of just one blender on your countertop or inside of your cupboard, your possibilities for kitchen creations seem limitless — but you shouldn't be too sure of yourself. While the pricey, restaurant-grade blenders are designed to liquefy virtually anything and everything, most of the conventional ones come with limitations.

Unfortunately, even the best of the best blenders break down over time. So, in order to keep your most trusted kitchen appliance up and running for as long as possible, there are a few key culprits you should avoid putting inside of them. Along with hot liquids and dried fruits, Eating Well identifies whole nuts as a vice against your blender's blades. 

While this may be bad news for at-home nut-butter lovers, blenders everywhere are pulsing with relief.

Your blender does a lot for you; The least you could do is be nice to it. To be safe, read through the instruction manuals that your blender came with to identify what exactly it is and is not designed to blend. While you're doing that, take note of the machine's wattage. If it's anything below 1,000 watts (via Kitchen Ratings), you should leave the job of grinding nut-butter to the industrial machines at the grocery store. This doesn't mean you have to avoid nuts at all costs; Rather, opt for recipes that work with nuts that have been soaked and softened.

When creating nut-based sauces and spreads, registered dietitian Elle Penner told Eating Well you should "soften nuts by soaking them prior to pureeing at home." According to The Spruce Eats, soaking your nuts is done by submerging them in water and can take anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours, depending on the type of nut you're using. However, the wait is well worth it — not only for your blender, which will thank you for maintaining its blades' sharp edges, but for you, too. 

In addition to being easier to digest, soaked nuts can be used with your blender to make many different recipes, from vegan cheese to plant-based milk.