The process to make almond butter, or any nut butter for that matter, is fairly simple: Grind nuts until liquified, add seasonings and/or flavorings as desired, add oil if using a machine and are impatient. Some sources say to use roasted almonds (Carduff), while others suggest it is healthier to use blanched almonds (Cottis). One consistency between recipes is that the nuts are unsalted. Either way, that is all there is to it.
But how, you may ask, does that solid nut turn into liquid gold. The idea is to crush the nuts so finely that they release their oils. Mixing the now-released oils with the powdered nut results in the texture we know as butter. This is why some recipes include small amounts of oil. It is kind of like priming a pump. The oil helps the processor chop the nuts, which then release their own oils to continue the process. There is also the claim that adding an oil will result in a creamier end product (Annie). There are actually recognized stages the nuts will go through: Powdered, clumping, grainy, and smooth (Gilmore, Heather). As almonds are harder nuts, these are said to take upwards of 30 minutes of constant processing to create almond butter. I have, however, discovered video of peanut butter done in under 1 minute.
I have also discovered two pieces of information that you will be hard pressed to find on any of the other blogs and websites concerning almond butter. The first is that the machine is key. Having a cheap machine will result in failure, as you can read about in a subsequent post. The second is that no matter how long you run the machine, you will still have chunks. I'm not talking whole nuts, but the resulting product will be grainier than store-bought butter. As long as you understand these two caveats and have some time and earplugs, you are ready to proceed.
As always, I welcome your comments. Click on the Comment link below; it may say "No" or have a number in front of it.
References:
Annie. Weblog comment. Homemade Nut Butter. Heather Eats Almond Butter, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
Carduff, Elizabeth, Julia Collin Davison, Louise Emerick, and Dan Zuccarello, ed. The America's Test Kitchen Do-It-Yourself Cookbook. Brookline, MA: America's Test Kitchen, 2012. Print
Cottis, Halle. “Organic Blanched Almond Butter Recipe.” Whole Lifestyle Nutrition. Whole Lifestyle Nutrition, 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
Gilmore, Megan. “How To Make Homemade Almond Butter.” The Detoxinista. Detoxinista, 21 Sept. 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
Heather. “Homemade Nut Butter.” Heather Eats Almond Butter. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.
But how, you may ask, does that solid nut turn into liquid gold. The idea is to crush the nuts so finely that they release their oils. Mixing the now-released oils with the powdered nut results in the texture we know as butter. This is why some recipes include small amounts of oil. It is kind of like priming a pump. The oil helps the processor chop the nuts, which then release their own oils to continue the process. There is also the claim that adding an oil will result in a creamier end product (Annie). There are actually recognized stages the nuts will go through: Powdered, clumping, grainy, and smooth (Gilmore, Heather). As almonds are harder nuts, these are said to take upwards of 30 minutes of constant processing to create almond butter. I have, however, discovered video of peanut butter done in under 1 minute.
I have also discovered two pieces of information that you will be hard pressed to find on any of the other blogs and websites concerning almond butter. The first is that the machine is key. Having a cheap machine will result in failure, as you can read about in a subsequent post. The second is that no matter how long you run the machine, you will still have chunks. I'm not talking whole nuts, but the resulting product will be grainier than store-bought butter. As long as you understand these two caveats and have some time and earplugs, you are ready to proceed.
As always, I welcome your comments. Click on the Comment link below; it may say "No" or have a number in front of it.
References:
Annie. Weblog comment. Homemade Nut Butter. Heather Eats Almond Butter, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
Carduff, Elizabeth, Julia Collin Davison, Louise Emerick, and Dan Zuccarello, ed. The America's Test Kitchen Do-It-Yourself Cookbook. Brookline, MA: America's Test Kitchen, 2012. Print
Cottis, Halle. “Organic Blanched Almond Butter Recipe.” Whole Lifestyle Nutrition. Whole Lifestyle Nutrition, 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
Gilmore, Megan. “How To Make Homemade Almond Butter.” The Detoxinista. Detoxinista, 21 Sept. 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2013.
Heather. “Homemade Nut Butter.” Heather Eats Almond Butter. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2013.
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