March 18, 2015 · Written by Foodtolive Team
9 Things You Didn’t Know about Almonds
Who doesn’t love almonds? They are very delicious no matter whether you add them itno a dish or eat they saparetely. What you might not know is that almonds are one of the so called “superfoods”. They provide your body with a great number of nutrients and help you become an overall healthy person.
There are many interesting facts you should know about these seeds. The fact that almonds are actually seeds and not nuts as many seem to believe is one of them. Here are a few others:
Almonds should be eaten raw or dry-roasted
Technically, nutritional value of almonds will not diminish when you fry them. However, this process will imbue the seeds with unhealthy fats and increase the calorie count of the food exponentially.
Consider this and study the package carefully.
Californian almonds are pasteurized
Over 80% of commercially produced almonds are from California. So, the chances are that you have some seeds warmed by Californian sunshine in your pantry. If it’s true, then even the inscription “raw” on the package doesn’t mean that the almonds are truly raw. All of them are pasteurized by one of the FDA approved methods.
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This has been a mandatory requirement since 2007 because of two outbreaks of salmonella caused by raw almonds in 2001 and 2004.
Almonds help your body fight diseases
Results of studies show that almonds contain high levels of polyphenols. This is a type of antioxidants that is believed to assist with healing heart disease and even cancer.
Almonds are low on calories
In spite of being extremely nourishing, almonds have one of the lowest number of calories among nuts and seeds. Therefore, they are a perfect addition to any diet.
Almonds depend on bees
Without bees there will be no almonds as this plant cannot self-pollinate. Considering the growing rate of bee extinction, we can lose almonds and quite a few other fruits in the near future.
Producing and picking almonds are two different things
Almonds have to be processed before reaching your table, and this takes a lot of time and work. After the fruits are shaken from the trees (by using machine shakers), they are left to lie on the ground for a week. After they dry, they are picked, pasteurized and processed further.
No part of almond is wasted
Thick outer hulls aren’t edible for humans, but they make a good addition to cattle food. They are less nutritious than the seeds but still very useful.
Almonds vary greatly
There are more than 30 known kinds of almonds, and yet only 10 of them are processed as food.
There are green almonds
Green almonds are rare and considered a delicacy. They look like grapes and taste sweet with some herbal undertones.
