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Almond Oil - What It is and How to Use It
Almonds, which are native to South Asia and the Middle East, come from almond trees. Almonds are seeds rather than nuts and nearly two tons are produced every year, with the United States, Syria, Italy, and Spain being the major producers. Almonds are the third biggest agricultural product in California and eighty percent of the world's almond supply comes from there.
Types of Almond Oil
There are two types of almonds - sweet almonds and bitter ones. Sweet almonds grow on almond trees with white flowers and bitter almonds grow on trees with pink flowers. Medicinal and cosmetic almond oil comes from sweet almonds.
Bitter almonds are shorter and wider than sweet almonds and contain about half the amount of oil. Bitter almonds contain small amounts of hydrogen cyanide, which is poisonous, so its consumption is prohibited in many countries.
Cooking with Almonds
Almonds can be used for cooking in various forms, including whole, slivered or sliced, and you can also get almond milk and almond butter. These ingredients are used in both savory and sweet recipes. You can use almonds in pastries, cookies like macaroons, nougat, marzipan, and ice cream dishes. Almond butter is an alternative to peanut butter and it is good for people with peanut allergies.
Sweet Almond Oil
Sweet almonds are used to make amaretti (a type of cookies) in Italy and a tiny amount of bitter almonds is traditionally added to the recipe to give the cookies a bitter tang. Apricot kernels are often used as a bitter almond substitute though.
Blanched almonds are used to make Greek desserts and they are often served at wedding feasts because of their white color. Almonds are combined with milk and served hot to make a popular Chinese dessert. Almond paste is used in Moroccan cuisine.
This nut is used is curries in Indian and Pakistani cuisine and almond flakes are added to desserts. Almond milk is a milk substitute for vegans or people who are lactose-intolerant. Marcona almonds, which originated in Spain, are sweeter, smaller, and more delicate in texture than other kinds of almonds. In Spanish cuisine, these are often fried in oil and used to make nougat.
Almond Oil Uses
An almond is about fifty percent oil. Sweet almond oil comes from the dried kernel of sweet almonds. The oil has non-culinary uses, which include skin lubrication during massage, skin moisturizing, and a wood conditioner for musical instruments like the clarinet and oboe. Sweet almond oil is used as a carrier for injectable drugs and those, which would deteriorate in a water-based carrier.
This oil is also used in aromatherapy as a carrier oil. It makes a great skin moisturizer and has rejuvenation and nourishing properties. It has laxative properties and two tablespoons of this oil a day is helpful for constipation sufferers. Almond oil is a useful lubricant and it can be used in the repair of clocks and watches.
Can You Cook with Almond Oil?
Almond oil can be used as a substitute for olive oil if you only need a little bit but, because there are trace amounts of hydrogen cyanide in almond oil, as well as harmful bacteria, the consumption of unprocessed almond oil is not recommended.
