In the case of almonds, “raw” means something like not having gone through an additional cooking process to whiten and remove the skin from the flesh of the nuts. Therefore, raw almonds are cooked, but not as cooked as they could be or as cooked as blanched almonds. Almonds are a healthy, portable snack. Although natural, raw almonds may sound like two names for the same thing, they are different.
Natural almonds still have their skin, whether they're cooked or not. The flavor of almonds is important and many people may prefer the smoky or salty flavor of roasted almonds to the flavor of raw almonds. The preference for roasted almonds can be attributed to the oleaginous fats that are released during the roasting process. Raw almonds are also delicious and have the traditional almond flavor as opposed to the roasted or cooked flavor of roasted walnuts.
Raw almonds don't have the intense flavor of roasted almonds. It's all a matter of preference. For recipes and cooking, raw and roasted almonds are used, and roasted almonds provide a crunchier texture than raw almonds. When you talk about almonds, raw may not mean what you think.
If they are raw or roasted, almonds will have skin; if they are blanched, they will have no skin. But those raw almonds that you presumably dip in Gwyneth Paltrow-style water probably aren't as raw as you think. The truth is that the terms raw and natural are used to describe the state or phase of a nut, and their difference is clear. Once the packaged almonds are opened, be sure to put them in an airtight container or plastic bag with the air squeezed out and store them in a cool, dry and dark place and use them within three months.
So what do you eat when you eat raw almonds? And what does raw mean when it comes to almonds? The California Almond Board insists that “no, there are no side effects when used safely as a surface treatment for effective pasteurization. In short, raw walnuts aren't cooked while natural nuts still have the skin on them, and blanching removes the skin from the nut. By law, all almonds produced in the United States must be pasteurized, even if they are labeled “raw.” Almonds are no more susceptible to bacteria than other nuts and dried products, but the California Almond Board wanted to prevent future outbreaks. And there are problems with the two most common pasteurization methods if a consumer is looking for a truly raw almond.
If you're worried about consuming PPO, check the label to see if the manufacturer mentions their preferred pasteurization process, but Gatti points out: “Only recently have I started to see on the packaging: “Hey, they're steamed pasteurized almonds. Raw almonds have a slightly higher phosphorus content, providing half of the daily requirement for that mineral, while roasted almonds of the same size provide 46 percent. Chan School of Public Health, almonds are a good source of healthy fats, vitamin E, biotin, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Raw and natural are most often used to describe almonds, the delicious and highly nutritious nut that is a popular choice for snacks or in recipes.
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