When a recipe calls for “blanched almonds,” do you run to the store to buy a bag? No need! You can easily skin a batch of almonds using the simple method outlined below.
Certain dishes require the use of skinless almonds. Removing the skin gives the almonds a smooth texture, which is helpful in making dishes like almond flour, almond butter, or marzipan.
Blanching your own almonds is more cost-effective than buying the skinless kind at the grocery store, and it only takes a minute… literally, just one minute! You’ll never spend the extra money on pre-blanched almonds again.
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How to Blanch Almonds
8 Varies
15 minutes
1 minute
Parve
Description
Learn to easily skin a batch of almonds in just minutes with a pot of boiling water.
Ingredients
- Raw unsalted almonds, more or less as needed
Recipe Notes
You will also need: pot of water, paper towels, colander or strainer.
Instructions
Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
Place your raw almonds into the boiling water. Let them boil for exactly one minute. Don't boil for any longer than 60 seconds, or your almonds will start to soften.
Drain the almonds immediately in a colander or strainer and rinse them with cold water to cool them.
Blot the almonds dry with a paper towel. You'll notice that the skins will be slightly shriveled.
Use your fingers to gently squeeze the almonds and loosen the skin from them. Careful, if you squeeze too hard they'll shoot across the room-- which is fun, but not super practical! You can squeeze them from one hand into another to keep them from "launching" too far.
Once you remove the skins, let the almonds dry off completely. Discard the skins.
Now the almonds are blanched and ready to use in your recipe!
Note: Nutrition information above is for 1/4 pound blanched almonds.
Does boiling them for one minute affect the nutrient benefit of the almond.
I don’t believe so, but that’s a question for a nutritionist. I believe removing the skin removes some of the fiber content, though.
Tori
Thanks for your reply. I am sure that removing the skin which contains Tannin which reduces nutrient absorption, will out weight what ever boiling does if anything.
Thank you for your excellent suggestion on how to remove the skin.
Regards
Mark
Thank you for showing how to remove the skins from the almonds. Question= After they have been peeled, can I keep them in my refrigerator with no water? and how long can I keep them in my refrigerator?
Hi Claudia, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. If stored in a tightly sealed container, blanched almonds will last for a couple of months in the refrigerator.
Good evening Tori,
I simply have to say that your recipes are Amazing! You know I Definitely think we should set up a new holiday,
“Almond Event Day”…
On in which we have, Almond Distance Squeeze Shooting Contests,
Almond Peeling Time Contest,
Oh and of course the, Almond Pie Eating Contest..lol!
Let me know when we should get together and plan out all the details.
On a more serious note, I
really love the way you write your recipes out. I find it very easy to read and follow along, most recipes written by other women tend to either be completely “Cold”,… just the ingredients and order, and then there’s the over indulgent recipe provider, whose wanderment into the engagement of their recipe with stories and occurrences from their life leave us stranded in half baked cookie or brownie land… unsure of our next step and opening the door to burnt.. black.. or unedable entrees and deserts!
Tori, your recipes combine great ingredients, just the right amount of background and ingredient information, and the exact amount of elegantly intertwined humor, all keeping a smile on our faces as we conquer new recipes and ingredients, and you always give us the confidence to pull it all off!
Thank you Tori Avey.. you Rock!
Sincerely, Danny Forwoodson
Hi
I am in the middle of this process. I intend to use the almonds to make almond flour for a macaron recipe. So far it has been going smooth. When I put the almonds to dry, how long should they dry? Mine have been drying overnight, but they don’t seem dry like when they are store bought. The coloring is still not the right white. Any suggestions on how to speed up the drying process? Will putting them in the oven on 180°F for a bit make them unworthy for flour?
Thank you for this recipe. Pretty cool concept.
Hi Lee, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Unfortunately there isn’t an exact time to reach dryness using this method. You’ll just need to keep an eye on the almond meal until it reaches desired dryness. As for the color, I don’t think that will make a difference in the macaron recipe. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
This was so easy! Thank you for posting this. Now I have blanched almonds….what to create with them? Obviously marzipan, and then….
I’d been looking for skinned almonds at the store. This is really easy and I am sure save lots of money over buying them skinned! Thank you.
I’d been looking for skinned almonds at the store. This is really and I am sure save lots of money over buying them skinned! Thank you.
Thank you for the preface of the ads and how it is a means for you to make money. I appreciated the forthrightness and educational aspect of this and it made me even happier to learn about blanching almonds from you!
Thank you for being there to help me when I asked
I didn’t know you could do this. Thank you so much.
OMG . . . seriously the EASIEST way to remove the almond skins . . . going to make Almond Milk and read that with the skins removed the “milk” will be silky smooth . . . and it is!!!! Great tip, and perfect step by step instructions.
Janet from Wisconsin
I really hate it when food writers tell you how easy stuff it is; and it really isn’t! However this is a glorious exception; thank you!
You’re welcome! 🙂
I do this with those roasted almonds left from the mixed nuts. They take a bit longer in the hot water, but I rub them in a clean dishtowel to get the skins off , spread them out on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes. then I chop or grind then for use in recipes.
Thanks for this! I love your site.
What if I just want to eat them after the skin is removed. How do I store them til I want to eat them? Dry and store in containers? Soak in water in fridge?
Hi LindieLee, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. They can be stored in an airtight container in a dark, cool place for up to a month.
Thanks! Very helpful.
Thank you for your easy instructions about blanching almonds..
You’re welcome! 🙂
hi I need all the information and help I can get. I managed to get mixed nuts for ONE doller a pound, we are eating lot’s of walnuts. and I am freeze some. but I have more almonds.like OVER 50 pounds.
