Blanched Almonds

If you haven't included more almonds in your diet, you really are missing out. Not only are the healthy and delicious, but there are thousands of different ways to use them for recipes. Their light, nutty flavor makes them ideal for both meals and desserts. When it comes to cooking, using blanched almonds is one of the most popular techniques.

Blanched almonds, to put it simply, are almonds without their skins. These almonds are used in a variety of different recipes, from almond paste marzipan to gluten free almond flour. While there is nothing wrong with almond skins themselves, sometimes a recipe, for aesthetic or scientific reasons, calls for these amazing little seed without them.

Making blanched almonds, fortunately, is incredibly easy. Purchase a bag of raw almonds and put them in a bowl. Then cover the almonds with boiling water. Leave them in for approximately one minute, then drain the bowl, rinse the almonds in cold water, and dry them with a cloth or paper towel. An alternate method is to slowly pour almonds into roiling water, leave them submerged for a half a minute, then drain, rinse in cold water, and pat dry.

Either way, it is crucial that you don't keep your almonds submerged for over a minute. Any longer than that, and you risk your almonds growing soggy and losing their flavor. Once your almonds are dry, simply pinch one end and pull. The brown skin should come free easily, and soon you will have a bowl of fresh blanched almonds.

From there, the possibilities are endless. Try coating your almonds generously with olive oil and toasting them. Once your almonds are warm, sprinkle with sea salt and create a delicious snack! You can also sliver or slice your almonds for use in salads, trail mixes, cake toppings, and more. Your only limit is your own imagination!

Some may wonder if the leftover almond skins are of any use. While there is nothing wrong with eating almond skins when casually snacking, the truth of the matter is that almond skins contain quite a lot of tannic acid and can cause your recipes to turn out quite bitter. You are not wasting anything by throwing the skins out, as most of the nutritious benefits and flavor are within the seed itself.

In using blanched almonds, you are taking advantage of the many healthful benefits almonds can boost your intake of vitamin E, magnesium, iron, calcium, fiber, protein and much more.

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