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Almonds have been eaten since ancient times. On sale you can find almonds in shell or in peel, bitter or sweet fruits, differing in purpose. Most often the kernels are used in cooking. When purchasing an expensive product, it is important to know how to peel and peel it, because clean kernels are needed for baking.
How to peel almonds
The shell in which the kernel is located is quite dense. The level of hardness depends on the degree of maturity of the nut. There are varieties with thin shells that break with little effort; such nuts can be easily peeled by simply pressing with your fingers.
For varieties with hard shells, you will need a special device, which you cannot do without. It is necessary to break the nut in such a way that the kernel is not damaged during the splitting process. For these purposes the following are most often used:
- pliers;
- nutcracker;
- hammer;
- garlic press.
It is recommended to place the nuts in such a way that they do not bounce off the surface when hit with a hammer. Many people recommend placing nuts in their shells on their edges.If processing is carried out regularly, then the best option is to purchase a nut cracker. On an industrial scale, electric nut crackers are used, equipped with a function for adjusting to the size of the fruit, which makes it possible to do without the intermediate stage of sorting the products.
Almonds in shell are shown in the photo.
How to peel almonds
When the nut is freed from the shell, you can see the kernel covered with skin. It is edible, but during consumption it imparts a slight bitterness, so it is recommended to remove the husk.
The fruits are often used to prepare desserts, in which case the appearance of the dish can be spoiled by the husk. To decorate cakes, only peeled kernels are used.
There are many different ways to remove husks. Everyone can choose the simplest and most convenient one for themselves.
How to peel almonds using the soaking method
The easiest way to remove the husk is soaking. In this case, use hot water. The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- The kernels are poured into a deep container.
- Fill with hot water.
- Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Drain the water.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- After this, the nut is held between the fingers and pressed on it. The husk should remain in your hand. This procedure is repeated with each nut.
When pressing on wet nucleoli, they may “shoot off”, so the cleaning process is carried out carefully, covering the hand with the second palm.
How to peel almonds using boiling water
In this case, it is necessary to use boiling water.The essence of the method is to let the skin completely soak, after which it peels off easily:
- Boil water.
- Wash the almonds thoroughly.
- Place in a colander.
- Place in boiling water for 1 minute.
- Pour into a deep container.
- Fill with cold water.
- Leave to cool for 15 minutes.
- When the kernels swell, the skin will peel off on its own without outside help.
- After this, the nuts must be strained.
- If the skin remains on some kernels, you can remove it by pressing with your fingers.
The kernels are dried in the oven, after 30 minutes the almonds can be used for cooking.
How to peel almonds using temperature changes
There are a large number of ways to clean almonds from shells and husks. Another option that can be used to remove the skin is a difference in temperature conditions.
The work process looks like this:
- Take a deep container.
- Pour some shelled almonds into it.
- Pour boiling water over.
- Let stand for 10 minutes (or you can let it simmer for 60 seconds).
- Drain the hot water.
- Pour in ice water for 5 minutes.
After this, take the nut and press on it. If the skin is easily removed, then everything was done correctly, otherwise it is recommended to repeat the procedure again.
It is important to consider that this cleaning method also has advantages, for example:
- the kernels do not break during the cleaning process;
- The cleaning is high quality.
Among the disadvantages are:
- work takes a lot of time;
- It is impossible to peel many almonds at one time.
After the shell and husk have been removed, it is necessary to dry and roast the almonds.
How to quickly peel almonds with a towel
Since the cleaning process takes a lot of time, you should choose a less expensive method. Using this method has only one significant drawback - the kitchen towel will be damaged.
The work algorithm looks like this:
- Almonds in the husk are placed in a saucepan.
- Fill with water.
- They put it on fire.
- Bring to a boil.
- Cook for 3 minutes.
- Then the water is drained and the nuts are washed under cold running water.
- Since the upper shell was soaked at the time of boiling, you should pour cold water over the kernels for 5 minutes.
- After this, the cold water is drained and the process of peeling the almonds begins.
- A kitchen towel is spread on the table.
- Sprinkle nuts onto one part in a thin layer.
- Cover with the other edge of the towel.
- Use your hands to rub the nut kernels through the towel. The nuts leave all the husks on the towel, resulting in them being whole and clean.
If it was not possible to completely peel everything at once, then you need to select clean almonds, put them in a separate container, and repeat the manipulation with the remaining nuts.
How to properly dry nuts
After the almonds have been peeled, they must be properly dried and only then eaten. Nuts can be dried in the oven or in the microwave.The first method is the most popular and fastest, as it does not take much time.
Almonds without husks are placed on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and placed in the oven at +180 °C. The nuts must be stirred every 5 minutes. After they are ready, you need to let the almonds cool at room temperature.
If necessary, you can use another method of drying the nuts. This method is natural, but, unfortunately, it takes a lot of time. As a rule, this takes 5 days. For these purposes you will need to do the following:
- They take the tray.
- Cover it with parchment paper.
- Scatter almonds without shells and husks into 1 layer.
- Cover the top with paper.
Nuts dried in this way can later be used to make almond flour.
Storing Shelled Almonds
After the almonds have been cleared of shell and husk, they must either be immediately used for cooking or sent for storage. To ensure that the product lasts as long as possible, adhere to the following recommendations:
- Peeled fruits should not be exposed to direct sunlight. The place chosen for storage should be dark, dry and well ventilated;
- Almonds should not be stored with foods that emit strong odors. This is due to the fact that nuts absorb foreign aromas well. Preference is given to sealed containers;
- For long-term storage, dried kernels are best suited, but not fried, since the fried product becomes bitter over time;
- If you purchased ready-made almonds without shells and husks, you must adhere to the storage recommendations indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.
If your plans include freezing the product, then the taste and beneficial properties will not be lost.
Conclusion
Shelled almonds last much longer than roasted almonds. It is recommended to clean nuts from shells and husks immediately before use. Today there are many ways to quickly clean, so choosing the right one is not difficult.