Thank you thank you Thank you. I tried your method and it worked perfectly. I am making rainbow cookies from scratch and I decided to make my own almond paste. Will let you know how things turn out.
This even works on roasted nuts if you don’t have raw ones and are not going to the store…Again…
I’m guessing this happened to you during holiday cooking… I ran out of a few things myself this season, and could not stomach another trip to the market!!
Thanks, Tori! My almonds came out great! Such an easy method. I used the almonds to make baklava, which came out looking great! Thanks again!
You’re welcome Laura!
This worked beautifully! Thanks so much for the instructions. I plan to use my almonds to make macarons.
I have been boiling almonds in water for up to 5 minutes for more years than I care to state (my hair is grey!). I would then leave them in a baggie for another 15 minutes. By the time I attempted pealing off the skins they were dry and the skins stuck to the almonds. I am absolutely delighted with your recipe. It works quickly and efficiently!! I, my family and friends who enjoy my Almond Butterballs thank you a thousand times over.
Every Christmas my late mother, peeled them , then roasted them in butter and put them in a paper bag full of salt and Shook them to coat with salt…………champagne cocktails and you are away!
Similar to my Dads recipe, he basted the almonds.I have no idea how long he baked,other than going by color.
I am about to do this……i got a “special” cookie cutter of a small bear with extra long arms that is meant to hug an almond or other nut…which you place on his “chest” and wrap the arms around…..here goes! I have made a ginger / molasses cookie dough and thought the lighter color of the blanched almond would contrast nicely with the dark cookie…..we shall see!
Tori, I just made my first batch of almonds (shot them across the room). Your instructions worked just beautifully (I am now roasting them).
Thank you VERY MUCH!
This worked perfectly. My only source of almonds that are not contaminated with other nuts are sold as raw or roasted salted. It is so exciting to be able to make a traditional Christmas cookie this year that my grandson can enjoy and not be told “that one is not for you”.
I remember spending many hours “shooting them across the room” with my mom. I had forgotten until I found one of her long lost recipes that called for blanched almond halves. Thanks!
This really works. Thanks for the tips ???????
Thanks going to be using this technique for an almond ricotta recipe I’ll be trying.
Hah, saaame.
Thank you! I am making lemon cookies from Pinterest that are gluten free.
This is a brilliant idea, it worked like a dream. It was just like shelling broad beans, thanks Tori x
Worked like a charm.
You, my friend, are a genius.
I’ve purchased blanched raw almonds for years and it never occurred to me that I could buy the less expensive whole almonds and DIY.
This reminded me of shelling beans with my mother and grandmother, sitting outside in the cool breeze and gabbing about the relatives. ?
I’m so happy to have found this, thank you!
I followed your directions to the letter! Excellent success. So easy! Thank you!
Perfect outcome! Thank you so much
I usually toast the blanched almonds to enhance their flavour (for in e.g. a chicken, celery, almond and mayo salad) – about 4 minutes on a tray at the top of an oven at 170-180° C – I say “about”, because as with all nuts, even 30 seconds too long can be the difference between toasted and burnt – they should still be pale but just starting to ‘sweat’.
We have been eating 15 Almonds each morning with a cup of green tea, that is a healthy way to start the day, BUT the Almonds have to be soaked and peeled, so in fact, they are almost sprouted. This increases their nutritious value by a LOT – please spread this in your blogs etc. to get more people to eat SOAKED/almost sprouted Almonds for their health.
I’ve been looking for blanched almonds in the grocery store with no success. So have tried this method & the skin comes off easily. But just how long does it take for the almonds to completely dry so i can put them in a storage container?
I soaked the almonds overnight but now they are too soft and changing into a paste instead of a powdery consistency what should i do?
If you soak them overnight, you don’t need to boil them. Pinch from the small end and the almonds shoot out of the skin.
Omg this worked like magic. Thanks so much
If you soak your almonds for 8 to 12 hours the skins will come off much easier than the blanching method. Soaking is recommended anyway to remove anti-nutrients. I assume that most of the anti-nutrients are in the skin so this point may be moot. In any case, if you can plan ahead, the soaking method will give you a much more harmonious outcome!
I’ve tried both, the tricky part is making sure you let the almonds circulate a little during the boil. I used “William’s” method of soaking overnight and it was easy, too.
Yes I have done both methods as well. After skin removal do we need to soak again to rid “anti-nutrients”? Does this also lose nutrition? What else other than the almonds and many beans should be soaked?
This was so great and easy and when I have time, I’ll look into reading all these wise and useful comments. I had heard of your blog SITK and am so glad I found this and you. How wonderful!
Cool! That was easy and now my almonds are ready! :9
Easy as…pie? I boiled them for the 1 minute, drained and cooled them and then sat at my kitchen table for about 15 minutes while watching MSNBC and, violà, they were all peeled and ready to dry and I’ll use them in my recipe tomorrow. Thank you!
That’s funny. I did the exact same thing. MSNBC included.
After skin the almond, do we need to roast them in the oven to totally dry them?
Hi Julia, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. You don’t need to roast the almonds, they will dry on their own.
I first read about this method back in the 1970s. But had forgotten all about it. I do not have a stove. So just boiled the kettle and soaked the almonds for one minute. Still worked. Although 45 minutes to shell one cup almonds was a tad boring. Nah next time I will buy them peeled 🙂
Of course, it does take longer than a minute, when you add in the time to remove the skins. On the other hand, it works amazingly well, and is very satisfying on a primal level, kind of like popping bubble wrap, but with something useful to show for your efforts at the end. Thanks for a great tip!
Hi
Really easy. Thanks a lot.
Lola
works unbeleivably! can’t thank you enough! how often does a website instruction site do exact what it says it will??!!!