How to blanch almonds
I prefer making almond meal or almond flour at home. It is more cost-effective and saves me a trip to the grocery store every time I need it especially since I always have a stash of almonds in my fridge. I usually buy almonds in bulk from the Wholefoods Market’s bulk aisle, store it in air-tight container and stick it in the fridge and use for up to 3 months.
Since almond meal and almond flour can be used interchangeably, more often than not I use almond meal and will only make almond flour if it is absolutely necessary. I love seeing the brown specks of almond skin in my cookies or bakes. But my Cardamom Snowball Cookies needed almond flour for that pristine white look, hence the need for blanching the almonds.
The first step in making Almond Flour is to blanch the almonds and the process couldn’t be easier.
- Boil enough water to cover the amount of almonds you wish to blanch
- Take the almonds in a shallow bowl
- Pour the boiling water on the almonds
- Let it sit for about a minute and drain the water
- Now gently squeeze the now shriveled almonds between your fingers and the skin will peel off
- Spread out on a paper towel lined cookie sheet for the almonds to dry completely
Notes:
- Use raw, unsalted almonds
- Do not let the almonds sit in the boiling water for more than a minute – it might soften the almonds
- Use a colander to drain the water. Give it a few shakes to ensure that all the water has drained.
- You can try rubbing the blanched almonds with a clean dishtowel/wash cloth – the process might be faster.
- Dry the almonds completely before grinding.
