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A blanched almond is simply a fancy term for a raw almond with its skin removed. Many recipes call for blanched almonds, including those for almond butter, marzipan and numerous Greek dishes. You can buy blanched almonds in the store, but it is actually cheaper to buy almonds with their skin on and blanch them yourself! What's more, it only takes five minutes!
Steps
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Use raw almonds. Make sure the almonds are completely plain - they shouldn't be roasted, oiled, or salted. -
Bring a small pot of water to the boil . Once boiled, take the saucepan off the heat and place on a hot pad.Advertisement -
Place the almonds in the boiled water for exactly one minute. If you leave the almonds in the water any longer they will lose their crispness. -
Drain off the hot water and rinse the almonds. Drain the almonds using a colander or strainer and rinse well under cold water until they are cool enough to handle.
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Dab the almonds dry. Use a little paper towel to dab off any excess moisture. The skin of the almonds should look slightly wrinkled.
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Carefully pinch off the skins. Grip each almond between your thumb and index finger and pinch. The almond should slide right out of its skin.
- You can prevent the almond from flying across the room by using your opposite hand to form a shield and catch the slippery little almond!
- Sometimes the skin won't come off so easily and you'll have to you your thumbnail to scrape off any remaining skin.
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Leave to dry. Depending on the recipe you're using, you may need to leave the blanched almonds to dry. If this is the case, simply lay them on a baking sheet for a few days, shaking the pan to turn them occasionally.- Avoid drying the almonds in the oven, as this will end up roasting the nuts, which is not what you want.
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Finished.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow long will the almonds peeled using this blanching method stay good? Can I blanch, peel and store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and expect the almonds to be good for at least 2 months?Community AnswerYes, you may store blanched, peeled and dried almonds in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to two months.
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QuestionCan you roast the almonds after blanching them?PearloneCommunity AnswerYes, after they have been blanched and dried, preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.
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Tips
- If the almonds are being particularly stubborn while you are trying to take off the skins, put them back in the water for a little longer.Thanks
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Warnings
- Use common sense when working with the boiling water; don't reach into it to pull out the almonds. Use a spoon or other utensil instead.Thanks
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References
About This Article
Article Summary
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To blanch almonds, first bring a pot of water to a boil. Put the almonds in a heat-safe bowl while the water is heating up. Then, pour the boiling water into the bowl so the almonds are covered, and let the almonds sit for 1 minute. The hot water will soften the almonds’ outer skins. Strain the almonds and rinse them with cold water. Finally, use your fingers to pinch the almonds one at a time so they slip out of their papery skins. For tips on what to do if the skins aren't coming off easily, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I didn't know how to even approach blanching anything. If you'd told me how easy it is to remove nut skins, I'd have been doing it for ages! It will be so much easier to eat in a healthy way now that I know how to blanch." ..." more
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"I didn't know how to even approach blanching anything. If you'd told me how easy it is to remove nut skins, I'd have been doing it for ages! It will be so much easier to eat in a healthy way now that I know how to blanch."
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"Never knew it was so easy. I shied away from recipes that called for blanched almonds-thought it was going to be too long and drawn out, so thanks!"
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"What helped me most is learning how easy is it to Blanch almond nuts and removing the skin. Never knew it's this easy."
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"Didn't even know what blanched almonds were! Learning something new every day."
"I was able to do what I wanted with no problems. Good directions and tips. "
