Falling Nuts

Do you know how I know fall is coming?  Nuts start dropping.  Hey I don't make this stuff up. 

We have 4 almond trees on our property which were planted by the previous owners.  I rarely go out to see them, because they are toward the back of the property and there is nothing much going on out there, although I'm pretty sure the coyotes have dens in the blackberry thickets (this creeps me out).  I don't spray, water, prune or fertilize these trees at all.  Yet every spring they produce beautiful pink blossoms, and every September the nuts are abundant.  Mother nature, just doing her thing.

I walked out with my parents this past weekend to pick.  The grass was dry and crunchy under our feet.  Big beef cattle on the other side of the fence eyed us for a moment, figured out we didn't have any food for them, then went back to their grazing.  My mom kept a lookout for snakes.  I'm sure we made enough noise to scare off any snakes within two hundred miles, but you never know. 
So, about the picking.......

Almonds actually have two hulls.  The outer is soft and slightly fuzzy.  This splits as it ripens, to reveal the hard shell underneath. 

Once you remove them from the outer hull, they need to dry in the sun for about two days.  You can tell when they're ready, because if you shake them, they rattle inside the shell.

At this point you can store your nuts in a paper bag.  They will keep (I'm told) for a few years.  I don't know about that.  I had thought that the oils in them would go rancid.  So I looked it up.   But that's what the Internet says, so it must be true.  We usually eat them before that happens anyway.
So here is something I make with my nuts. 

Almond power bars.  No sugar, no grains.  Healthy and yummy.  It must be yummy, because there is chocolate on top!  You can find the recipe here.  Some of the ingredients you will need are: almonds, almond butter, coconut oil, shredded coconut, honey and maple syrup.
Don't forget the bar of dark chocolate.  These are very filling, and they also freeze well.  I had some with a glass of iced tea for a delicious snack.  Let me know if you try them, I'd like to hear what you think.
Now I can't have a post without something crafty thrown in.   I got a new fat quarter bundle of Amy Butler "Cameo", to which I added some of my own stash. 

Play time!!!!!!


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