The Culinary Versatility of Raw Almonds

Are Almonds Nuts?

Almonds are all the rage these days in the food world. But did you know that they are not actually nuts? Botanically, almonds are stone fruits and are closely related to peaches and plums. We eat the kernel inside the hard shell.

When I was a kid, we would often remove the shell to get to the kernel inside. Nowadays our culture prizes convenience over authenticity. So it’s easy to forget that almonds do not actually grow in cellophane packaging! But what I find fascinating about almonds is that they are really just raw inputs into an entire world of culinary versatility.

What’s The Best Way To Eat Almonds?

There are many ways to consume almonds. Some of our favorites include:

• As a snack: Soak overnight and then dehydrate (or oven-dry) to eat as a part of a homemade trail mix

• As a beverage: Pulverize into almond milk

• As a garnish: Top off a salad with slices, flakes or slivers

• In schnitzel: Add (in the form of flour or meal) to make the coating for chicken schnitzel

• In matzo balls: Roll (in the form of flour or meal) into matzo balls

• As a dessert: Mix (in the form of flour) into a batter to make a honey cake

• As a gluten-free bread substitute: Mix (in the form of flour) into a dough to make a delicious bread loaf

• As a spread: Spread (in the form of nut butter) onto celery sticks or apples (Fuji or Gala taste the best!)

Early in the growing season, some cultures also have a custom of eating green almonds. These are really just the immature fruit (including the fuzzy outer hull), harvested before it has had a chance to harden.

How Do You Store Almonds?

Like nearly all nuts and nut-like foods, almonds are high in a variety of fats and oils. The high oil content creates two issues:

They are particularly efficient at absorbing pesticides. Therefore, they should be purchased organic whenever possible.

They are susceptible to going rancid fairly quickly due to heat and light. Therefore, they should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources. We prefer to store ours in the freezer but a fridge works just as well. Furthermore, once they've been soaked and dehydrated, they must be stored in the fridge or freezer.

What are some of the ways that you use almonds in your diet?

The Secret History of the Etrog (aka Citron)

“To everything there is a season. And a time for every purpose under heaven.”

— Ecclesiastes

Last week was the Jewish festival of Sukkot, a very joyous time of year on the Jewish calendar. The holiday commemorates the protection that G-d provided the Children of Israel in the desert when we left Egypt. Sukkot is also the celebration of the fall harvest.

One of the many visible symbols of the Sukkot festival is the etrog. It is ceremonially waved along with the lulav (palm frond), myrtle twigs and willow twigs. You probably know the etrog by its English name, the citron.

What Is An Etrog?

Etrog slices with rind, pulp and seeds

The etrog is a strange-looking fruit. It resembles a bumpy lemon. I always assumed that it was an off-shoot of the lemon. In fact, the lemon and lime genetically derive from the etrog. The fruit has very little pulp and is mostly thick rind with aromatic skin and lots of seeds. In ancient cultures, those seeds symbolized fertility.

Where Did This Quirky Fruit Come From?

The etrog originated in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan. It then traveled to northeastern India, where it became incorporated into Ayurvedic medicine. Given its strong history of medicinal uses, the etrog may even be considered a superfood. It eventually spread to the Persian Empire and the Mediterranean region once Darius I conquered India.

The most commonly used Etrog comes from Calabria, Italy. It is one of the three major exporters of etrogs, along with Israel and Morocco. In order to remain kosher for the holiday, they cannot be grafted onto other hardier citrus trees. Ironically, that preference for purity means that there has been very little cross-breeding for hundreds of years, so the etrog of today may truly be an ancient fruit.

What Do You Do With An Etrog?

The etrog is very unlike most other fruits: it does not spoil; rather, it shrivels over time. And there is precious little juice. So culinary options are limited.

After we are done with using it for the Sukkot holiday, my wife makes a tasty jam. Some people in our community make etrog liquor. The fruit’s aroma is really quite lovely, regardless of how it’s used.

Wait, What? Meet The Buddha’s Hand Citron

A close cousin of the etrog is the Buddha’s Hand citron. We encountered this at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market last week. This strange-looking exotic fruit resembles a very lumpy lemon with fingers. Or a squid made out of yellow rind. It is downright weird. It looks so darn cool that my kids keep nagging me to buy one!

What Is This Creepy-Looking Fruit?

The Buddha’s Hand is a hybrid of the etrog (citron) that originated in the Yangtze Valley of China. In Chinese and Japanese culture, it symbolizes happiness, wealth and longevity.

What Do You Do With A Buddha’s Hand Citron?

You can throw it in your laundry machine. The lavender-like aroma is so alluring that the ancient Chinese used to wash their clothes with the fruit. You could use it as citrus zest. Or you could cut it up in small pieces and fry it. Either way, the fragrance apparently can’t be beat.

