Peeled almonds

Use in the kitchen

Almonds are a widely used ingredient in different traditional cuisines in the Mediterraneanarea, especially in Sicilian cuisine. both sweet and salty. They are harvested by hand and with greenish (flexible sticks 3 to 5 meters long) in the period August-September and are used both in the kitchen (pesto alla trapanese) and in pastry (confetti, biscuits, pastries, marzipan).

One of the most popular drinks prepared with almonds is almond milk, a very energetic drink (almond contains a significant percentage of proteins, precious vitamins of group B1 and B2, magnesium, iron and calcium) used especially in hot summers in mediterranean countries. It is prepared with sweet almonds and sugar. The almonds peel, after soaking them in boiling water, they beat and let themselves rest twelve hours in a bowl covered with cold water. After filtering the mixture with a wide-textured canvas, bring the liquid to a boil with sugar for about ten minutes. The syrup should be served stretched with fresh water. Almond granita is common in Sicily.

The orzata, mistakenly and widely believed to be an almond-based drink, is instead a sweet and refreshing drink based on benzoin.

Nutritional information

Like all oilseeds, almonds have a high caloric content, equal to about 500-600 kcal/100 g, and are made up of 50% lipids, so they should be consumed sparingly if you fear overweight and related pathologies.
The sweet almond containsCalorie 571,Protein 24.19 g., Fats 50.61 g.,Carbohydrates 2.74 g.,Edible 80 g. Vitamin E is present at 23.6-26 mg per 100 g of edible product.
The most represented mineral in almond is magnesium (100 g of shelled almonds contain about 270 mg). Iron is about 3 mg, calcium 220 mg.

Bitter almonds and armellines: warnings

Almonds can be sweet or, more rarely, love. The seeds of apricot kernels are called armelline. Almonds and harmellines contain cyanogenetic glucosides. The more bitter they are, the more poisonous they are. However, in minimal doses they are widely used in preparations such as macaroots, to which they give a particular and unmistakable taste.

In cosmetics

From the fruit of the mandorlo is extracted, by cold pressing, a clear and odorless oil that is used as an emollient for dry and sensitive skin. Sweet almond oil is highly eudermic,non-comedodonic and easy to absorb, rich in vitamin E, B and minerals. It can be used as a massage oil, flavored with essential oils (in concentration between 0.5 and 3%) to perfume the skin and used as a base for ointments and massage creams.