NUTS ABOUT ALMONDS
Aren’t you glad you live in a world that has almonds? Woolworths stocks a fantastic variety, which can be enjoyed as a snack, or worked into delicious recipes, as we’ve done on the opposite page. Gluten-free almond-and-chocolate cake, anyone?
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF ALMONDS
So, you love to snack on almonds, the question is do you know where they come from? Woolies carefully sources its non-pareil supreme almonds from California. Due to California’s ideal Mediterraneanlike climate, it supplies over 70% of the world’s almonds. Woolies’ almonds come from farms that make use of green farming methods – they’re 100% solarpowered, and the farmers are continuously looking for new ways to reduce ground water usage. Almonds are sourced from multiple growers and in a variety of sizes and grades to ensure consistent quality. To ensure freshness, Woolies’ almonds are vacuum-packed at the source.
Raw almonds are delivered in bulk from California, then sorted, screened and packed. The almonds pass through several sorting steps using electronic and mechanical sorting equipment to ensure good, consistent quality. These include colour sorting, infrared sorting and X-ray sorting technology to eliminate any defective products. When it comes to almonds on the shelf, you’ll notice a distinction between raw, roasted and salted, and dryroasted almonds. Raw are sorted and packed, roasted and salted almonds go through an oil-roasting step, followed by a salt application. Finally, dry-roasted almonds are oven-roasted, and then salted. According to Cindy Chin, a registered dietician at Woolworths: “Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats in your diet may contribute to the maintenance of normal cholesterol levels.
Like most nuts, almonds are high in monounsaturated fats. They are also high in fibre, and a source of vitamin E and copper.”