Olive Oil
The most important thing to remember about nuts, is that they are perishable. They are better kept in their shell than out, and they’ll stay fresh longer if left whole than chopped. Store shelled nuts in the freezer and bring them to room temperature before using.
Almonds are sold whole with their skins on (unblanched, or natural), whole without skins (blanched), Slivered (without skin), or sliced (with or without skin).
If you use a lot of almonds in cooking, buy the whole unblanched nuts. They’ll keep better than the blanched, and it’s an easy ob to remove the skins. Put the almonds into a bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let stand for a few minutes, then remove the almonds from the water with a slotted spoon a few at a time, and pinch the skins off the nuts. Drain the nuts on paper towels. To dry the almonds, spread them in a shallow pan and bake for 5 to 7 minutes at 350*, stirring or shaking them once; do not allow them to brown. Cool completely and store in airtight plastic bags. Or, if you want to toast the almonds, bake them a few minutes longer, until they turn pale golden brown. Toast slivered and sliced almonds the same way-since they’re smaller, they’ll be ready in less time.