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Boccie's Smoked Almonds Questions...

Mac  in NC
Mac in NC Posts: 287
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Every year, I try to give friends and family members a gift "from the kitchen". This year, I've decided to give away small holiday canisters of Boccie's smoked almonds. I've noticed from the posts below that the consensus was in favor of DP Jamaican Firewalk or Swamp Venom as the seasoning of choice. I plan on using both of these but I also have some folks that do not care for hot and spicey food. So here are my questions.[p] Have you (Boccie) or anyone else used an alternative spice to curb the heat for the sensitive ones out there?
Should I put them in a ziploc bag prior to putting in the tins?
How long before they go stale? Or will they?
Nit pic questions I know but I've never done these before. These gifts are highly sought after by my inner circle and I want these (almonds) to be as Boccie intended. Thanks for the recipe Boccie!! [p]Mac


Comments

  • Mac in NC ,[p]Hey Mac. We are on the same page, my man. We did 3 different batches of almonds the other night with varying results. Our first batch we used a coating of chili powder, cayenne and sugar with an egg-white wash that we cooked direct on the egg with some cherry smoke. Started at about 325 and turned after 5 min and then after anther - then reduced heat and cooked another 10 minutes at about 250 (20 min total). They burned a little bit but are damned good - real crispy on the outside and just the right mix of zing and sweetness. Unfortunately, they're kind of ugly because they burned. We're giving them away in little chinese take-out looking containers with holly pictures on them together with some raspberry chipotle Q sauce I made and hommade candy. I'll get my sister, Young Guns, to post the recipe. I'm sure a skilled master such as yourself could improve the presentation.[p]Our second batch I followed Boccie to the T with Firewalk (I don't have swamp venom) only I jacked up the cherry smoke volume and cooked indirect at about 250 for 20 minutes. They're real pretty and brown - and they taste good - but not enough spice on them for my taste. Maybe try the egg whites to get more spice to stick? I'm not sure.[p]Finally, for our last batch we also tried a non-spicy and I actually used some red-eye express with the indirect method. How should I say this - kind of an unusual taste. Not too spicy, not too pretty - I'll probably keep them and eat them myself because I like them.[p]Oh yeah - I'm keeping them in big ziploc bags until distribution. Be on the lookout for Young Guns' post about her sweet and spicy recipe - it's really good![p]Have fun and happy holidays![p]JMP

  • JSlot
    JSlot Posts: 1,218
    I just did a batch of almonds with the Jamaican Firewalk, Mac. I coated the almonds with olive oil and then doused them good with the rub. As Willy said, these came out a beautiful brown color. I used apple pellets for smoke and it was really noticeable. I mixed the almonds, oil, and rub in a bowl before placing them on the pizza pan I cooked them on. A large amount of the rub and little layer of oil remained in the bowl. The almonds were not really spicy. The Firewalk's cinnamon flavor came through nicely. I could have put the cooked almonds back in the bowl and recoated with oil and rub, but I didn't want them too oily to eat. I thought they were spiced just about perfectly. Give 'em a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed![p]Jim
  • Thanks for the quick response guys!! It sounds like you two had alot of fun making these to boot. I think I'm going to follow the Boccie recipe first and see where it may take me. I'm wondering if I grind up the Firewalk a little more (like a fine powder) would that help it to stick better? I personally like the hot stuff but I've got a couple of finicky folks who will him and haw if I don't give them an alternative. Maybe I'll just give them some pecans roasted in butter and brown sugar.
    Looks like the consensus shows fruit wood is the way to go. I'll try both apple and cherry.
    And yes, presentation is key Jonathon!!! I found some really cool cylindrical tins at target for about 3 bucks apiece. They hold 8 oz. of nuts perfectly. I don't lose out on the 3 bucks because everyone gives me the containers back. That way they are guaranteed another shipment the following year!!
    Well, time to get started. I'll keep an eye out for Young guns post. Wish me luck. Mac

