Pickled green almonds
April 12, 2013 • Category: Condiments, Pantry
It is green almond time (Spring) and our trees are loaded. Everywhere markets are displaying these velvety green almonds that folks love to eat whole dipped in salt; super crunchy and a natural laxative. The almonds need to ripen on their mother (an expression from a farmer I talked to that delighted me) for a few more weeks to get the hardened fruit we are used to buying in the US. I have found these fresh green almonds at the Middle-Eastern store in Dallas however, shipped from California.
Another use for them is to pickle them; in the Chouf mountains, it is not uncommon to have these pickled almonds served with a side of roasted chicken. These green almonds are extra crunchy.
Recipe is from Mrs Marlene Mattar in her Maedat Marlene min Halab.
1 lb green almonds (to fill up 4 jars)
2 cups water
1/4 cup coarse salt
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1. Wash the green almonds and cut off the tips. Slit each almond with the tip of a knife. Dissolve the salt in water, then mix with the vinegar and pour into the jars. Use after 4 days and keep in the fridge.
Comments
31 Comments • Comments Feed
Rosa says:
That is something totally unknown to me. I would love to try your pickles… Sadly, I can’t find fresh almonds here.
Cheers,
Rosa
On April 12, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Hisham Assaad says:
I have read about those along with pickled Janerek in Barbara Abdeni Massaad’s book “Mouneh” but I am not sure how would they taste.
On April 12, 2013 at 4:01 pm
Joumana says:
@Hisham Assaad: they taste like the fresh ones, but tangy and sour from the pickling water.
On April 12, 2013 at 10:54 pm
Kiran @ KiranTarun.c says:
i’m jealous of the almond tree you have! this is such a unique recipe 🙂
On April 12, 2013 at 5:20 pm
Belinda @zomppa says:
Must be spring when the trees are so bountiful!
On April 12, 2013 at 6:40 pm
Mira says:
This sounds delicious! Do u think it would also work with green apricot?
On April 12, 2013 at 10:56 pm
Joumana says:
@Mira: I think people do pickle the green apricots, although I have never tried it; if you like pickles, sure!
On April 13, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Susan says:
I would never be able to find fresh almonds here but love the idea of pickling them and also the thought of them ripening on the mother 🙂
On April 13, 2013 at 3:56 pm
Alaiyo Kiasi-Barnes says:
How wonderful that there are almonds growing near you and are available for pickling. Of course, I’ve never tried these, but I’ll bet they are quite a treat!
On April 14, 2013 at 7:57 am
zerrin says:
This is a fantastic recipe! I was just eating fresh almonds and saw this post! How couldn’t I have thought pickling them before? I’m addicted to pickled veggies and I haven’t eaten or seen pickled almonds here. Now that I have the recipe, I can make it myself! Thanks a lot!
On April 14, 2013 at 11:40 am
Joumana says:
@Zerrin: my pleasure. 🙂
On April 14, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Nuts about food says:
As someone who loves anything pickled, I am sure I would really like these. Never seen them here, but there must be tons in Sicily. Will enquire.
On April 15, 2013 at 4:10 am
Gabi says:
Oh, I’ll remember this one. The palestinian store in my town has green almonds,too. I asked how to use them and was adviced to eat them as they were. Hmmm… an acquired taste, I think 🙂 I bought some and put them in alcohol, hoping to get some kind of Amaretto. Next time I’ll try this pickled version
On April 15, 2013 at 4:19 am
kouky says:
Délicieuse découverte!! ça doit étre très fin en même temps qu’acidulé!! merci Joumana! très belle journée!!
On April 15, 2013 at 6:41 am
Claudia says:
A new treat! I don’t know these at all but would love to become acquainted. Almonds and their mother – love.
On April 15, 2013 at 7:16 am
Linda says:
For those of you in New York – I’ve seen them on the counter at Kalustyan’s (28th & Lexington)
On April 15, 2013 at 7:19 am
Jessica says:
I have a wish-list over stuff I want to do in this life and picking almonds is one of the things on the wish-list.
I eat japanese pickled plums all the time (umeboshi). I am sure one can pickle just about everything, like tiny apricots. In some parts of France and in England, green walnuts are pickled.
On April 15, 2013 at 7:57 am
Andrew luketic says:
The green apricots are very good in both brandy and vodka. the brandy takes on an exquisite intensity you must try if you have access to some.
Fill up a 1 litre sterilized canning jar with one pound of washed green apricots.
Fill to the top with French brandy. Age at room temperature for at least 3 months.
Empty green apricots from jar and keep infused brandy in the jar. In another sterile one litre canning jar place green apricots and two tablespoons of white or course organic sugar. Close and shake the contents, and let sit at room temperature for two weeks. Strain the liquid and add to the reserved brandy.
Repeat the sugar sweating two more times. This will ensure that you return the alchohol to your liquid and extract the maximum amount of flavour.
Strain your accumulated liquid through a coffee filter or jelly bag. Feel free to bottle and enjoy as an apperitif, cocktail, or a Flávio groom agent for desserts
On April 4, 2017 at 9:53 pm
Anna says:
Sadly I was away from Palestine during green almond season which just finished there.. however this recipe will surely be used next year to make the most of it!!
On April 15, 2013 at 3:21 pm
domi says:
Non seulement je n’en ai jamais entendu parler mais je n’aurait surtout jamais imaginer que l’on puisse le faire….
On April 18, 2013 at 1:05 am
Oui, Chef says:
Just saw tons of these in the markets of Istanbul. Wish I was able to bring some home so I could try this recipe.
On April 22, 2013 at 7:36 am
ilakshee says:
A refreshing post, just like the recipes. Loved it!
On April 26, 2013 at 12:47 am
Stephanie says:
For those of you in NYC, I just bought some at Fairway in Manhattan.
On May 9, 2013 at 7:39 pm
Martin says:
Almond time the whole area here has a bumper crop of almonds alas i only really have olives i was talking to a friend tonight that said he was busy collecting almonds and i asked how many trees he had and his answer was 50 hectares of them….
Wow at 3 euros a kilo still in there shells but sun dried i often thought how can these village people afford such expensive tractors and now i know…
On August 31, 2015 at 7:54 pm
Joumana says:
@Martin: Still, it is very challenging to be a profitable farming business these days!
On September 7, 2015 at 10:48 am
Martin says:
Sorry i forget mention fig time also, there is just a blanket of them on the floor under the trees because no one really cares to collect them i collect a few kilos to dry in the sun and later put in jars and i also found a recipe for fresh fig pizza that is wonderful you need to search the net and you will see my comment also.
On August 31, 2015 at 8:00 pm
Martin says:
Sorry los Velez Andalucia Spain ………………………
On August 31, 2015 at 8:04 pm
Martin says:
I love your site ……………..
On August 31, 2015 at 8:06 pm
Joumana says:
@Martin: So glad to read this, thank you!
On September 7, 2015 at 10:47 am
Krissie says:
Can you find green almonds in the USA? If so, may I ask where? This was an awesome website to discover! Thank you for sharing your heritage!
On October 30, 2020 at 10:12 pm