How to Scald Almonds
Ingredients
Directions
Blanch the almonds
Boil water in a pan and add the almonds.
Cook until the skins can be easily removed by pinching the almonds.
Drain the water and cool the almonds in cold water.
Peel and dry
Drain again and rub off the skins using a cloth.
Soak the almonds in cold water with a little salt, then wash clean.
Drain and dry the almonds with another cloth.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Almonds
- The almonds are the only main ingredient, so the dish depends on their skins being loosened and removed cleanly.
The step that matters
Cook until the skins can be easily removed by pinching the almonds. Boiling loosens the thin skins from the nut. If they are undercooked the skins will not slip off, and if overcooked the almonds can soften and lose their firmness. Testing by pinching lets the cook judge when the skins are ready to come away.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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