Marcona almonds (also referred to as the Valencia almonds) are the “Queen of Almonds,” imported from Spain. They are shorter, rounder, softer, and sweeter than the California variety we're used to here in the USA. These blanched Marcona almonds are roasted/toasted in extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkled with sea salt (and fresh herbs of your choice), offering a delicious summer appetizer addition. Care to learn how to make them at home?
We set aside an hour the other day to prepare our own Marcona almonds at home, in a large quantity for a BBQ we were hosting for our good friends visiting Bend, Oregon. They're a delicious snack alongside triple cream brie, a few different types of olives (we choose black oil-cured, purple kalamata, and green castelvetrano olives), fresh blueberries, some baguette slices, and JEM.
DIY Marcona Almonds
- preheat your oven to 350*
- bring a pot of slightly salted water to a boil
- add three handfuls of raw, organic almonds (of any kind)
- let sit off the heat for up to 5 minutes
- when the skins begin to separate, drain water, and place almonds on a clean kitchen towel
- dry almonds with pressure inside the towel like your drying your hair after a shower
- manually de-skin the remaining almond skins by squeezing them off in a pinch motion with your thumb and second finger
- once skin free, place almonds on an oven sheet and drizzle with sea salt and EVOO
- keep an eye on them, turning every 3 minutes until light brown –– consider the fact that they continue to cook after they're out of the oven
- once roasted to a golden brown, add more EVOO if necessary, sea salt too, and fresh rosemary or thyme if you like that extra pop of herb flavor
- SHARE & ENJOY
Updated July 25, 2019
Why are Spanish almonds superior to the common California almond that we find here in the States? A couple of reasons! First, we prefer Spanish almonds amoretto flavor. Second, all California almonds are required to undergo pasteurization before they can be sold and distributed in the United States. Non-organic almonds are usually treated with propylene oxide (POP). Organic almonds are usually heat treated by roasting or blanching the almonds. We source only organic, truly raw, Spanish almonds. We then sprout, dehydrate and stone grind for a ridiculously delicious and creamy almond butter! Shop our superior almond-based products now!
