Ölmühle Solling Natural Almonds. Whole, unblanched organic sweet almonds with skin – mild, nutty-sweet, and versatile for cooking and baking.

Ölmühle Solling Natural Almonds are whole organic sweet almonds with their brown skin, unroasted and unsalted. They come from European organic farming and are sourced from the Ölmühle Solling in Boffzen on the Weser river. The screw-top jar contains 350 g, and the only ingredient is almond kernels.

Natural Almonds from Ölmühle Solling are almonds exactly as they come out of the shell. Unblanched means that the thin brown skin is still on the kernel. Blanching would involve briefly placing the almonds in hot water so the skin can be removed. This was not done with these kernels. The skin gives them a slightly tart note and a brown color. Botanically, by the way, the almond is not a true nut, but the seed of a stone fruit. The almond tree, Prunus dulcis, belongs to the rose family and is related to the peach and apricot. Its fruits have a gray-green, leathery skin, underneath which lies the hard stone containing the kernel. It blooms pink in the spring and is usually harvested in the fall. In the jar are the sweet almonds you know from Christmas cookies and trail mix.

Taste

According to the manufacturer, the almonds taste mild and nutty-sweet. They are firm and crunchy when chewed, with the skin adding a fine tartness. Eaten plain, they are subtle; they reveal their full flavor when you roast them.

To do this, place them in a dry pan or on a baking sheet in the oven for five to eight minutes. They then smell significantly more intense and turn golden brown on the inside. If you need peeled, white almonds for light pastries like macaroons, these kernels are less suitable. However, they are the more versatile choice for bread, muesli, nut cakes, and savory dishes.

Usage

The manufacturer recommends almonds as a snack, for desserts and muesli, and as a baking ingredient for bread, rolls, and cakes. Chopped, they can be added to whole-grain bread or sprinkled on rolls; sliced, they go on apple pie. They provide crunch in muesli and also work well on a cheese board.

According to the manufacturer, they also pair well with salad and vegetables. Roast a handful and add them over green beans with butter, over broccoli, or a couscous salad with pomegranate. If you like making things yourself, you can use these kernels to make almond milk or almond butter. For almond butter, grind roasted almonds in a blender until they become creamy. This requires a little patience and a powerful blender.

Our tip: Roast the almonds in a pan with a teaspoon of honey, a pinch of salt, and a little rosemary. Once cooled, they make a perfect evening snack and stay crunchy for a few days if kept in a sealed jar.

Origin

According to the organic logo, the almonds originate from EU agriculture; the inspection body is DE-ÖKO-039. For Ölmühle Solling, almonds are more than just a snack. The mill also presses almond oil from unroasted sweet almonds, and the remaining press cake is ground into almond flour. Almond oil is also a component of the mill's coffee-almond seasoning oil.

Before the raw material is processed, the mill states that it checks for pesticides and plasticizers. Ölmühle Solling was founded in 1996 and has been based in Boffzen in the Weser Uplands since 2008. Today, siblings Sarah and Sebastian Baensch manage the family business.

For whom

The almonds are for everyone who likes to bake, mix their own muesli, or wants to have a supply in the cupboard for when hunger strikes. They contain tree nuts (almonds). Store the jar in a cool, dark place. After opening, screw the lid back on tightly. The partially defatted almond flour is produced from the press cake of the same nut. The natural walnuts are also great for mixing. You can find all nuts on our page for Ölmühle Solling. The almonds are not suitable for anyone with a tree nut allergy.

Whole organic almonds with skin in a screw-top jar – for cakes, muesli, and a handful of roasted kernels for the evening.

Image credit: Ölmühle Solling/Maike Wittreck