What’s the weirdest fruit that you’ve ever encountered? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Going Nuts with Almonds and Walnuts

ACTIVE PREP TIME: 1 MIN
PASSIVE PREP TIME: 8 HRS TO SOAK (OVERNIGHT) + 24 HRS TO DEHYDRATE

My family and I have become connoisseurs of nuts. We eat them raw as snacks, make non-dairy milk out of them and even pulverize them into non-dairy cheeses, dips and sauces. While they are known to be not only delicious but also very nutritious, I’ve learned that there is an art to properly preparing them to unlock that nutrition.

Let’s start with almonds and walnuts.

Almonds are botanically stone fruits (like cherries, apricots and peaches), so the nut that we eat is technically the seed of the almond fruit. They are also high in monounsaturated fats, just like olive oil, which is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, among many, many other benefits.

Walnuts are true nuts (not stone fruits like almonds). They look like little brains when you crack them open! They are the only nuts that contain high amounts of omega-3 essential fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid or ALA).

We purchase our almonds and walnuts from Nicholas Family Farms in Orange Cove, California. They are tasty & delicious and come raw, organic and unpasteurized.

Why Does It Matter That They Are Not Pasteurized?

Almonds labeled “raw” and purchased commercially, whether at your local kosher market or supermarket chains like Trader Joe’s, will almost certainly be pasteurized. (As far as I can tell, this law does not yet apply to walnuts.) Nearly all almonds grown in the United States, Canada and Mexico are either steam heat pasteurized or fumigated with propylene oxide (PPC) gas, according to a law put into place in 2007 (sources: World’s Healthiest Foods and The Almond Board). Steam-heating almonds may result in nutrient loss due to the heat, while fumigating with PPC gas may leave residue from this probable human carcinogen. One of the two exemptions is for growers that sell almonds directly to customers at local farmer's markets, in limited quantities. So the best place to purchase truly raw almonds is by asking your local organic almond farmer if they pasteurize their nuts.

What’s The Best Way To Consume Almonds And Walnuts?

You might have come across people who soak their nuts before eating them. This is popular in Middle Eastern cultures. There is a good reason for doing this. The hull (the outer coating) of many nuts (as well as the bran of seeds and grains!) contains a substance called phytic acid. This substance functions as an “anti-nutrient” that inhibits absorption of minerals such as calcium iron and magnesium by the body because bodies lack the enzyme to metabolize it. Soaking the nuts deactivates the phytic acid and activates the nutrients.

I usually take a cup each of almonds, walnuts (and sometimes pecans), throw them in a 64-ounce Mason jar with filtered water, and soak overnight (or for at least 8 hours). Then I rinse and shake a few times to remove the murky brown gunk (you want to throw this away).

Finally, I place them on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 118°F for 24 hours. If you don’t own a dehydrator (which I strongly recommend purchasing; I own an Excalibur), you can use the oven at the lowest setting (ideally 150-170°F or lower) for 6-12 hours. Dehydrating at 118°F preserves the enzymes in the nuts and keeps them “raw”, while higher temperatures render them slightly “cooked”. This process is also more flavorful than unsoaked nuts.

Once they have been activated and dehydrated, they need to be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container so they don’t go rancid from the heat in your kitchen or pantry. I add Thompson raisins to the nuts to make a simple trail mix for my family to munch on while at school, at home or on a road trip.

The Health Benefits Of Preparing Your Own Snacks

Having kids at home and tending to busy work lives can make it difficult to find the time to prepare nutritious food. When you prepare your own food, though, you also gain the health and nutritional benefits that are otherwise lost through processing. Preparing nuts is a simple and effective way to shift from consuming processed snacks to going back to the source of best nutrition.

Meet the Reed Avocado

This one’s for all the avocado toast-loving folks on Instagram. Meet the Reed avocado. Cousin to the Hass. The Reed is big and round, like a softball, with thick, leathery (but not pebbly) skin. It is creamier and denser than a Hass. They can even grow to 2-4 pounds.

That’s a lot of avocado for your toast!!

How do you know that it’s ready to grace a slice of bread? Shake it and feel for the slight rattling that the huge pit makes inside.

And what about the nutritional benefits of avocados? The fat in avocados aids in carotenoid absorption from sweet potatoes, carrots and leafy greens and improves the conversion of beta-carotene into vitamin A.

So let’s get to it!

French Morning Melons

We’ve been gorging ourselves on melons the past month. It’s difficult to go through the summer at Los Angeles farmer’s markets without overdosing on melons. I grew up eating the mainstays: watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe. But these are just the tip of the iceberg, as there are so many more varieties to be enjoyed. Each one brings a certain gustatory joy.

Where Do Melons Come From?

Melons originated in ancient Persia, likely grew in the gardens of ancient Babylon and are mentioned in the Torah. Starting around 1600, they were cultivated by the aristocrats of Europe.⁠

How Do You Eat A Melon?

I feel like they still retain an air of prestige: Slicing open a melon is like unboxing a precious gift with your closest family standing beside you. They are meant to be ogled, passed around and shared – unlike, say, a peach.⁠

And they are best enjoyed from farmer’s markets when the flavor carries a lush & mushy sweetness – unlike the stiff, underripe supermarket types. This is the allure and delight of the French Morning Melon, the size of a grapefruit with the flavor a mix of honeydew and cantaloupe.⁠ “A.M. Melons”, as my kids refer to them, are our current household addiction and a part of our mid-summer breakfast routine.

