Nuts About It

From incredible flavour and texture to great health benefits, there’s not much these nutritious snacks from nature can’t do.

- Joanna McMillan

They have been a well-loved food for thousands of years. And what a world of texture and flavor they bring to just about every global cuisine, especially Mediterranean food.

Nuts make nutritious snacks, providing healthy oils, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein, and serve us as great ingredients for both flavor and texture in hundreds of dishes.

Nut oils are among the finest for salad dressings and cooking, and nut meals (groundnuts) are especially prized for making recklessly rich cakes. Freshness is vital and roasting brings out the wonderful new flavor in many nuts.

CHOOSING

Shelled nuts on sale are often stale, so it is best to buy nuts in the shell, which protects them from rancidity unless you can get them from a trusted retailer with a high turnover, or find vacuum-packed ones. Avoid any nuts in the shell that rattle or are light for their size as these may mean the nuts are wizened.

STORING