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Almonds have been eaten since ancient times. On sale you can find almonds in the shell or in the skin, bitter or sweet fruits that differ in purpose. Most often, kernels are used in cooking. When purchasing an expensive product, it is important to know how to clean it from shells and husks, because clean kernels are needed for baking.
How to peel almonds
The shell, which contains the kernel, is quite dense. The level of hardness depends on the ripeness of the nut. There are varieties with a thin shell, which breaks with a little effort, such nuts are easy to peel with a simple push of your fingers.
For varieties with hard shells, a special device will be required, which cannot be dispensed with. It is necessary to break the nut in such a way that the kernel is not damaged during the splitting process. For these purposes, they most often use:
- pliers;
- nutcracker;
- hammer;
- press for garlic.
It is recommended to place the nuts so that they do not bounce off the surface when struck with a hammer. Many people recommend placing the inshell nuts on the edge. If processing is carried out regularly, then the best option is to purchase a nutcracker. On an industrial scale, electric nutcrackers are used, equipped with a function of adjusting to the size of the fruit, which makes it possible to dispense with the intermediate stage of sorting the products.
Almonds in shells 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 it gives a little bitterness in the process of consumption, so it is recommended to remove the husk.
Often the fruits are used to prepare desserts, in which case the appearance of the dish can be spoiled by the husk. Only peeled kernels are used to decorate cakes.
There are many different ways to remove the husk. Everyone can choose the simplest and most convenient for themselves.
How to peel almonds by soaking
The easiest way to remove the husk is by soaking. In this case, hot water is used. The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- Kernels are poured into a deep container.
- Pour in hot water.
- Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Drain off the water.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- After that, the nut is clamped between the fingers and pressed on it. The husk should remain in the hand. This procedure is repeated with each nut.
While pressing on the wet nucleoli, they may be “shot off”, so the cleaning process is carried out carefully, covering the hand with the other palm.
How to peel almonds with boiling water
In this case, boiling water must be used. The essence of the method is to let the skin completely soak, after which it peels off easily:
- Boil water.
- Rinse the almonds thoroughly.
- Placed in a colander.
- Immersed in boiling water for 1 minute.
- Pour into a deep container.
- Pour in cold water.
- Leave to cool for 15 minutes.
- When the kernels are swollen, the skin will peel off of them without assistance.
- After that, the nuts must be filtered.
- If the skin remains on some of the kernels, then you can remove it by pressing 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 differences
There are many ways to peel and peel almonds. Another option with which you can remove the skin is the temperature difference.
The work process is as follows:
- Take a deep container.
- Pour some almonds without shells into it.
- Pour boiling water over.
- Allow to stand for 10 minutes (or you can let it simmer for 60 seconds).
- Drain off hot water.
- Cover with ice water for 5 minutes.
After that, they take a 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:
- during the cleaning process the kernels do not break;
- the cleaning is of high quality.
Among the disadvantages are:
- work takes a lot of time;
- It is impossible to peel many almonds at a time.
After the shell and husk have been removed, it is necessary to dry and fry the almonds.
How to quickly peel almonds with a towel
Since the cleaning process is time-consuming, you should choose a less costly method. Using this method has only one major drawback - the kitchen towel will be ruined.
The work algorithm is as follows:
- The husked almonds are placed in a saucepan.
- Pour in water.
- Put 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 top shell is soaked at the time of boiling, the kernels should be poured with cold water for 5 minutes.
- After that, the cold water is drained and the peeling of the almonds is started.
- A tea towel is spread out on the table.
- Nuts are poured onto one part in a thin layer.
- Cover with the second edge of the towel.
- Rub the kernels of nuts through a towel with your hands. Nuts leave all the husks on the towel, resulting in a clean and whole nut.
If at one time it was not possible to completely peel everything from the skin, then you need to select a clean almond, remove it in a separate container, and repeat the manipulation with the rest of the nuts.
How to dry nuts properly
After the almonds are peeled, they must be properly dried and only then can they be eaten. Nuts can be dried in the oven or microwave. The first method is the most popular and fastest, as it does not take much time.
The peeled almonds are placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sent to the oven at +180 ° C. Stir the nuts every 5 minutes. After they are ready, let the almonds cool down 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. This usually takes 5 days. For these purposes, you will need to do the following:
- Take the tray.
- Cover it with parchment paper.
- Scattered in 1 layer of almonds without shell and husk.
- Cover with paper on top.
Nuts dried in this way can then be used to make almond flour.
Storing peeled almonds
After the almonds have been shelled and husked, they must either be used immediately for cooking or sent to storage. In order for the product to lie for 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;
- do not store almonds with products that exude 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, but not fried, as the fried product becomes bitter over time;
- if you purchased ready-made almonds without shells and husks, then you must adhere to those storage recommendations that are indicated by the manufacturer on the package.
If the plans include freezing the product, then the taste and useful properties will not be lost.
Conclusion
Inshell almonds last much longer than roasted almonds. Peeling nuts from shells and husks is recommended to be carried out immediately before use. Today, there are many ways to quickly clean, so choosing the right one is not difficult.