The Pleasures of Unripe Green Walnuts and Almonds

What Do You Do With Unripe Green Walnuts?

You ferment them into nocino!

Nocino is a sticky dark brown liqueur from the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. Fun fact: This beverage originated in ancient, pre-Christian Brittania and is now associated with St. John the Baptist.

But it is basically a green walnut tincture that potentially confers benefits such as alleviating hypothyroidism (due to high levels of iodine), stimulating the liver and increasing brain activity.

So that’s one creative use of green walnuts.

Almonds Are An Amazing Snack Food

Almonds are one of those natural wonders that make amazing snack foods My entire family munches on almonds on road trips, hikes and even later at night when we are watching a movie.

It is a misnomer that almonds are nuts, though. Botanically, an almond is actually the pit of a stone fruit, closely related to plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines and cherries!

While most everybody’s seen or eaten an almond, relatively few have experienced the pleasure of eating a green almond.

What Do You Do With Green Almonds?

Green almonds are the immature fruit, harvested before the pit has had a chance to harden. They can be found for a short time from mid-April through mid-June at farmer’s markets and Persian markets (but rarely if ever at supermarkets). Green almonds are considered a delicacy in the Middle East.

We eat them raw. Just slice them in half and eat the soft, gelatinous pit inside. Or pop out the immature nut in the middle and lightly dip them in a bit of sea salt. They can also be chopped up and added to a salad to add extra flavor. They are best consumed within a couple days of being harvested and can get rather bitter if they sit for too long.

Why Fresh Figs Are So Good – And Delicious Too!

This week we picked up our first luscious figs of the season. And they were all devoured in about a day! Although I grew up eating them dried, they are absolutely divine when eaten fresh.

The Fig In The Bible And In Western Culture

The fig has played a significant role in Western culture since Biblical times and is the first fruit mentioned by name in the Torah. Interestingly, the fruit does not grow directly from a flower like most fruits. Rather, it contains the flower inside its walls. So strange!

The two varieties that we are consuming this summer are Black Mission and Kadota. Kadota, incidentally, derives from the Italian Dattato fig variety. Figs have been cultivated for about 7,000 years and originated in Western Asia, where they spread to the Mediterranean. Figs are the fruit of the ficus tree (I did not know that!), which itself is related to the mulberry.

What Makes Figs So Healthy: Nutritional Characteristics

Figs are sweet and chewy, with edible seeds that have a slight crunch when eaten.

Nutritionally, figs contribute potassium to the diet, which helps balance sodium levels and potentially reduces high blood pressure. They also contain a robust amount of calcium.

Figs are also naturally quite high in dietary fiber. The fiber makes you feel full faster and reduces hunger and cravings. Figs also contain a special type of fiber, called prebiotics , which feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

Do Figs Have Wasps Inside Them?

My kids asked me if it’s true that there are dead wasps in figs. Apparently, certain types of figs require a particular species of wasp in order to pollinate the male and female plants. But no need to worry: The wasp is completely digested by the time the fig becomes ripe for harvesting.

Two Popular Varieties of Fig: Black Mission and Kadota

The two most common varieties of fig in California are Black Mission and Kadota. These have completely different looks and flavor profiles. The purple and fiery orange Black Mission variety are quit sweet with a very distinct honey-like flavor, while the neon green Kadota are not quite as sweet. When ripe, both are very soft to the touch, creamy and sweet. Based on the heartier flavor profile, I narrowly prefer Black Mission over Kadota.

Figs are fairly easy to find in the supermarkets this time of year, although the easiest place to find them is at your local farmers market.

Cherries: A Potent Antioxidant

Cherries have played an important role in American culture for hundreds of years – think George Washington. They’re also a favorite summer treat for my kids.

What I love most about this fruit is what’s in it: anthocyanins (the same antioxidant family as blueberries); phytochemicals that protect against inflammation; and (among the sour varieties) lots of vitamin C and beta carotene. While they are high in natural sugar, the antioxidants make them a worthwhile snack for kids.

The two varieties that we most enjoy are the juicy red Bing and the milder but equally exhilarating yellow Ranier.

Blueberries by the Boatload

Blueberries are in full season now – and we can’t eat enough of them! These delicious bite-sized berries have one of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit or vegetable – specifically, the flavonoid anthocyanin, which gives them their blue color. They are also relatively low in sugar and may even play a role in blood sugar regulation, which makes them an ideal snack for schoolchildren.

We eat them fresh by the fistful this time of year and include them in our kids’ lunches.

We throw them into plain yogurt: About 10 blueberries added to a cup of cashew or other non-dairy yogurt, sweetened with a quarter teaspoon of maple syrup or 5 drops of liquid stevia extract, makes a delicious after-school snack. During the off-season, we use organic frozen blueberries from Costco.

And we even love them frozen in a morning smoothie, such as the “blueberry cheesecake” recipe that I learned from @theblendergirl Smoothies app.

What’s your favorite culinary use for the mighty blueberry?