Store almonds in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place.
Almonds can be used in both sweet and savory applications. For savory dishes, try pairing them with fine cheeses (especially goat cheeses), fish, crab, lamb, or chicken.
Blanched almonds can be added to dishes whole, chopped, slivered (cut into small sticks), or ground into almond meal. Use them as you would skin-on almonds.
In sweet dishes almonds pair well with other nuts, vanilla beans, most non-tropical fruits, citrus, chocolate and dairy.
Removing Almond Skins from Plain Almonds (Blanching):
Remove the brown outer skins from almonds by briefly (about 1-3 minutes) blanching them in boiling water, than immediately moving them to an ice water bath until they cool. This will separate the skin from the nutmeat so you can peel it off.
Toast the peeled almonds to dry them out.
Toasting Almonds:
To bring out almonds’ full flavor, we recommend toasting them just before use. Bake them in a 350˚F oven in a single layer until warm and fragrant (7-15 minutes). Nuts scorch easily, so be sure to check on them frequently and shake the pan periodically to redistribute them and promote even toasting.
