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How to blanch almonds
Many almond recipes, especially in baking and patisserie, call for blanched almonds but they can be expensive to buy and are not always of the freshest quality. They also seem to come in really small packets.
So, what are blanched almonds, why are they better than whole raw almonds, and how to blanch almonds yourself at home?
What are blanched almonds?
Technically speaking, blanching is the culinary term for very briefly adding an ingredient to boiling water and then cooling it in cold water (refreshing).
Blanched almonds are almonds that have had their skins removed.
Although it is easy to remove the skin from other varieties of nuts by roasting them in the oven and rubbing them in a cloth or teatowel, almonds are fairly thick skinned so the process of blanching is the tried and tested method of removing their skins.
How to blanch almonds
Blanching almonds is a little fiddly, yet not difficult, and well worth the effort in terms of saving money and ensuring quality.
Bring a pan of water to the boil (size dependant on how many almonds you are blanching) and drop your almonds in. Leave for 1 minute and then drain in a sieve or colander. Return the almonds to the pan and run with cold water. Drain again. You may feel the water is useful for getting the skins off your fingers, which it is. Use a separate bowl for this though or you will find yourself mining for almonds in a pan of skins. Which is really frustrating.
Now that you have wet and wrinkly almonds with loose skins they are much easier to peel.
Pick up an almond between your thumb and forefingers. Gently squeeze so that the almonds pops out of the skin. Put the newly naked almonds on a tray lined with a clean dry cloth, and discard the skins. At this point you can leave them to dry for an hour or so, or place them in a very low oven for an hour to dry out further.
Blanched almonds that have been dried in the oven will grind to a finer flour and have more of a toasted nutty crunch than those that haven’t. Consider what you want to do with your almonds though, as sometimes you want a more creamy delicate flavour and a bit more moisture going on. Think frangipane and macarons.
You can store your blanched almonds for up to a month in an airtight container, in a cool dry place. Ideally though, you should blanch them as required.
What to do with blanched almonds
As previously mentioned, blanched almonds are non-negotiable for classic patisserie and more refined styles of baking. For when you want to whip up a moreish frangipane, or muster up a mass of candy coloured macarons. For these you want to grind raw blanched almonds into ground almonds.
The number one choice for gluten-free baking, almonds are exceptionally versatile and can be used in place of wheat flour very successfully in some recipes. You may want to experiment with making your own almond flour, and playing with different drying times and grinds.
You can blanch almonds before roasting if you wish. Or toss them in a dry frying pan until golden and toasty before decorating cakes and biscuits, or tossing in a salad.
Some people prefer to eat almonds without skins. There is no reason not to blanch almonds before snacking, or even making almond butter. The only time you really would not want to use blanched almonds is when making almond milk. It would simply be a waste of time.
Are blanched almonds healthy?
Almonds are officially a superfood. They provide essential minerals, mono-unsaturated fatty acids, and are one the best sources of antioxidant Vitamin E. The ideal beauty booster, they are of particular benefit to skin, hair and nails.
Almonds with the skin left on are higher in fibre and have more of the nutrient content intact. That said, blanched almonds are still super good for you.
Blanched vs unblanched almonds
Blanched almonds are not necessarily better than unblanched, whole raw almonds. They are just different and are best suited for certain purposes.
Sometimes you want raw and rustic, with more of a wholesome natural feel. Think crumbly speckled almond cookies made from the almond meal that you ground from the leftover pulp after making almond milk.
Other times you may want a substitute for wheat flour. Not only can specks of dark almond skin look less refined but can have a bitter taste and a drying sensation in the mouth. This is because almond skin is a source of tannins. The same compounds that cause the lip puckering sensation in black tea and red wine.
We recommend that you buy unblanched almonds, and then blanch them yourself when need be. Our Australian almonds are pesticide-free. One of Australia’s most important crops, sustainable almonds are vital for our economy and our wildlife.
If you are looking for cost effective ways to use blanched almonds then you could buy almonds in bulk. Or why not do all your bulk shopping at our online store?
How to make almond milk at home
In order to add body and frothing capabilities to commercial almond milk, manufacturers often add various fillers and additives.
Learning how to make almond milk at home gives you total control over the ingredients used. The result will be naturally thick and creamy almond milk.
How is almond milk made in a factory?
Most commercial almond milk is made from Californian almonds. There, the demand is high and the supply unsustainable. A process causing damage to an already fragile ecosystem. Almond milk has been around for centuries but the process came under mass commercialisation just over a decade ago, putting wildlife under threat and endangering the honeybee.
Most industrially produced almond milk contains around 2% almonds. This results in a thin flavourless liquid, which is why so many cartons of almond milk come with a long list of ingredients. Added to provide body and flavour, these extra ingredients may be naturally derived yet are still additives nonetheless.
How to make almond milk at home
To make almond milk you will need fresh, whole, almonds and water. Go for filtered water if that is what you would normally drink at home. You will also need a blender, a sieve, and a clean tea towel or cloth. And a bowl large enough to sit the sieve in.
You may wish to add flavour to your almond milk with a little cinnamon or vanilla. A word to the wise – do try homemade almond milk once before deciding it needs flavouring. Almonds are naturally creamy so the stuff you make is way different to the store bought variety.
The best way to avoid sustainability issues around your almond consumption is to buy local. We wrote all about sustainable Australian almonds and how they are produced, right here.
