To know all about Almonds

BITTER OR SWEET ALMONDS

The almond tree (Prunus amygdalus) originates from central and eastern Asia. There are two types of tree: the wild variety, which produces bitter, poisonous almonds, and the domesticated variety, which produces sweet almonds that are safe to eat.

The “domestication” of the almond tree refers to a process of selective breeding to produce a sweet almond variety, caused by a rare mutation that’s difficult to maintain.

HABITAT AND VARIETIES:

The almond tree prefers a Mediterranean climate. It can be found around the Mediterranean basin (in Spain, Provence, Morocco, Greece, Israel, etc.), as well as in California and Iran.

The almond tree arrived in the United States in the 19th century, and the San Joaquin Valley in California is now the world’s biggest almond-producing region, accounting for 80% of global production.

Most of the varieties grown in California are Nonpareil almonds of the California (including Carmel) and Mission types.

Did you know ?

The almond tree is the first fruit tree to flower in early spring. It produces while and pale pink flowers that blossom in late February.

In fact, the flowers appear even before the leaves!

La filière californienne

The almond tree arrived in the United States in the 19th century, and the San Joaquin Valley in California is now the world’s biggest almond-producing region, accounting for 80% of global production.

Most of the varieties grown in California are Nonpareil almonds of the California (including Carmel) and Mission types.

Discover the stages from farm to plate:

The almond tree starts to blossom in late February. The flower needs to be cross-pollinated for the fruit to develop. In other words, the flower needs to be fertilised with pollen from another compatible variety. That means that multiple tree varieties need to be grown side-by-side, and a local bee population is required.

Growers place bee hives in almond groves between January and March to carry pollen and fertilise the flowers. The almond grows and ripens between March and June, as its shell hardens and the kernel forms.

ruches dans un verger d amandiers
recolte des amandes

Almonds can be harvested fresh (green) in May and June. Otherwise, harvesters have to wait until September when the husk (formed from the green part) opens after drying under exposure to the sun. Almonds are harvested by mechanical “shakers” that pass between the rows of trees and shake them vigorously, causing the almonds to fall. Sweeper-loader trailers are then used to collect the fallen almonds off the ground.

The almonds are transported to processing areas, where they are placed on a vibrating conveyor to remove the husks, which are aspirated and disposed of. The shell is then shattered under high pressure by mechanical jaws to release the almond inside. The broken shells and almonds then pass along a vibrating conveyor again, where they are separated thanks to their difference in weight. The almonds are then sorted by size and quality.

The almonds are sorted into grades according to two criteria:

  • Quality: in the United States, there are seven quality grades according to whether the almonds are double-kernels, chipped, split, broken, etc. The grades, in decreasing order of quality, are: Fancy, Extra No.1, No.1 (Supreme), Select Sheller Run, Standard Sheller Run, No.1 Whole & Broken, and No.1 Pieces.
  • Size: the almonds are graded by size according to the number per ounce (1 ounce = 28.349g). The largest grade is 18/20, and the smallest is 36/40.
calibres amandes californie
differents types d'amandes

Almonds are processed to produce a number of different forms.

  • Whole shelled almonds: the almond is removed from its shell. It retains its skin. It can be eaten as is, or grilled in hot air to accentuate its flavour.
  • Whole peeled or blanched almonds: the shelled almond’s brown skin is removed. This is done by soaking the almonds in boiling water for 2-5 minutes, then scraping and drying them in hot air to remove the softened skin.
  • Slivered almonds: the almonds are dried (in hot air or in steam) to soften them, making it easier to cut them into fine slivers lengthwise. The slices are then dried, cooled to room temperature and sieved.
  • Ground almonds or almond powder: the almonds are ground or crushed, the sieved to sort them by chunk size.

Most slivered and ground almonds, and almond powder, are made in Spain, which is the world’s second-biggest almond producer.

The almonds are shipped to the port of Marseille, then transported to our COLOR FOODS facility nearby.

Our quality department checks all incoming batches to make sure they adhere to our specifications and our raw material traceability requirements.

cargaison fruits secs
amandes decortiquees

We package the almonds without further processing, or season and grill them to improve their flavour and give them an added crunch. We also add almonds to our fruit, nut and seed mixes, which we make at our production facility, before packaging them.

At this point, our logistics team takes over, picking and preparing orders for shipping. The team arranges for our products to be delivered to our customers’ logistics platforms before being transported to stores.

expedition
+ Plantation

The almond tree starts to blossom in late February. The flower needs to be cross-pollinated for the fruit to develop. In other words, the flower needs to be fertilised with pollen from another compatible variety. That means that multiple tree varieties need to be grown side-by-side, and a local bee population is required.

Growers place bee hives in almond groves between January and March to carry pollen and fertilise the flowers. The almond grows and ripens between March and June, as its shell hardens and the kernel forms.

ruches dans un verger d amandiers
+ Récolte
recolte des amandes

Almonds can be harvested fresh (green) in May and June. Otherwise, harvesters have to wait until September when the husk (formed from the green part) opens after drying under exposure to the sun. Almonds are harvested by mechanical “shakers” that pass between the rows of trees and shake them vigorously, causing the almonds to fall. Sweeper-loader trailers are then used to collect the fallen almonds off the ground.

+ Tri

The almonds are transported to processing areas, where they are placed on a vibrating conveyor to remove the husks, which are aspirated and disposed of. The shell is then shattered under high pressure by mechanical jaws to release the almond inside. The broken shells and almonds then pass along a vibrating conveyor again, where they are separated thanks to their difference in weight. The almonds are then sorted by size and quality.

The almonds are sorted into grades according to two criteria:

  • Quality: in the United States, there are seven quality grades according to whether the almonds are double-kernels, chipped, split, broken, etc. The grades, in decreasing order of quality, are: Fancy, Extra No.1, No.1 (Supreme), Select Sheller Run, Standard Sheller Run, No.1 Whole & Broken, and No.1 Pieces.
  • Size: the almonds are graded by size according to the number per ounce (1 ounce = 28.349g). The largest grade is 18/20, and the smallest is 36/40.
calibres amandes californie
+ Transformation
differents types d'amandes

Almonds are processed to produce a number of different forms.

  • Whole shelled almonds: the almond is removed from its shell. It retains its skin. It can be eaten as is, or grilled in hot air to accentuate its flavour.
  • Whole peeled or blanched almonds: the shelled almond’s brown skin is removed. This is done by soaking the almonds in boiling water for 2-5 minutes, then scraping and drying them in hot air to remove the softened skin.
  • Slivered almonds: the almonds are dried (in hot air or in steam) to soften them, making it easier to cut them into fine slivers lengthwise. The slices are then dried, cooled to room temperature and sieved.
  • Ground almonds or almond powder: the almonds are ground or crushed, the sieved to sort them by chunk size.

Most slivered and ground almonds, and almond powder, are made in Spain, which is the world’s second-biggest almond producer.

+ Transport et réception

The almonds are shipped to the port of Marseille, then transported to our COLOR FOODS facility nearby.

Our quality department checks all incoming batches to make sure they adhere to our specifications and our raw material traceability requirements.

cargaison fruits secs
+ Fabrication
amandes decortiquees

We package the almonds without further processing, or season and grill them to improve their flavour and give them an added crunch. We also add almonds to our fruit, nut and seed mixes, which we make at our production facility, before packaging them.

+ Expédition

At this point, our logistics team takes over, picking and preparing orders for shipping. The team arranges for our products to be delivered to our customers’ logistics platforms before being transported to stores.

expedition