Toasting or otherwise preparing nuts

[Richard Danzey]

Many of the Pecan Pie recipes suggest toasting the pecans before inclusion in the pie. I suspect this is a significant step in accentuating the pie flavor. Can anyone give a 'Level 101' tutorial on how to toast the pecans?

I would also be interested in a more comprehensive discussion about treating all nuts before use as an ingredient, or just preparing them to eat. The term roasting comes to mind in reference to nuts. Are there any other techniques that are used? How are they done?

Despite the high calory nature of the topic, I usually tend to eat very low carb, and focus on nuts as an acceptable change of pace. Almonds are a favorite, and I'd appreciate any guidance on preparing them. TIA...

danz

Edited November 17, 2023 by Smithy
Adjusted title (log)

[K8memphis]

Surely greater minds than mine will reply. However, on the toasting task. I tried relentlessly to toast things in the oven and was wonderfully successful in burning the shit out of a great majority of it. So all that to say, I recommend that you toast everything you ever want toasted in a dry heavy skillet, medium to high heat and keep it stirred up some, especially after it starts to brown.

You can control the toasting this way and allow the smoke detector to rest & sing another day.

[chromedome]

I'll second that recommendation, loudly and clearly. Unless, of course, you really *enjoy* hunkering down in front of your oven for extended periods, cursing and wondering when they'll invent one that doesn't come with random hot spots.

Aside from the likelihood of being distracted or inattentive during the 5.71 seconds when the nuts are perfectly toasted but not yet burnt, the oven can work well. However, I find that the stovetop offeres a large advantage. When I'm toasting nuts in a skillet, I can smell when they're at the right stage. Just like toasting spices, there comes a point when the aroma suddenly blooms, and you say to yourself, "Damn, it smells good in here!"

[nightscotsman]

Well, if you're more comfortable toasting nuts in a skillet and it works for you, then by all means carry on. However, doing larger amounts on the stove top can be awkward to say the least, and toasting in the oven really isn't that tricky. Make sure your oven isn't any hotter than 350 - actually 325 would give you more even results - and give them a stir once they just start to toast. Yes, you need to take them out before they get too dark, but using a lower oven temp should give you a little more leeway on time.

[lovebenton0]

Blanching almonds? Anyone? What are your recommendations?

[Wendy DeBord]

I ("gasp") deep fry most of my nuts instead of toasting them. Granted thats not "toasting" it's "frying" but it does cook them perfectly. A fried nut tastes fabulous for days where as a toasted nut only tastes great for a couple hours.

I also salt my hot fried nuts independently of what the recipe dirrects. I love the blast of a salty nut in my sweet dessert. I do think this gives me the best results possible.

As to the best pecan pie........I think it's best if you don't refridgerate it before eating. I like it a little warm. Two thing happen to your pecans in this pie: the ones that hit the surface toast ALOT and the ones submerged will get soft in time. So I believe that the best pecan pie is freshly baked.

[kthull]

I always roast my nuts on sheet pans in the oven at 250 for roughly 15-20 minutes. I'll stir them only once and never cook them longer than that because they're deceptive little buggers. A few minutes out of the oven and you can hear them gently sizzling in their own oils. Great to just snack on.

[Richard Danzey]

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions for toasting the pecans in a pecan pie recipe.

Someone suggested deep frying, and blanching (almonds), but no one suggested any other techniques to enhance nuts for cooking and eating. Are there other ways to make 'em better?

Oh, I forgot; someone suggested boiling walnuts to reduce bitterness, but that may have been in a different forum, I can't recall, exactly. I can remember walking past a nut shop in downtown Cleveland as a boy. They vented the exhaust from the roasting process out onto the sidewalk, and made me a nut lover for life, I suspect.

Tomorrow, I try to make the super pecan pie I've been anticipating for months, now. TIA for your help...

danz

[emsny]

Many may view this as dangerous heresy, but I often toast nuts (for use in baking) in the microwave - two to four minutes depending on quanity, spread out on a Pyrex pie pan (no covering). In fact, I did it today, with walnuts for brownies. It works surprisingly well.

[beccaboo]

Blanching almonds? Anyone? What are your recommendations?

←

I generally buy them pre-blanched at Trader Joe's. If I forget, though, I just boil the whole almonds for a couple of minutes, and the skin pops right off. The boiling makes the almonds temporarily less brittle, too, so they're easier to slice neatly.

[jgm]

Okay, I'm going to throw in the towel and ask for help.

If I put them under the broiler, it's hard to tell what color they are. I usually rely on the way they smell... if I don't forget them until they smell burned.

If I put them in the oven, I never seem to time it right. Burned nuts again: start over and do nothing but watch them until they're done.

Last weekend I tried the saute pan method. Obviously, the heat was too high, because they ended up with little burned black spots, before they started to smell like toasted nuts.

Anybody have any stroke-of-genius methods for getting this right? The most recent issue of Cook's Illustrated, in the tips section, suggests putting them in an air-type popcorn popper. Which I finaly put into a garage sale last summer and sold for 50 cents.

[Khadija]

I put them in a saute pan over medium-low heat, shake the pan OFTEN (to prevent the little black spots), and watch them like a hawk. If I want to be less attentive because I'm doing other stuff, I use lower heat, but they still require some attention. I have never found a "set it and forget it" kind of method that works. And, I have never put them in the oven without burning them.

[ludja]

It's also good to have a room temp or cool metal pan on hand to quickly turn the nuts out on to when they are finished. This helps to cool the nuts down and stop the cooking.

