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News from the Nuttery

February is Almond Tree Bloom Time!

The almond bloom is blanketing California’s orchards in white. Despite the challenges posed by recent drought conditions, the clear and moderate weather is a blessing for the almond industry. Throughout the Central Valley, growers have reported strong bee activity, lasting anywhere from seven to nine pollinating hours a day.  Then as the nuts grow, preparations will be made for the harvest to come in August/September.

What better way to nourish your body than with a handful of almonds, rich in Vitamin E and minerals such as magnesium, copper, and phosphorus - these are little nuggets of powerful nutrients!  

Our almonds are on sale to celebrate Mother Nature's amazing display.  Enjoy!

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Baked Brie with Honey, Dried Cherries, Rosemary, and Pecans

Baked Brie en Croute with Honey, Dried Cherries, Rosemary, and Pecans

Discovered this recipe from Jenn Segal at Once Upon a Chef.com - it's delicious and so easy to make!

Add a glass of sparkling wine, and voila!

Find the recipe here at OnceUponaChef.com

Bon appetit!

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Random Musings from the Nuttery...Fun Facts

We started way back in 1969 in little kiosks in malls around Houston.  Here are a few remembrances of those days:

We charged $1.79 a pound for "King Cashews", which were subject to sales tax back then because nuts were considered a luxury, not a food.  Fun fact: The largest and oldest cashew tree is in Brazil, covering over two acres and producing about eighty thousand cashews each year.  The photo you see to the left shows the cashew nuts with their pear-like fruit.

We bought almonds from the California Almond Growers Exchange, which was a cooperative of almond orchard owners.  Back then, we were able to get the really big almonds, but mother nature has a rule that the larger the crop is generally, the smaller the almonds are when harvested.  Today California supplies over 90% of the world market on almonds, and harvests about 670 million pounds each year. The really big beautiful kernels are scarce.

Agriculture methods have changed over the decades, but one nut will always be harvested the really old-fashioned way, the Brazil nut.  Brazil nut trees will only produce in the rainforests of South America, and are harvested by hand by village cooperatives.  It's a somewhat dangerous activity, since the trees grow to about 165 feet and drop the seed pods, which obtain a pretty fast velocity on their way down.  Fore!!

More to come!

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