Things You Didn't Know About Almonds
If you are into healthy eating habits, you might have reached out for dry fruits as a snack once in a while. Almonds being the most popular nuts in the world, it is hard to miss out on when speaking of healthy, organic snacking and dry fruits.
Even after hearing about almonds for years of our lives, it would not seem like we might have missed much about it. But boy, can we be wrong. These brown, eye-shaped pieces of wholesome goodness hold much more secrets than just meets the eye. Here are some fun facts that you might not have known about the popularly known almonds:
For a name that has been long associated with dry fruits, people casually assume that almonds are nuts. But no, almonds are actually seeds that are in relation to roses and orchids. It is mistaken as a nut because they resemble one and are produced by trees.
You might have known that California is famous for its almond production, but did you know how much? Almost 80% of the world's almond production and export is supported by California!
The family farms in California are mostly used for almond production. So if you are having an almond today, there is a good chance it has been sourced from California.
A fact that most people are oblivious to is that organic does not mean raw and untreated almonds. It is a legal requirement by the U.S. government to pasteurise the almonds before exporting them to keep them fresh and edible. This process does not interfere with the goodness of the almonds but only treats them to be safer for consumption for longer.
A lesser-known fact is that almonds are a zero-waste product. The hulls may or may not be consumed by humans. When they are not, they act as fodder to cattle. A sustainably well-rounded product!
Little do people know that almonds have a shelf life of about 2 years when refrigerated or packaged properly. This is because they have high vitamin E content.
These are some of the most interesting facts about almonds that are not commonly known. How many did you know?