Green almonds

In order to get some new cooking inspiration, I signed up for the meal kit delivery Good Food. More about this experience in future posts. With my first box, I have already learned something new and discovered a new ingredient: green almonds.

Not only have I never cooked with them; I never ever heard about them. I was quite intrigued to learn more about it, cook with it, and taste it.  

Green almonds are just almonds that have not ripened yet. And at that stage, there isn’t really a nut inside. In fact, the inside is somewhat gelatinous, and the taste is not nutty. Surprisingly, it is tarty. The season for the green almonds is short, between late April and early June, and they are grown in California.  Apparently, they make a great snack when dipped in sugar or salt. I could see why: when we tasted the green fuzzy balls right out of the bag, the flavour was not exciting and the tartness quite strong. However, once they were thinly sliced and generously salted, and then cooked for a couple of minutes in olive oil with garlic and fresh lemon juice and a touch of honey, they became a lovely addition of flavour and texture to the cucumber bulgur warm salad. The crunch was very satisfying and the flavour was mild and citrusy.  

Upon further reading, I discovered that green almonds are loaded with nutrients, from antioxidants, to vitamins, minerals and fibre. The recipes I found covered a range of dishes: from salads and pesto-like sauces to pickled green almonds and desserts.  A great new discovery.