Fruit
Almond
AlmendraAmetllaPrunus dulcis
Half the Catalan recipe book has almonds in it, even when you can't see them: they're hiding in the picada, the sauce and the pudding. In the shell, they keep for almost a year without asking for anything.
When
Around: Aug–Oct · At its best: Sept
Around: Aug–Oct · At its best: Sept
Around: Feb–Apr · At its best: Mar
Around here
Dry-farmed almond orchards are part of the landscape in the Camp de Tarragona and Lleida, and the harvest runs from late August to October. Two local varieties: Marcona, round and sweet, the one for frying and for turrón, and Llargueta, long and slim, good for toasting. Without almonds there's no romesco, no picada, no panellets at the Castanyada and no turrón at Christmas.
At the market
- In the shell: heavy, with no holes or mould, and they shouldn't rattle when shaken (a dry, shrunken nut).
- Shelled: whole, evenly coloured, no dark spots and no rancid smell.
- Taste one if they'll let you: if it's bitter, put it back; if it tastes of old paint, it's rancid.
- For toasting or frying, raw with the skin on; for baking, ready-blanched or ground saves you the work.
At home
- In the shell, somewhere dry, cool and dark: they keep for almost a year.
- Shelled, in an airtight jar away from heat; in the fridge if the weather's warm.
- Toasted or ground, they go rancid sooner: use them within a few weeks.
If you have too much
- Freeze them shelled, in a well-sealed bag: they keep for over a year without going rancid.
- Grind them and keep the ground almonds in the freezer, ready for panellets or sponge cake.
- Toast them with salt and a little oil and you've got nibbles for weeks.
- Make toasted almond butter by blitzing them for ages, until they release their oil.
In the kitchen
- Romesco: toasted almonds and hazelnuts with roasted tomato, ñora pepper, garlic, fried bread and oil.
- Picada for stews: toasted almonds, garlic, parsley and fried bread, pounded in a mortar.
- Fried with salt, for the pre-lunch vermouth.
- Panellets for the Castanyada, made with sweet potato or potato and ground almonds.
- In a salad with figs and fresh cheese.
- Toasted flakes scattered over pumpkin soup.
What it brings
Per 100 g, raw.
- Energy
- 579 kcal
- Water
- 4% water
- Carbs
- 21.6 g
- Sugars
- 4.4 g
- Fibre
- 12.5 g
- Protein
- 21.2 g
Stands out for
- High in vitamin E25.6 mg · 214% of what you need in a day
- High in magnesium270 mg · 72% of what you need in a day
- High in potassium733 mg · 37% of what you need in a day
- High in calcium269 mg · 34% of what you need in a day
- Source of iron3.7 mg · 27% of what you need in a day
- Source of folate44 µg · 22% of what you need in a day
- High in fibre12.5 g
Data from the USDA (FoodData Central). See the full table ↗ · How we decide what stands out
Goes with
- FigJun · Aug–SeptFig trees crop twice: brebas (early figs) at the start of summer, on last year's wood, and the true figs at the end. That's why figs take a break in July.
- GrapeAug–OctGrapes don't ripen once picked: the bunch you take home won't get any sweeter. You choose well at the stall or not at all.
- PepperJul–OctGreen and red are usually the same pepper at two stages: the red one was left to ripen on the plant. That's why it's sweeter and dearer.
- TomatoJun–OctAn August tomato and a January one only share the colour. And a good tomato's worst enemy isn't winter: it's your fridge.