See how quick it is to blanch almonds on your own. I will show you step by step process on how easy it is to do at home!
(*This post contains some affiliate links)
WHAT ARE BLANCHED ALMONDS?
They are raw almonds added to boiling water for a short period of time — to help in removing their skins.
Blanched almonds are grounded to make either almond meal or almond flour – both of which are used commonly for no-flour cakes.
Almond paste and marzipan are also from blanched almonds.
Don’t think they’re only used for desserts, though. Nope.
I have tried at least a couple of savory dishes that highlight them. Yum!
HOW TO BLANCH ALMONDS IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES
It takes less than 5 minutes from the time you add the raw almonds into the boiling water, until the time that they start floating.
That’s generally your cue to take them off the heat and drain them. You should not wait for ALL the almonds to float either.
Typically, once I see that the top of the pan is almost filled with floating almonds, then I take them out to drain.
HOW TO PEEL ALMONDS?
Technically, you can peel raw almonds without boiling them.
But it’s not easy. So, why would you subject yourself to such torture? Boiling them first is the easiest, stress-free way of peeling almonds.
HOW TO TOAST BOILED AND PEELED ALMONDS?
You can do this on a stovetop so that you can see the deepening color of the blanched almonds.
Or, you can place them on a baking tray and place it in the oven (for 170°C/335°F) until you get your preferred color for the almonds.
HOW TO STORE FRESHLY BLANCHED ALMONDS?
You have to make sure they’re dried, or you will get MOLDS.
If I want them to dry quickly (without toasting them), I place them in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, for no more than 160°C/320°F — so they will not get too dark.
Oh! And I place the baking tray in the lower part of the oven.
CAN YOU BUY BLANCHED ALMONDS?
Absolutely.
I see them all the time in the supermarket when we were living in Germany, but I rarely see them here in Stockholm.
Doesn’t make a difference to me though, I never buy them. 🙂
LOOKING FOR WAYS TO USE BLANCHED ALMONDS, THEN CHECK OUT THESE TWO OTHER KITCHEN STAPLES:
IF YOU WANT SOME DESSERT IDEAS THAT USES BLANCHED ALMONDS, THEN THESE POSTS ARE FOR YOU!
- French Orange and Almond Flourless Cake
- Swedish Almond & Cardamom Mini Cakes
- Torta Caprese (Chocolate Almond Torte)
- Swedish Almond Tart
OR IF YOU WANT TO SEE OTHER HOW-TO KITCHEN GUIDES, THEN CHECK OUT THIS HOW-TO COLLECTION!
How to Blanch Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds, raw
Instructions
- Using a small to a medium-sized pan, bring water to a boil.
- Add raw almonds. As soon as they start floating, take the pan off the heat.
- Drain the almonds using a strainer. Rinse the almonds with cold water and shake to remove excess water.
- Start peeling the almonds by squeezing each almond between your thumb and index/middle finger. The skin of the almonds should easily slide off.
- If you are not using the almonds right away, make sure they are thoroughly dry before placing them in a container for storing.
Notes
- Do not skip the rinsing of cold water. It helps in stopping the almonds from cooking more.
- If you are storing the blanched almonds for later use, you can place them in the oven for a few minutes first, in low temperature. It will help in ensuring that they're dry when you put them away. Otherwise, they will end up with molds inside the container.
Leave a Reply