Sweet Almonds are often eaten on their own, raw or toasted, they are also a component of various dishes. Sweet Almonds along with other nuts, are often sprinkled over desserts, particularly sundaes and other ice cream based dishes. Sweet almonds are used in marzipan, nougat, pastries, cookies, sweets and desserts. They are also used to make almond butter, a spread similar to peanut butter, popular with peanut allergy sufferers and for its sweet, nutty taste.
Almonds contain protein and the amino acid tryptophan - which is a proven mood booster. A recent US study has also found that a handful of almonds can work to suppress your appetite. Studies show almonds can aid in reducing LDL cholesterol levels, they also have high levels of magnesium which helps to improve blood flow. Almonds continue to be studied for their effect on decreasing blood sugar levels, specifically when eating high glycaemic foods, so the next time you want to lounge on the sofa eating snacks, make sure you've some almonds around too, and keep blood sugar spikes under control.
Almonds (like most nuts) have a relatively high fat content so they can go rancid. As with all nuts and seeds, keep them in a dark, dry place in a sealed container. You can use the freezer or fridge to further extend their shelf-life
These almonds are raw, some whole sweet almonds (usually from California) are steam or heat treated, these sweet whole almonds have not been.