I haven’t come across fresh almonds. This is the first time I saw it in the super market. I got curious and though it was priced higher, I bought home a small pack. I didn’t know how to use it in my recipes. So the only way was to search the net. I found many interesting facts about the nut. It can be roasted or ground and used in dishes but the first thing is to crack it open.
Be very careful with the knife while removing the seeds. The almonds lay inside a hard outer covering. You need to cut open the outer shell to reach the nut. For 100gm of fresh almonds I bought, I got just a handful of almonds. The remaining went to the dust bin and it is very costly in Madurai.
These are the fresh almonds. At first I thought I had to use it as whole in my cooking. But after going through some sites, I learnt that only the nut is used and the remaining discarded.
You can see the line running across. This is where you need to slice it with a sharp knife.
Stop cutting when you feel the hardness of the nut.
Split it into two and you can see the nut inside.
Remove the outer covering and fresh almond is ready to use in your dish. I used it in my Sweet Corn Sundal(click to view recipe)
