How To Blanch Almonds

I had never blanched an almond in my life before I discovered Maida Heatter. Many of her recipes call for blanched almonds, which are simply peeled almonds. It is as easy as 1-2-3-4-5-6 but it can be a little time consuming if you need lots of them.

Step 1: Place the almonds in a bowl - use a good-sized bowl so that the almonds are not piled up on top of each other.

Step 2: Add boiling water, just enough to cover the almonds. Let this sit for 1 minute. However, if your almonds are not the freshest, let them sit a little longer (1.5 to 2 minutes).

Step 3: Drain the water off the almonds

Step 4: Rinse the almonds

Step 5: Spread the almonds out on a paper or cloth towel to dry

Step 6: Hold the almond between your thumb and finger and squeeze at the tip. The skin will peel right off. (Sometimes you may have to slightly scratch the tip to break the skin if they are tough)