PICS added at end. Smoked Almond Recipe

Pags:

I bought 2 stainless steel wire rectangular baskets from Williams Sonoma. Use them in my AmeriQue for almonds, veggies etc., also on the grill!

Pags, thanks for the repost. Can you define Garlic Juice. Don't want to assume your talking about one thing and use something else.

Garlic Valley Farms Also available at a variety of retailers, here's the list for California.

My wife found a variation of the Garlic Valley Farms garlic juice at a local grocery store so it's available nearby. I've also used garlic juice from the jar of minced garlic. It's limited but will do in a pinch.

Hey dude you forget to mention the recipe name, I am gonna make this for my friends.

I just did 6 lbs of this almond recipe for the folks coming into town for my son's wedding. Threw the almonds into the smoker at 200*, turned the almonds after 2 hrs then made the mistake of going shopping. Got caught up and didn't get back to the almonds until an hour after I would have removed them. They were toasty to say the least. But very flavorful. Hickory smoke, garlic, sea salt. Definitely presentable.

Smoked 6 lbs of almonds tonight with more to come so we'll have plenty to send back to the Chicago folks. I used the recipe at the top of this thread except I didn't spray the garlic juice onto the almonds until the almonds were done smoking. My last batch a couple weeks ago burned quickly (so much so I wouldn't send them to anyone. Mrs. Pags eats them though. She likes them overdone), and I think the almond juice may have had something to do with it.

Here are the almonds ready to go into the smoker. Temp set at 200* with a few oz of hickory, 2 chunks.



After approximately 2 hrs, I flipped the almonds with a spatula, smoked some more till the 4 hr mark then pulled them. At this point, I sprayed them with garlic juice. Here they are all toasty and air drying (roughly 1 hour).



The pan to the far right (not pictured) turned out a bit overdone, but that's OK. That's how Mrs. Pags like them.

They turned out great. Toasty. Nice smoked flavor. Great garlic taste. Yummy. They'll even be more flavorful tomorrow. The flavors enhance overnight much like jerky. Don't know why...they just do.

I just did a batch of these but added a teaspoon of Red pepper to the mix. They are really good. After 3 hours on in the smoker I pulled them and put them into a 200 deg oven so I could start the tri tip for dinner.

I have some chipolte sauce and want to try a batch with that too next time.

quote:

Originally posted by Pags:
I forgot. I used garlic juice once the almonds were in the pans. Spectacular. dls has created a monster with the garlic juice.

Here's the recipe again with the garlic juice change:

4 lbs Almond
6 TB worcestershire
2 TB granulated garlic
2 tsp salt or sea salt

In a large bowl and using a large serving spoon, mix the almonds with the sauce until completely coated. Add salt, mix till evenly covered. Add garlic, mix till evenly coated. Lay almonds in a single layer on cookie sheets. Once layered on the cookie sheets, I sprayed the almonds with garlic juice then sprinkled on some more garlic (only if you like it heavier) and a little sea salt.

My cookie sheets fit into the Elite's slots or set on grills. Smoke at 190* for 2 hrs then 225* for 2+ hrs depending on how toasted you would like the almonds. I turn the almonds half way through the smoke.

I'm smoking the garlic almonds quite often. Never out of stock on them. They have great health benefits, and I snack on them a lot. Most of the time I tend to go lighter on the salt. I've sent batches to family in Chicago and have given them to friends. They love them, and I'm always getting requests.

If you prefer another taste, you could substitute ground dried chipotle powder, barbecue powder, celery salt or anything you can think of for the garlic. Some people also use water for the wetting agent.

Well. I smoked 18 lbs of almonds, and they were the best batch yet. Hickory smoked garlic. Same recipe, but more garlic and a little more salt. Mixed the almonds with garlic, worcestershire and salt in the bowl as usual, then sprinkled more garlic on the almonds sitting in pans before they went into the smoker. Once smoked, I sprayed them with garlic juice then lightly sprinkled more garlic on them. Let them air dry for an hour. Delicious.

I sent six 2 lb packages back to the folks in Chicago. Can't trust those little critters though. While my brother's vacuum sealed package inside the Post Office Express Package sat on his front porch, some delicate vapors must have escaped. The squirrels left nothing. Those little critters ripped open that box and feasted on the hickory smoked garlic almonds...left a message, "please include walnuts next time." Also, got the whole box of See's Candy for my mom.

