Almond Tree Growing Facts and Enjoying Almonds for the Holidays

Almond trees are relatives of both the plum and the peach, growing from 15 to 30 feet tall with branches just as wide. They will begin bearing nuts after only a short 3 years, but you won’t get full-scale production until the tree is about 12 years old. Your tree could well outlive you, as well as produce a great deal for 50 years, if properly cared for.

Sweet almonds like low humidity and a warm growing season, which is where California does well in these requirements. It is easiest to plant seeds in the fall in well-drained soil. Squirrels will dig these up, so put a staked cage around the plantings until they are growing well. Plant your shorter trees 20 feet apart, and don’t prune unless you really need to do so, as this will hamper nut production.

Nuts will be ready to harvest in August or September. The outer hulls will split open when ripe. When most of the hulls in the mid-portion of the tree have split, strike the tree with a heavy rubber mallet. This will avoid damaging the wood and bark. Directly after harvest, shell and dry the almonds to prevent mildew. Dry the nuts in a partially shaded area and leave until the nut is crunchy. Then store in airtight containers in a cool place until ready to use.

This will allow you to get the brown skin off the nut. Pour boiling water over the nuts and let them stand 5-10 minutes, or until the skins wrinkle. Drain the water. Then slide off the skins by squeezing the nut between your fingers. If some won’t come off, do another boiling water bath, then allow them to dry when skinned.

Cook almonds in frying pan(blanched or unblanched), with 2 or 3 tablespoons hot oil. Stir until evenly browned, then drain. If you like, sprinkle them with salt. Nuts can also be baked in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-12 minutes. Stir occasionally while they are baking.

Place nuts on cookie sheet in 350 degree F oven until golden brown, about 5 minutes. You could mix in a tablespoon melted butter and a teaspoon salt per pound of almonds and bake until lightly browned and crispy. Stir often. A third option is on the stovetop. First blanche, then heat butter in a small pan over low heat. Add nuts and fry for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. 

Make this a week before you need it, as the paste improves with a little storage. Grind in a mortar, a chopper, or a blender: shelled, skinned, and dried unroasted almonds. If you need to do so, run them through the grinder a few times to get them very fine. For every 2 cups almonds, dissolve a cup of sugar in ½ cup orange juice, and then mix well with almonds.

Source: http://hubpages.com/