Hickory Smoked Almonds

Christoph — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 15:04:10 +0000

Smoked almonds would have to be one of my favorite snacks, and while there are many good options available with lots of different flavors ranging from simple sea salt to spicy habanero, they tend to be pricey. Frequently one of our local markets runs sales on bulk raw almonds which usually I purchase to add to my yogurt and fruit for breakfast, but the recent sale got me to thinking. Since I have an electric smoker instead of paying six dollars for a twelve ounce bag of nuts I could buy a pound for about half the price and make my own. I don’t know why this had never occurred to me before, but there you have it. I never realized how easy and fun it would be to make my own snack choosing which flavor of wood to use and which spices to add.

Begin by soaking the raw almonds in a salt water brine overnight. I have experimented with the length of time and find that around 12 hours seems to do the trick. I have let them go as long as 24 hours and notice the skins of the nuts can begin to break down. I pulverize the salt in my spice grinder which insures it completely dissolves in the water, this step makes it easy however probably not necessary, just make sure the salt is dissolved. Use a glass or plastic container for the brine as salt water can damage metal pans and also release compounds into the water.

At the end of the brining time, drain the nuts and spread them out to dry on a towel to dry while you heat up your smoker. I like to use hickory for the almonds, but you can experiment with some different woods to customize your treats. What ever wood you choose just be sure to give it plenty of time to get burning before loading the almonds. I have a wire mesh vegetable basket which I find works extremely well for this application, however you could also wrap one your smokers shelves with foil and poke some holes through it.

Melt a couple of tablespoons of butter in the microwave and add the salt and whatever spices you have decided to use. Toss the nuts in the butter to make sure they are evenly coated before placing them in your smoker. About two hours time seems to work about right for the nuts that are brined twelve hours. Open the box and stir the nuts about half-way through the smoking time to make sure they get toasted evenly.

At the end of the smoking time spread the nuts out on a sheet pan to cool. Once they have cooled give them a taste to see if they have enough crunch. If you have brined the almonds a longer time they may not be a crisp as you like. This is easily remedied by placing them in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The almonds will crisp up as they cool so keep that in mind, over-roasting will give you a bitter flavor and dry out the nuts. Store the cooled nuts in a plastic storage container or a glass jar. The nuts will take on an even smokier flavor after being sealed in a container for 24 hours.

I ‘finish’ my almonds by pulverizing a teaspoon of salt in my grinder then shaking them in it. I like the subtle flavor this brings and also the coating it gives the nuts. For a bit of added zip I add a small amount of garlic or chili powder to the salt for the dusting. It is fun to experiment with making this treat since you can flavor it anyway you like. For a sweet nut you could use sugar and cinnamon, or I think curry and cumin would be very tasty as well.

Cashews and pecans also smoke very well, just follow the same basic outline. Smoked nuts also make a great addition to holiday gift baskets. There are many attractive options available for packaging candies and nuts, and people always really seem to appreciate gifts made with love.