  • Boccie
    Boccie Posts: 186
    Mac in NC ,[p]My primary seasoning of choice is table salt. I tried Swamp Venom as a test for something diferent and they turned out good. I was going to do the Jamacan Firewalk next, but others did it so now I dont have to test that one out :-) I do plan on making some soon.[p]I eat almonds all the time now after my surgery. I generally follow the procedure I posted except use table salt. I plan on trying the popcorn salt someone recommended on a prior post, hope it will stick better.[p]I store my almonds in a ziplock. Thats because I keep them in my lunch pail and snack on them at work.[p]The more they rub together the more the seasonings fall off.[p]We have been discussing other options like honey, syrup etc. to get the seasonings to stay. However I do not eat sweets or any sugars, so those are not options for me.[p]I do have a wonderful sugar coated walnut recipe I used to make. They are fantastic! It requires coking the coating on stove top and covering the nuts, but well worth it. If your interested in that one also I'll post it for you.[p]The most important part of getting these almonds roasted right is not over cook them. Its easy to do since they will darken some as they cool. 20 minutes at 325 deg direct in a pan of some sort is the rule of thumb Ive settled on.[p]Good luck![p]Boccie
  • Boccie,[p] Just finished up the batches I had planned to make. Came out great!! But I think I'm with you...would have preferred more salt. I ground the spices into a fine powder to hopefully make it stick better. Seems to have worked out well. I guess the real test is to see if the folks like 'em. I'm sure they will. Have a good one and thanks again!!! Mac
  • I've made this spiced nut recipe in the oven for several years. At Cornbread Willy's suggestion, we tried them on the egg this year. I've always used pecans in the past, but this year we did almonds. You could also use walnuts or cashews.[p]1 large egg white
    1/4 c sugar
    1 tsp salt
    1/2 tsp chili powder
    1/4 tsp ground allspice
    1/2 tsp ground cumin
    1 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
    2 1/2 cups nuts[p]Preheat fire to 300. Beat egg white until soft and foamy (it is ready when no clear liquid remains on the bottom of the bowl). Combine all remaining ingredients except nuts and whisk into egg white. Stir in nuts until well coated; spread mixture in single layer onto an ungreased pan. Cook for 15 minutes. Toss, stir and separate nuts. Reduce heat to 250 and return nuts to cook until medium brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; toss, and stir again. Place pan on wire rack to cool (they will crisp as they cool). Break up any that stick together; store in an airtight container, at room temperature, up to 2 weeks. [p]As my brother posted, ours got a little too brown, so be careful.[p]Happy Holidays! [p]p.s. - I got the little chinese take-out containers decorated with holly at Ben Franklin. They were very inexpensive and do make a great presentation. [p]

  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    Mac in NC ,
    I just bought 9 pounds of almonds at Costco. Gonna do several variations...gonna play with some soy sauce in the soak, and some different rubs. Qfan's corn syrup addition sounds like it is worth a try to get more stickage. Maple syrup??? Also, looking at the other recipes posted, even some butter and extra sugar could be a nice contrast to the spicy rubs. [p]Gonna be a nutty weekend.
    Beers!
    Chris

    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
  • WessB
    WessB Posts: 6,937
    Nature Boy,
    Man I had a bag of them things in my hand just a couple of days ago, but I could not find anything saying wether they were raw or not.....do you have the brand name you bought?...seems my bags were, I believe 7#.....[p]Wess

  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    WessB,
    They were the costco house brand "Kirkland". They were in 3 pound bags. Did not say "raw" almonds, but they would tell you if they were roasted I think. Plus they were fairly light in color, which cemented my feelings that they are raw. Think they were about $8 for 3 pounds.
    Beers
    Chris

    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
  • WessB
    WessB Posts: 6,937
    Nature Boy,
    That kinda sounds right..I may have been thinkin $7.99 for the package, not 7#...was one of them teeterin on the decision things, and regretably, didnt get em...Look out costco..here we come..long lines SUCK[p]Wess

  • Boccie,
    Hey could you post both recipes (original? and the sweet walnuts) again or point me to where I can find them... I'd like to give them a try.[p]Thanks,
    Brian

  • Nature Boy,[p]Yep, I was there today buying almonds again. I just pulled off a batch of Jamaican Firewalk almonds. Whoooo Hoooo, the beer companies ought to subsidize my rub purchases. That's one kick butt rub! Wings, ABT's & now it good on nuts.[p]You need to come out with the economy gallon size Nature boy. I'll be first in line! <grin>

    Cheers,

    GrillMeister
    Austin, Texas
  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    GrillMeister,
    LOL. You need a beer subsidy anyway....firewalk or no firewalk![p]Larger sizes are in the future....along with marinades, injectables, sauces, t-shirts, hats, aprons, and who knows what else. Prolly be a while though, as still learning the ins and outs of a business on a budget! A phenominal amount of work just to get this far.[p]Preciate the support!
    Ales
    Chris

    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