How to Roast and Skin Nuts

Use these instructions when a recipe calls for roasted nuts.

Hazelnuts:

Hazelnuts are commonly sold with their thin, papery skins still on the nuts, so they need to be skinned before they can be used. The skins are not harmful, but their taste and texture are not desirable in candies or other baked goods.

To skin them, first toast them by spreading the nuts in a single layer on a a baking sheet. Bake them at 325 degrees until they give off an aroma, and their skins are brown and split. This should take about 7-10 minutes, depending on the amount of nuts. Check the nuts every few minutes while toasting, and shake or stir the nuts so they toast evenly.

Remove them from the oven when they are fragrant and brown, and allow them to cool at room temperature. Once they are cool enough to handle, rub the nuts between two clean kitchen towels. The skins will come off with the friction, leaving clean and toasted nuts. A small amount of skin remaining on the nuts is normal.

Almonds:

Almonds are sold in various states of preparation: whole, sliced, or slivered, blanched or natural. It is easy to find whole almonds that have been skinned, but these are typically more expensive than “natural” almonds, so if cost is a consideration, you might want to skin them yourself.

To skin whole almonds, drop them in boiling water and let them cook for 1 minutes, then drain the nuts and let them cool. Once they are cool enough to touch, pinch the nuts between your fingers and the nuts will slide out of the skin.

To toast almonds, spread them in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees until they are light brown and fragrant, about 5-10 minutes depending on the amount of nuts. Check the nuts frequently and stir them to ensure even toasting.

Other Nuts:

To toast walnuts, pecans, pistachios, macadamias, and other nuts, follow the same procedure as for toasting almonds: spread them in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees until they are light brown and fragrant, about 5-10 minutes depending on the amount of nuts. Check the nuts frequently and stir them to ensure even toasting.

Always cool your nuts before chopping them. Nuts have a great deal of oil that has been brought to surface by the heat, and the oil must be allowed to be reabsorbed, or the nuts could turn greasy during chopping.

Also see: Roasting & Shelling Chestnuts

How to Store Nuts:

Because of the high oil content many nuts have, they have a limited shelf life and should be properly stored to prolong their life. Salted nuts go rancid more quickly, so they are rarely used in commercial candymaking, however, salted nuts are fine for home use if you know the candies will be consumed quickly.

Store your nuts in airtight containers or Ziploc bags in the freezer, rather than at room temperature. Nuts that have been frozen can be toasted or chopped straight from the freezer without problems. When stored this way, most nuts will last for up to a year, although very oily nuts like walnuts and pecans have a shorter life and can be frozen up to 10 months. If the nuts have gone rancid, it will be immediately apparent upon tasting them.