Helpful Lesson 5: Toast Nuts at Home

Alex Delaney of Bon Appetit SWEARS that toasting nuts at home are infinitely better than store-bought toasted nuts. Apparently, store-bought toasted nuts are only toasted 75% complete which means that the full flavor is never realized. He, also, goes one step further: toasting in the oven is better than toasting in the pan. The dry, indirect heat will toast the nuts more evenly than a skillet will unless you're diligently watching and constantly tossing the nuts.

I've just realized that I already have tested that theory many times! Why do roasted peanuts at the Farmer's Market taste so much better than roasted peanuts in a can? The aroma of fresh toasted peanuts, itself, makes my mouth water! The salt is not just sprinkled on the nuts - it's roasted ON the nuts! I've even slow-roasted nuts in the oven for a good chex mix and it tastes so much fresher!

For this reason, I stock up on raw nuts when I go shopping at the buy-in-bulk stores. (Hint: You can freeze the nuts until you use them.)

Here's how to toast nuts for your salads, snacks and side dishes:

Toss the nuts with a good pinch of kosher salt. As the nuts heat up, oils will rise to the surface so the salt will stick to them.

Spread them out in an even layer on a sheet pan and pop them in a 350° oven. Generally speaking, lighter, more tender nuts like pecans, pistachios, and walnuts will take 6-8 minutes to get to a good place. Denser nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and macadamias will take 8-10 minutes to finish toasting. Regardless of the type of nut, give the pan a solid shake halfway through to shift the position of the nuts for even browning. Trust your nose over the timer. Good toasted nuts should be fragrant -- never burnt or acrid.

Transfer the nuts to a plate or bowl right after you take them out of the oven. This is very important. They’ll continue toasting if left on the pan.

From here, enjoy! They're ready to eat but save some for your recipe! Store the leftover nuts at room temperature. They’ll be their best on the day you roast them but they’re also good for the next three days. After that, they start to lose that toasty aroma and flavor.

#roastnuts #cookingtips