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Almond
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What is an almond?
The almond ( Prunus dulcis) is a tree native to southwestern Asia that is cultivated for its edible seed, also called an almond. Though popularly called a nut, the almond is a seed enclosed in a hard fruit covering.
Almond trees are deciduous and grow to be about 10 to 15 feet tall. They produce fragrant, light pink to white flowers from late January to early April. The flowers require insect pollinators to facilitate cross-pollination.
There are two varieties of almonds: sweet and bitter. Sweet almonds are the familiar edible type used as nuts and in cooking. Bitter almonds contain amygdalin, which is used to manufacture flavoring extracts for foods and liqueurs, after the removal of prussic acid.
California produces approximately 80% of the worldâs supply of almonds.
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What does an almond tree look like?
The almond tree is deciduous and grows to be 10 to 15 feet tall. From late January to early April, north of the Equator, the trees produce fragrant, light pink to white flowers with five petals, making them strikingly beautiful when in flower.
The fruit of the almond tree is a drupe that looks similar to a peach as it grows. The leathery outer covering, or hull, splits open as it ripens, curls outward, and discharges the pit. Despite being commonly referred to as nuts, almonds are the seeds enclosed in the hard fruit covering. Sweet almonds are edible and used in cooking, while the extracted oil of bitter almonds is used as flavoring extracts for foods and liqueurs.
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How do almonds grow on the tree?
Almond trees, native to southwest Asia, are deciduous and grow best in Mediterranean climates. These trees typically reach 10 to 15 feet in height and produce fragrant, light pink to white flowers from late January to early April.
Because the flowers are self-incompatible, insects are needed to facilitate cross-pollination with other cultivars. The almond fruit is a drupe that looks like a peach as it grows. As the fruit ripens, the leathery outer hull splits open, curls outward, and discharges the pit. Despite being commonly called nuts, almonds are seeds inside a hard fruit covering. California produces approximately 80% of the worldâs almond supply.
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What parts of the almond can we eat?
The edible part of the almond tree is the seed, commonly called an almond nut. There are two main types of almonds:
- Sweet Almonds: These are the edible type consumed as nuts and used in cooking. They do not contain amygdalin and are safe to eat.
- Bitter Almonds: The extracted oil of bitter almonds is used to make flavoring extracts for foods and liqueurs. The crude oil contains considerable amygdalin and is poisonous, but this is removed during refining.
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Why are almonds considered healthy to eat?
Almonds are considered healthy because they are high in protein and fat while also providing small amounts of iron, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B complex, and E. Specifically, the almonds that are eaten as nuts come from sweet almond varieties, which are safe to eat. They can be enjoyed raw, blanched, or roasted and are commonly used in confectionery baking. In Europe, almonds are used to make marzipan, and in Asia, they are often used in meat, poultry, fish, and vegetarian dishes.
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How are almonds harvested and prepared for sale?
Almonds are harvested using mechanized tree shakers to expedite the process. As the almond crop ripens, the outer hull splits open, curls, and discharges the pit.
California produces nearly 80% of the worldâs supply of almonds. After harvesting, almonds may be eaten raw, blanched, or roasted and are commonly used in confectionery baking. In Europe, almonds go into marzipan, a sweet paste for pastries and candy. In Asia, almonds are often added to meat, poultry, fish, and vegetarian dishes.
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Almond, (Prunus dulcis), economically important crop tree and its edible seed. Native to southwestern Asia, almonds are grown primarily in Mediterranean climates between 28° and 48° N and between 20° and 40° S. California produces nearly 80 percent of the worldâs supply. Almonds grown as nuts may be eaten raw, blanched, or roasted and are commonly used in confectionery baking. In Europe almonds are used to make marzipan, a sweet paste used in pastries and candy, and in Asia almonds are often used in meat, poultry, fish, and vegetarian dishes. Almonds are high in protein and fat and provide small amounts of iron, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B complex, and E.
Physical description
Almond trees are deciduous with a hardy dormancy. Typically growing 3â4.5 meters (10â15 feet) tall, the trees are strikingly beautiful when in flower; they produce fragrant, five-petaled, light pink to white flowers from late January to early April north of the Equator. The flowers are self-incompatible and thus require insect pollinators to facilitate cross-pollination with other cultivars. The growing fruit (a drupe) resembles a peach until it approaches maturity; as it ripens, the leathery outer covering, or hull, splits open, curls outward, and discharges the pit. Despite their common label, almonds are not true nuts (a type of dry fruit) but rather seeds enclosed in a hard fruit covering.
Cultivation
California produces nearly 80 percent of the worldâs supply of almonds. The annual pollination of the stateâs almond orchards is the largest managed pollination event in the world, with more than 1.1 million beehives brought to California each year.
The sweet almond is cultivated extensively in certain favorable regions, though nut crops are uncertain wherever frosts are likely to occur during flowering. While more than 25 types of almonds are grown in California, Marcona and Valencia almonds come from Spain, and Ferragnes are imported from Greece. Old World almond cultivation was characterized by small plantings mainly for family use; trees interplanted with other crops; variability in age, condition, and bearing capacity of individual trees; and hand labur, often with crude implements. Modern almond growers are typically more industrial, with vast orchards of at least three types of trees the same age. Mechanized tree shakers are often used to expedite harvesting, and many growers must rent hives of western honeybees during flowering season to pollinate their trees. Indeed, the annual pollination of the almonds in California is the largest managed pollination event in the world, with more than 1.1 million beehives brought to the state each year. Colony collapse disorder (CCD), which has led to a global decline of honeybee populations, threatens the multibillion dollar industry.
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Sweet almonds and bitter almonds
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Angiosperm
- Order: Rosales
- Family: Rosaceae
- Genus: Prunus
There are two varieties: sweet almond (P. dulcis, variety dulcis) and bitter almond (P. dulcis, variety amara). Sweet almonds are the familiar edible type consumed as nuts and used in cooking or as a source of almond oil or almond meal. The oil of bitter almonds is used in the manufacture of flavoring extracts for foods and liqueurs such as amaretto, though prussic acid must first be removed.
Bitter almonds and sweet almonds have similar chemical composition. Both types contain between 35 and 55 percent of fixed oil (nonvolatile oil), and both feature the enzyme emulsin, which yields glucose in the presence of water. Bitter almonds have amygdalin, which is present only in trace amounts in sweet almonds, and the oil of bitter almonds contains benzaldehyde and prussic (hydrocyanic) acid.