Also, I've learned the hard way not to leave the oven area and I try not to multitask (too much) until they are done. I usually stand right there, open the door to shake the pan periodically and to smell if they're done.

[sanrensho]

Same here, I also use a saute pan on low-med heat and do other prep work while keeping an eye on the nuts. Shake frequently.

[nocturnalsunshine]

I cook with walnuts and pecans alot. Its on of my favorite little snacks too.

On the top of the stove I place them in a heavy skillet and turn the heat to medium high and shake the pan till I can just barely smell them. then I add butter and tosss to coat, there is a nice sizzle from the butter melting. And turn the heat to high and continue to tosstill the butter is gone and they get to the brown I like. Then remove from heat and add salt. But thats just so I can snack on them.

No butter or salt if you need them for som recipe. But start medium high tp warm them up then finish on high shaking to get even coverage/toasting.

In the oven I lay them in one coat/layer on a cookie sheet and preheat the oven to 400.

place the sheet in and then check ever 3 minutes when I open it and hear a sizzle I know its done. Usually less than 4 checks (12 minutes) Normally about 10 minutes actually.

They are different nuts so they have different oil contents and that oil is what I hear sizzling when I open the oven. For me, I like them a little darker, just when I think its too dark I taste them and they have a really good smokey flavor.

Hope this helps.

[John S.]

Okay, I'm going to throw in the towel and ask for help. 

If I put them under the broiler, it's hard to tell what color they are.  I usually rely on the way they smell... if I don't forget them until they smell burned.

If I put them in the oven, I never seem to time it right.  Burned nuts again: start over and do nothing but watch them until they're done.

Last weekend I tried the saute pan method.  Obviously, the heat was too high, because they ended up with little burned black spots, before they started to smell like toasted nuts.

Anybody have any stroke-of-genius methods for getting this right?  The most recent issue of Cook's Illustrated, in the tips section, suggests putting them in an air-type popcorn popper.  Which I finaly put into a garage sale last summer and sold for 50 cents.

←

My experience is that on the stove they burn faster because the heat source is right there. In an oven you have more time to do other things because they roast slower. <It's easy to see with pine nuts.>

The pecans and walnuts roast the same, it's just harder to see. So i put all nuts under the broiler, but place the cookie sheet low.

[BarbaraY]

I toast them in my micro/convection on the convection setting at 350º. I keep nuts in the freezer so they go into a small sheet pan frozen. Oven is set for 5 minutes. I put them into the oven during the pre-heat cycle, then finish when it has reached the temperature. Sometimes walnuts take a bit longer than pecans or pinenuts.

I realize that this wouldn't work for everyone but I do think a timer is essential. They are too easy to forget if you get distracted.

If toasting them in a regular oven I would start checking at 5 minutes.

Using a broiler will almost guarantee burnt nuts. Not a good plan.

The only ones that I do on top of the stove are pine nuts.

[emsny]

Try using a normal microwave, with the nuts spread out on a pyrex pie pan. There's enough oil in nuts that they toast nicely. I generally start with two or three minutes and go from there.

[Beanie]

There's a whole thread on nuts in the Pastry & Baking forum here. Check out Wendy's post about deep frying them.

[devlin]

Hm. I use a method I've used for years and recently saw Alton Brown doing the same thing. He says, If you can smell them, they're over cooked. For me, it's just when I can start to smell them roasting that they're done to my liking.

Heat the oven to about 425 or thereabouts. Spread nuts on a cookie sheet. Place sheet on middle rack of oven and set your timer for about 8 minutes. Or thereabouts.

I've never burned them. I use roasted nuts routinely. In breads, pies, cookies, cakes, salads. They're a staple in my refrigerator. I've tried them on the stove in a pan too, but the oven method is just so much easier and yields the most consistent results.

[Khadija]

Based on this thread, I will try to to toast in the oven with a timer the next time I want a batch of toasted nuts. My main problem with the oven is that I am so careless, I forget about them. I always hear the point that the stovepot is worse because of the direct heat, but at least I remember that they're there, because I can see them. However, the timer probably does make a difference.

Anyhoo -- thanks to jgm for starting this thread. I toast nuts almost daily for various things, and love to hear the opinions of egulleters!

[Wholemeal Crank]

While contemplating a sad batch of cocoa muffins, spoiled by some nuts that were just a little off (freshly opened bag, stupidly didn't test before tossing them in), I found myself wondering whether toasting nuts affects the rate at which the nut oils go rancid.

Does toasting

reverse rancidity?

prolong the time nuts can be stored before the oils go rancid?

simply cover up the taste of a slightly off nut?

or none of the above?

Edited November 29, 2006 by Wholemeal Crank (log)

[GTO]

I'm working purely by the method of "crazy thinking" and have no scientific grounds to base my reply on BUT - I'd have thought that toasting nuts would shorten their shelf life, since in their raw state, their oils are intact and when you toast/roast them, they begin to break down...

[Patrick S]

While contemplating a sad batch of cocoa muffins, spoiled by some nuts that were just a little off (freshly opened bag, stupidly didn't test before tossing them in), I found myself wondering whether toasting nuts affects the rate at which the nut oils go rancid.

Does toasting

reverse rancidity?

prolong the time nuts can be stored before the oils go rancid?

simply cover up the taste of a slightly off nut?

or none of the above?

←

Toasting will not reverse the rancidification process -- that is caused by the breakdown of fats in the nut, primarily by oxidation. Generally, heat increases the rate of oxidation.

[Wholemeal Crank]

That does seem like the obvious answer, but I can remember more problems with nuts purchased raw from the supermarket than those that were already toasted. Maybe the toasting just hides the incipient rancidity.