Ingredient: Almonds
Category: Nuts
Season: All:
The almond has long been prized for cakes, confectionery and as a source of cosmetic oil.
The almond is native to Iran, from northwestern Saudi Arabia, north through western Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Western Syria, to southern Turkey.
The fruit is a drupe 3.5–6 cm long, with a downy outer coat.
The outer covering or exocarp, fleshy in other members of Prunus such as the plum and cherry, is reduced to a leathery grey-green coat called the hull, which contains inside a hard shell the edible kernel, commonly called a nut in culinary terms.
Generally, one kernel is present, but occasionally two.
However, in botanical terms, an almond is not a true nut.
In botanical parlance, the reticulated hard stony shell is called an endocarp.
It is mature in the autumn, 7–8 months after flowering.
Culinary uses:
While the almond is most often eaten on its own, raw or toasted, it is used in some dishes.
It, along with other nuts, is often sprinkled over desserts, particularly sundaes and other ice cream based dishes. It is also used in making baklava, and nougat.
There is also almond butter, a spread similar to peanut butter, popular with peanut allergy sufferers and for its less salty taste.
The young, developing fruit of the almond tree can also be eaten as a whole ("green almonds"), when it is still green and fleshy on the outside, and the inner shell has not yet hardened.
The fruit is somewhat sour, and is available only from mid April to mid June; pickling or brining extends the fruit's shelf life.
The sweet almond itself contains practically no carbohydrates and may therefore be made into flour for cakes and biscuits for low carbohydrate diets or for patients suffering from diabetes mellitus or any other form of glycosuria.
A standard serving of almond flour
1 cup, contains 20 grammes of carbohydrates, of which 10 g is dietary fibre, for a net of 10 g of carbohydrate per cup.
This makes almond flour very desirable for use in cake and bread recipes by people on carbohydrate-restricted diets.
In Greece, ground blanched almonds are used as the base material in a great variety of desserts, usually called amygdalota.
Because of their white colour, most are traditionally considered "wedding sweets" and are served at wedding banquets.
Sweet almonds are used in marzipan, nougat, and macaroons, as well as other desserts.
Almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E, containing 24 mg per 100 g.
They are also rich in monounsaturated fat, one of the two "good" fats responsible for lowering LDL cholesterol.
In China, almonds are used in a popular dessert when they are mixed with milk and then served hot.
In Indian cuisine, almonds are the base ingredient for pasanda-style curries.
The flavour of uncooked almonds is delicate and does not keep forever.
With a food processor you can grind your own almonds for immediate use and conserve much more almond flavour
The Marcona variety of almond.
Is shorter, rounder, sweeter, and more delicate in texture than other varieties.
It originated in Spain and is becoming popular in North America and other parts of the world.
Marcona almonds are traditionally served after being lightly fried in oil.
They are also used by Spanish chefs to prepare a dessert called turrón.
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