Funny thing. I can't replace the almonds for my brother. My mom told me after he asked her not to mention it so I wouldn't be disappointed. Think I'll have some fun with him by calling and asking how the almonds tasted. Betcha he'll say "great". That's when I'll spring into action and ask if he could tell the flavor since it's a new recipe. I have so much fun with him.

But I'll send him some more next month. Guess I'll double vacuum seal and put it in a ziplock. He feeds the birds in his backyard, and those squirrels have gotten big and fat sharing with the birds.

Maybe you should surround the packages of nuts with coffee grounds. I heard that works with drugs.

What if the squirrels are coffee drinkers?

There is no what if's. I have seen it. Scratch that idea.

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs3...ee_by_Grampy0729.jpg

Hey guys, do you all use raw almonds? Where do you buy your almonds. The biggest bags I have seen were in B.Js

Thanks, Vicki

LOL Padrefan. Hope that's not your Starbuck's.

Raw. Sam's carries 3 lbs of raw almonds for about $10. WinCo has them in bulk. You can probably find them at Costco.

Thanks pags

Vicki-I get mine from Sprouts/Henry's. They have them in bulk and yes use raw. I have also seen them at Cost-co in 3 pd bags.

Question for PadreFan, Pags, and anyone else who cares to reply:
Inspired by the almonds Padre sent me in the exchange, I smoked 3# today. Used Pags recipe from the forum, but didn't have garlic juice so didn't spray them with juice, but did have garlic in the recipe. They turned out very good, but I have a question for you: The ones Padre sent me had a bit of a powder type coating on them. Mine didn't. They were lightly brown and had some flecks of salt on them. And they weren't as tasty as Padre's. Flavoring wasn't nearly as strong on mine. Any other details you mind sharing to enhance the final product? Thanks! BTW, smoked for 4 hours at 200, turning the almonds halfway through.

Soleman, I pretty much duplicate Pags' recipe for smoked almonds. One thing I do differently is add about a teaspoon of cornstarch to the mix and cook until the mixture thickens slightly- this seems to halp it stick to the nut (almond) better. 4 hours at 200 degrees seems a little long-are you burning them?
I do 2 hours at 225 degrees in an SMO 45 and they come out perfect every time.

My TCW

I follow Pags recipe and still don't use the garlic juice. The ones I sent you had only one little tweak and that is I use apple wood.

The little flecks have got to be the added extra garlic powder that I add after I put them on the sheet.

Oh and one more thing...try them again in a couple of days. I bet you will say they taste better.

Thanks for the replies. I think the garlic powder may be the magic bullet for me, as your almonds just had more zing than mine. That being said, several people sampled them today and said "don't change a thing".
RN, in regards to time, they weren't overdone, but the door was opened once during the smoke to throw in a chicken.
Thanks for the inspiration, I am thinking of doing a big batch this winter to use as Christmas presents, since I can't easily mail out samples of brisket!

Remember a couple months back when I said I was looking for a barbecue flavoring to try on the almonds. Well, I found some Barbecue Flavoring and Garlic Parmesan Flavoring used for popcorn so I ordered it online.

I had 6 lbs of almonds so I tried the garlic parmesan on 1.5 lbs and barbecue on 4.5 lbs. Here are the almonds halfway through the smoke, ready to be turned...garlic parmesan on the left, barbecue on the right. Wetting agent for both was garlic juice.


Almonds were thrown into a 225* preheated smoker for 4 hrs, pecan wood. Once they were done, I respritzed with garlic juice and added some more of the garlic parmesan and barbecue flavorings. Again, garlic juice as the wetting agent.


Let them air dry for an hour. They tasted very good...particularly the barbecue. The flavoring was very much like flavoring we find on potato chips.

That said, I find the original recipe on this thread, many of us utilize, to be better. Deeper flavor. Mrs. Pags said, "I like the worcestershire better." The way we do them, they have a great smoke flavoring with a heavy garlic accent.

So experiment complete. Nice change of pace, but not our mainstay.

I am sure they will go! Did cooking the popcorn flavoring diminish as it cooked, that was my thought as I read your post, thinking it wasnt a product meant to be cooked? Good idea though, worth experimenting though. Like I said, I bet your friends and family will love them even more than you, they're free

It didn't diminish cause I put it on before, during and after the cook. Thinking it might diminish.