How To Roast Nuts – Packed with protein, readily available, and quick to make, roasted nuts are a co*cktail hour staple.
Why roast nuts?
Do you know why we even do this? Because heating nuts gets the aromatic oils going and makes them taste, well, nuttier! Just taste the difference between a raw almond and a nicely toasted one; the flavor, and texture, are very different! Don’t get me wrong, I’ll scarf a handful of raw almonds just like the next harried mother running out the door. But toasty delicious browned nuts are just better in every way.
Which nuts are good for roasting?
Well…all of them! Just be gentler with softer nuts like pecans, walnuts, and pistachios. They will cook faster in about five minutes. Firmer nuts like macadamias, hazelnuts, and almonds will take maybe 8 to 10 minutes, if your oven is spot on temperature wise.
Pro Tip
If you need your hazelnuts skinned, the BEST way to skin hazelnuts is to brink one cup of nuts, two cups of water, and three tablespoons baking soda to boil in a pot. Let boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water. Transfer to a towel and rub the skins off. Voila! Blanched hazelnuts.
Now if that sounds like a pain, or you’re out of baking soda, you can roast them in the oven and when they’re done, pour them into a clean kitchen towel and rub briskly. Voila half naked hazelnuts! Yes, when you have ass it, you only will get have the skins on. But let’s be honest, sometimes we just don’t care that much. Unless you’re making daquoise. Then you care very much because you want it to be pretty.
How To Roast Nuts
1. Always check your nuts first!
Nothing is worse than rancid nuts. Especially if they haven’t been stored in the freezer give them a good whiff. You’ll know right away if they’ve turned on you. Rancid nuts are the worst. And rancid oil *GAH*.
2. How to roast nuts on the stove
You can toss the nuts right into a pan over medium heat, no oil necessary. Just shake the pan occasionally so they toast evenly and don’t burn. When they’re finished, transfer them out of the hot pan so they don’t keep browning.
3. How to roast nuts in the oven
If you’re doing more than about a cup of nuts, definitely leverage the oven. Just put them on a rimmed baking sheet and into an oven that’s been preheated to 350. Check at about five minutes, they shouldn’t take more than ten for sure. And like all methods, shake or stir them up to make sure they’re browning evenly. When they’re done, transfer them off the hot pan so they don’t keep browning.
4. How to roast nuts in the microwave
I know it sounds crazy but you can totally roast or toast nuts in the microwave. Just be sure you use a good microwave proof dish, like a glass pie plate. Just put in the amount you need and microwave for 1 minute on high. Stir the nuts and repeat in 1 minute intervals and then go to 30 seconds, keeping an eye on them. You know how nuts are. They go from zero to sixty and then you’ve got burnt nuts. UGH When they’re done, transfer them off the dish if it’s hot so they don’t keep browning.
Yes, technically that was only three appliances. There is an addition to the oven method in the recipe printable you’ll love.
How to store roasted nuts
Have you ever needed just a couple tablespoons of chopped and roasted nuts for something and decided it wasn’t worth the trouble? And then when you were eating the dish, you regretted your laziness because it wasn’t as tasty as it should have been? Just me?
Well no worries, the next time you need to roast some up, do A LOT because they freeze beautifully and taste JUST AS GOOD as freshly toasted! Almonds, walnuts, even pecans. Just make sure you let them cool completely and put them in something airtight. They’ll keep up to a month in the freezer.
In this week’s video, Chef Shelley dishes about roasting nuts.
Techniques for how to roast nuts in the microwave, how to roast nuts on the stove and in the oven.
Recipes for savory roast nuts and sweet nuts.
Why using egg white makes great nuts!
Click here to download this week’s freebie printableRoast Nuts Four Ways Recipeswith techniques, recipes, tips and more.
So know armed with all this nutty knowledge, let me know, what are you going to make with your roasted nuts???
