I love almonds. Well, I love most nuts but almonds are definitely my favorite nut (except for hubby, who is his own special brand of nuttiness!). I’d never paid much attention to nuts and how they grow until we were
trucking years ago and saw almond trees up close and personal in California. They’re very pretty. But what they produce is even better.
Here are some fun (probably useless) facts about almonds that I “borrowed” from Danielle Omar on The Blog.
- Almonds need really hot weather and cool winters to grow
- They are 100% reliant on wild bees and honey bees for crop pollination — No bees, no almonds
- Almond growers rent bees for pollination and it’s one of the most costly issues for growers
- Bees are fussy little fellows; they don’t work in the rain, at night, in the early morning, or when there’s frost
- The immature green almond can be preserved and pickled — some consider it a delicacy
- Of the 8 major varieties of almonds, the Nonpareil are the most prized (all have the same nutritional profile)
- There are 98 published research papers to date (with 19 more in progress) on the health effects of almonds, in particular their effect on heart health, diabetes and weight management
- Almonds were one of the first foods awarded a qualified health claim in the US
- Almonds help to slow absorption of sugar and carbs
- Recent studies show almonds eaten mid-morning can help moderate your blood sugar throughout the day
All I know is, almonds crunch, they taste good, and they help me get past that hunger stage when I’m too close to dinner to eat more. A great snack that isn’t a secret anymore!
Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.
Dee
Naval Maneuvers: When a woman requires an earth-shattering crush of pleasure to carry her away, she can’t do better than to call on the US Navy. Sorry, Marines!
I enjoy almonds, too, as well as macadamia nuts, filberts, brazil nuts, and cashews, but neither pecans nor walnuts.
Hi, Holly! Thanks for your comment. I think I’ll go grab some almonds right now…