# Roasting almonds with salt?



## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

How do you roast almonds with salt? Do you just sprinkle them with salt and put them in the oven? I'm assuming the salt would simply slide off the almonds and end up in the bottom of the roasting pan. I'm assuming I could use oil to make the salt stick to the almonds, but I'd rather avoid having to use oil if possible?


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

All I found online is a description:

_blanched Nonpareils roasted at 350 degrees and sprinkled with sea salt_

Unless someone has a better suggestion I'll try to do just that: sprinkle the almonds with salt as they come out of the oven... but I'm concerned the salt will not stick to the almonds?


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## deepsouthnyc (Mar 14, 2009)

We serve a spice roasted almond at my restaurant.

Our technique is whole natural almonds toasted non-convection for 13 minutes at 300F.

Let the almonds cool, then whisk one egg white per three cups of almonds until foaming. Add 1.5T of sea salt/maldon/kosher or whatever you like. Toss almonds with egg white, salt mixture.

Bake on a silpat for another 13 minutes at 300F.

Let cool and then eat. Don't eat while warm.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Thanks DeepsouthNYC! Very helpful.


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## chefhow (Oct 16, 2008)

Olive Oil Pam and a VERY light coating when they come out of the oven and then into a plastic bag with 1% Sea Salt based on weight and shake.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

I'll second the eggwhite.  Been doing that for about 30 years now, even make an "adult" chocolate bark with cayenne and seasalt roasted cashews.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Awesome. Thanks foodpump, and thanks chefhow. Helps a lot. 

Question: when I buy blistered almonds, the ingredient list says "Almonds, sea salt." - do you think they could still be using some egg white or some oil and not have to put it in the ingredient list? Or did they truly figure out a way to do it with only almonds and salt? 

I'm just being curious really. I have no problem using egg whites to do it, in fact that'll be the first thing I try.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Nuts have a natural oil that gets released when exposed to heat.  The salt will stick, maybe not all of it, but it will stick.  Speaking of almonds, I make peppered almonds to go in my radicchio blue cheese salad.  In a pan I heat up the almonds, add some sugar, salt, and lots of black pepper.  Heat and stir until the sugar browns.  They're addictive.


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## chefhow (Oct 16, 2008)

French Fries said:


> Awesome. Thanks foodpump, and thanks chefhow. Helps a lot.
> 
> Question: when I buy blistered almonds, the ingredient list says "Almonds, sea salt." - do you think they could still be using some egg white or some oil and not have to put it in the ingredient list? Or did they truly figure out a way to do it with only almonds and salt?
> 
> I'm just being curious really. I have no problem using egg whites to do it, in fact that'll be the first thing I try.


They dont have to claim oil as long as its less than 2% of the total formulation and is used ONLY as a processing aid.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

It all depends what you're trying to do. 

If you want simple, roasted and salted almonds -- you can dry roast then salt as soon as the almonds come out of the oven.  The hotter the nut and the finer the salt, the better the adhesion.  Fancy, coarse salt will not hold.

We make "Marcona" style almonds, by roasting raw, peeled almonds in olive oil.  Then we drain imperfectly and salt.  Usually, I add fresh, very finely chopped rosemary just before draining.  Then they really taste like Spain.  Just to save you some trouble, Trader Joe's doesn't carry whole, raw, peeled almonds.  If you still live where I think you do, Jon's is probably your best bet.

Using egg whites is a whole 'nother thing; and not at all similar to roasted, salted nuts you'd get out of the bag.  Egg white glue is more appropriate to "spiced, cocktail" nuts.   

BDL


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

Koukouvagia said:


> Nuts have a natural oil that gets released when exposed to heat. The salt will stick, maybe not all of it, but it will stick. Speaking of almonds, I make peppered almonds to go in my radicchio blue cheese salad. In a pan I heat up the almonds, add some sugar, salt, and lots of black pepper. Heat and stir until the sugar browns. They're addictive.


Thanks Kouk, I didn't think about the natural oil release of the nuts, good point. And thanks for your recipe.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

chefhow said:


> They dont have to claim oil as long as its less than 2% of the total formulation and is used ONLY as a processing aid.


Thanks chefhow, that's what I thought but I wasn't sure. Thanks for confirming.


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

boar_d_laze said:


> It all depends what you're trying to do.
> 
> If you want simple, roasted and salted almonds -- you can dry roast then salt as soon as the almonds come out of the oven. The hotter the nut and the finer the salt, the better the adhesion. Fancy, coarse salt will not hold.
> 
> ...


Thanks BDL. I get my almonds from a farmer's market - I know they haven't been treated with pesticides, and they are the best tasting almonds I've found. Funny, that farmer's market has a couple of almonds-only sellers, but I found a fruit vendor who just sells a few almonds on the side and find that they taste much better than the others.

Ok now I think I'll have to experiment with both the natural way and the egg white, see which I like better.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

FF: I am very curious about your thread , and which one you prefer over the other.

Petals


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## french fries (Sep 5, 2008)

I'll update this thread petals! As you know it's busy around my house so I'm not sure exactly when I'll get to this, but at some point I will.


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