Two ways to easily and quickly peel almonds and thus avoid the rush from store to store and the search for already peeled, white almonds!
I believe you once came across a recipe that asks you to use already peeled almonds (bleached almonds). Sometimes you may need to make almond flour yourself, but you already know that you can only dream of having it in stores? At the same time, I know that in some cities it is so difficult to buy peeled almonds, that you already know in advance that any search is a waste of time. Fortunately, this culinary technique is so simple that you need more or less five minutes and the whole process is already done!
I usually use almonds in their natural form, because the peel is full of fiber and nutrients. However, if you are making some tender, bright biscuits, pudding, homemade marzipan or maybe almond milk that you want to be completely white and clean, peeled almonds are a must.
There are several ways to peel an almonds
The simplest and most commonly used in my kitchen is the one that involves short cooking in boiling water, then cooling and peeling.
When I decided to write this kitchen type, I did a little research and saw that many mentioned another way, which states that almonds are just poured over boiling water. What amazed me was that the times quoted by different sources were so different that it was just unusual for everything to work. Namely, according to them, almonds need to be left for one to 20 minutes, and the result is the same ?!
The issue of almond moisture is also very important when talking about later use. If you need to grind or chop them according to the recipe, then it is necessary to dry them well – first with a paper towel or cloth, and then leave them in the air or dry them in the oven.
If you plan to consume them raw, and this applies to both peeled and unpeeled almonds (generally nuts and seeds), you will get the most benefit from them if you leave them submerged in water for a few hours or best, overnight (just like when make almond milk). In such a form, our body digests these nutrient-rich foods more easily, and better absorption of minerals and vitamins from them is enabled. After that period of standing in the water, the almonds need to be washed well and eaten with the peel or peeled. So, you will see that it is quite easy to peel them in this way as well, but if you need a larger amount, I would still apply the trick with boiling water for a very short time, say 30 seconds.
I will describe all of the above in a few sentences, which are accompanied by photographs for a simpler overview of the procedure of the technique itself.
Peeling almonds in boiling water
Put the sherpa with water on the hob and wait for the water to boil. Melt the almonds and let them cook for one minute. If you notice that the crust hasn’t shrunk in the slightest and they look the same, then let them rest for another half minute.
Strain and rinse the almonds with cold water to stop the cooking process.
You will see that the bark is very wrinkled and that it can be removed very easily with your fingers. Be careful that the almonds don’t start flying all over the kitchen! 🙂 That’s it, you got peeled almonds in five minutes!
Peel an almond by pouring boiling water over it
I mentioned in the section at the beginning of the post that this is also one of the possible and easy ways to peel almonds.
Put the almonds in a bowl and pour boiling water over them.
Leave the bowl with the soaked almonds for five to seven minutes, and then continue the process as with the cooked one. So strain, rinse with cold water and peel.
Soaking almonds
If you plan to consume them raw or you will make almond milk from them, it is best to leave them soaked in clean cold water for a few hours or overnight. If you put unpeeled almonds in the evening and use them in the morning, you will see that it is possible to peel them anyway, although somewhat harder. So, even in that case, you can put them in boiling water for 30 seconds to speed up the process. By the way, I prefer almond milk with unpeeled almonds, because it has more flavor, but the choice is yours.
Drying almonds
If the recipe says that the almonds must be ground or chopped, or you may not plan to use them right away, it is very important to dry them well. After peeling them, dry them well with a paper towel, then pour them on baking paper and let them dry in the air or transfer them to a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 150 ° C for about 15-20 minutes. Periodically check what condition they are in because it is important not to start baking, as they will become darker and taste stronger.
I believe that many people are already familiar with these techniques, but I am sure that there will be those to whom it will mean and facilitate work in the kitchen. If you have any additional ideas or experiences related to almond peeling, share them with us and describe them in the comments. We spread useful information!
I had to explain it to myself, so I divided the almonds into five or six bowls, kept them in water for different lengths of time and peeled them immediately and belatedly, wrote down my impressions of the ease of peeling and moisture of already peeled almonds, and here’s what I concluded. My favorite method is still cooking almonds for one minute in boiling water! In addition, if you just pour them over and let them stand, the conclusion is that it is best to leave them for about five to seven minutes – in less time it is harder to peel them, and if you leave them longer, there will be almost no difference in peeling and almonds. will be fuller of water.