It’s time! The first… item? episode? part? is here! And what are we going to be smoking today?
You… read the title, right? It’s almonds. Blanched almonds.
So what are blanched almonds, then?
You do love a question, don’t you? They are almonds with the skins removed. They’re smooth, pale, and lack the slightly bitter edge you get from skin-on almonds. As you know, we already smoke regular almonds (with the skins on) for Tom’s Meaty Nuts. But what I want to know is; does blanching make a difference to the flavour when it comes to smoke?
The Test
The arbitrary rule I’ve set for these initial tests is that each new product or ingredient we try is first smoked over our usual, unique blend of oak and apple wood dust for 12 hours, then, in the case of new types of nut or seed, seasoned with our homemade garlic salt before being tossed in chicken fat and roasted in the air fryer.
So that’s what I did.
So, do blanched almonds smoke good?
Yes. Yes they do.
Blanched almonds take smoke beautifully. The lack of skin means there’s no bitterness competing with the smoke flavour, allowing for a more pronounced smokiness. The result is cleaner, more delicate, but also smokier.
When seasoned and roasted in chicken fat, they’re noticeably different from skin-on almonds:
- Texture: Smoother, less “rustic”
- Flavour: More refined smoke, less earthy nuttiness, more recognisably ‘almond’
- Appearance: Pale golden when roasted, more elegant
The smoke flavour is actually slightly more pronounced because there’s less natural almond bitterness to mask it, but you still get that conspicuously marzipan-esque aftertaste.
Would you make them again?
Absolutely. Smoked blanched almonds are different enough from skin-on to be worth exploring as a product variation. They’re not better or worse – just different.
I thought they were delicious. My wife- who you can already trust has excellent taste- liked them too, but the real seal of approval; my nearly two year old LOVED them.
Blanched almonds on the product list? Watch this space.
What we are watching: Castlevania: Nocturne. Seriously- watch the Castlevania cartoons
What we are listening to: Dance Mode from Bluey. Choon BANGS, yo