To make roughly 1 litre of creamy almond milk you will need 1 cup almonds and 4 cups water. You can adjust the ratio of almonds to water depending on how thick you want the result to be. Remember that we said there is about 2% almonds in commercial almond milk? Using 4 cups of water brings that percentage up to 25%, so you can imagine the difference.
Blitz the almonds with the water for about 3 minutes or until the almonds are completely blended. Place the sieve over the bowl, and line with the cloth. Pour in the blitzed liquid and leave to strain until the residue is almost dry. You can give it a helping hand by squeezing the cloth as if you are wringing out a dishtowel. Which, strictly speaking, you are. Pour the resulting almond milk into a container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Don’t waste the strained nutritious fibre remaining. Sprinkle it on your granola or add it to a Chinese recipe. You can even use almond pulp to make almond meal.
Why not save money and buy almonds in bulk or check out the rest of our wholefoods bulk groceries at our wholesale store
Almonds are a Healthy Nutritious Superfood
Almonde distributes bulk lots of high quality, raw Australian pesticide free almonds and most importantly, our growers practice natural farming systems for producing healthy almonds in Australia. Almonde is owned and conducted by an Australian family business.
Almonds are rich in fats, protein, fiber, magnesium as well as vitamin E that help to prevent against severe illness.
Almonds can be eaten raw, toasted or can be eaten soaked in milk and many other ways. According to the modern sciences of Australia, almond nuts help to reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels as they contain large amounts of protein and fiber.
Almonds are regarded as seeds rather than considered as true nuts. Almonds contain powerful toxins that may help to reduce the risk of causing cancer and other severe diseases. It may also aid to lower heart diseases and Alzheimer as almonds possess vitamin E and magnesium.
Buy bulk pesticide free raw natural almonds from Almonde or online direct through our parent company website at Opera Foods.
Almonds Lower Blood Sugar As Well As Cholesterol Levels
Australian almonds are considered to be the nutritious and healthy snack for the people of Australia. The mission of eating almonds daily is to maximize the growth of our body and to enable a sustainable platform. Almonde has increased its research as well as marketing, into tracking down growers that are using pesticide free growing practices.
The main purpose of growing and cultivating pesticide free raw almonds is to develop communication and sustainability between healthy consumer customers and to focus on the interest of respective Almond growers. Bulk almonds can be available with our parent company Opera Foods and people can purchase almonds from our online store.
Nowadays, Australian pesticide free almonds are becoming popular across different countries of the world. People can make multiple recipes with the help of almonds such as berry breakfast smoothie, almond milk, apple as well as an almond gelato, raspberry, almond and chocolate pudding, beef, broccolini and almond stir fry, apricot, almond, and pomegranate rice pilaf and many more.
Almonds are rich in fats, fiber, protein, vitamin E and magnesium. Almonds help to lower blood sugar, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and many more.
Almonds A Healthy and Nutritious Snack
Almonds are considered to be healthy as well as nutritious nuts grown in Australia and many other parts of the world. According to the researches done across Australia, Almond has become a favorite among the dieters in recent years.
Almonds have healthy fats; fiber, protein, magnesium, copper as well as vitamin E. Almonds have certain health benefits including lower blood sugar level, decreased cholesterol levels as well as blood pressure. They also help to reduce hunger and weight loss. Therefore, most of the individuals prefer to use bulk almonds in the breakfast as almonds have low carbohydrates, rich in protein and fiber. It has the ability to decrease the respective number of calories taken in a whole day.
Several studies have suggested that almonds have the ability that helps people to feel full. According to the researchers of Australia, almonds help to reduce cancer, Alzheimer, and heart diseases. Hence, people are advised to consume almonds by maintaining certain restrictions for avoiding certain diseases and risks.
Almonde is a registered brand which has been producing high-quality raw almonds over the years across Australia. Visit our online store to know more in detail.
Some Amazing Benefits of Having Almonds
Australia is the largest producer of bulk Almonds in the Southern Hemisphere. Almonde is a famous almond brand who has been dealing in the production, and delivery of almonds all over in Australia. Many of the almonds orchids situated in Australia are in and around the Murray River region of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
Raw almonds provide key proteins and nutrients, good fats, antioxidants, aid in the reduction of cholesterol and help you live longer.
Raw almonds can easily be used as a breakfast as most of the time it can be sprinkled on granola and muesli bowls are toppings. They are also used to make almond butter, chocolates, and cookies. All almonds products are sweet and savory which makes it easily lovable among people of all ages. All our almonds are raw almonds which are pesticide-free and are packed in special HACCP certified premises.
Almonde supplies high-grade tasty almonds. to book your first order to visit our online shop for raw pesticide free almonds.
Almonde is a division of Opera Foods Pty Ltd
Almonds are the Secret to a Healthy Body and Mind
Be it for glowing skin or for weight loss, be it for a school going kid or for a man, who works throughout the week, or for a healthier mind and beautiful hair. Almonds have always been that secret super food which provides you with the essential vitamins and nutrients to achieve these results within a short period of time.
Raw Almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E which removes the dark spots and acne from your skin. They also help in the rejuvenation of our skin and boost our memory power to a great extent. Almond milk and Almond oil are also very effective and useful to us in our daily life. Almond milk strengthens our body and improves the immune and digestive system while almond oil promotes hair growth. Almond Oil also has several anti-aging properties in them which give you a beautiful skin tone along with a healthy mind.
Almonde is a brand which specializes only in pesticide-free almonds. We are a family owned business who have been distributing high-grade almonds in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. You can order bulk almonds from our parent company Opera Foods to avail affordable rates and huge discounts.
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