tropit

We bought our ranch about 8 years ago. It was vacant land, but many years ago had been used to raise sheep and for harvesting timber. Even before we even had the house up, we had a veggie garden planted and an orchard started. We put in 2 almond trees about 4 years ago and this year we have almonds!!! Lots of them!!!

I love almonds. I think that they are my favorite nut, with hazelnuts being my second favorite. (Yup, we've got a small hazelnut tree that we planted 2 years ago, but no nuts yet.) I use almonds in all sorts of ways from homemade almond milk and cheese, to almond extract, to almond flour, almond liqueur, almond butter...the list goes on and on. I usually buy them in bulk and their expensive, especially for the organic kind, but now I have my own Free ones. I'm stoked!

So, how to process the harvest? I've got the nuts de-husked from their, "drupes," and drying on cookie sheets out in the sun. I need to invest in a nutcracker, but I don't know which kind. I'd love any tips on how to cure them, cook with them, etc. Please bring on your favorite almond recipes!

BTW...did you know that almond growers call them, "aaaamonds?" That's because the shake the "L" out of them when they mechanically shake the nuts from the trees.

~ C

Barb in Louisiana

Lucky you. Almonds and pecans are my favorite nuts. I would love to have an almond tree, but I don't think it would do well in our terribly humid, hot sticky area. I love that about shaking the trees...too cute. I Googled Almond Nut Cracker Machines and there is a lot of variety out there. Good luck.

Tartan

Congratulations on your harvest! My Dad and I used to collect hickory and butternuts in the fall along the country roadsides. I miss those days and the nuts. Lots of black walnut trees around but the hickory and butternuts trees are scarce.

charley26

Gosh, you are lucky. I love almonds too, and the blossom is so pretty.

Onebyone

Good thinking planting those trees. I have a black walnut tree. A little black walnut goes a long way. No one wants any. LOL

Macadamia and Brazil nuts are my favorite. I buy pre shelled packages of those once a week for snacking. I keep pre shelled pecans and almonds in the freezer for baking.

juliasb

I love just about all kinds of nuts! I was so envious when my daughter told me she had a pecan tree in her back yard years ago I could almost cry! How lucky you are to have your own harvest. I don't have any additional recipes for you. I do however like the idea of you having your own almond trees.

nativetexan

ha, ha, ha. I love the BTW comment. got me good. Enjoy the aaaamonds.

Karamarie

I keep my baking nuts in the freezer. They keep well frozen, never get rancid.

luvstoquilt

My dad had a pecan farm. It was lovely and so were the pecans!��

tuckyquilter

OMG:::: I love Black Walnuts. If I lived close I'd come harvest them for you. I still use them in fudge, brownies etc. They used to just grow all over the place where I grew up and folks would just go out and harvest what they wanted. I can remember sitting around shelling the meats, and eating a few along the was. Thankfully I have a place that sells them shelled.