NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS ROUND IS A NUT

There is a proverb which says: “Not everything that is round is a nut”, and, as always, you can’t argue with wisdom. But we call nuts not only round, but also oblong – everything that has a shell, a kernel and some fruit. Today we’re going to talk about almonds. So, is a nut or not a nut a beautiful almond? No, and it’s not a nut at all, biologists say, but just hard stone fruits, so beloved and familiar in our kitchens.

Almonds are one of the most common plants on the planet. It is cultivated in many countries, and everyone is ready to attribute to themselves the appearance of the most famous almond products.

Crimean almond is a special song, and it is not only a nut, but also a wonderful plant. Remember how every February we rejoice at its flowering in the yards, on the streets of Sevastopol. In any garden, almonds are an indispensable tree. In many countries of the world, the so-called “almond trails” are open in small and large cities: in early spring, families go out to admire the wonderful fragrant blooms. Almonds bloom for two to five weeks. Now the matter of “trails” is progressing in our region as well. So, you see, we’ll live to see the almond hikes. In the meantime, let’s figure out the benefits of almonds for your native and beloved body.

“ALMONDS BLOOM ON CAPRI IN THE COLD”

This is what the writer Ivan Bunin once wrote in a letter to Russia. Yes, of course, almonds always bloom in early spring, in February, March, marking the arrival of spring. White and pink clouds, unrecognizably transformed by bare branches, enchant and fascinate, especially for those who are used to spring, which begins with leaves. In Crimea there is always such a delicate colorful leafless spring!

Since ancient times, Crimea has been a crossroads of sea transit routes. Short warm winters and excellent climatic conditions allowed people living on the peninsula to successfully engage in agriculture, including gardening. In Crimea, almonds appeared on the territory of the ancient state of Feodoro, on the slopes of Mangup-Kale. Even now you can find very old almond trees, twisted by winds and time, including wild ones. They bloom, but do not bear fruit.

Almonds have been valued at all times and are still widespread, although, according to many estimates, not widespread enough.

Residents of Crimea were well aware of almond orchards near Mezhvodny, Chernomorskoye, Nikolaevka, Plodovoe, Dubrovka. But, planted 50 years ago and during the years of perestroika, they were uprooted, and no new almond orchards were planted.

A walnut and almond orchard, which had been growing for many years near the village of Kamyshli, near Sevastopol, died. The reasons for the death of gardens are different in all cases, but every garden requires attention and care. Especially in the first two to three years after planting, both watering and loosening of the soil will be required.

The almond tree will show fruits almost the next year after planting, it begins to bear fruit in 2-3 years, and the tree will demonstrate full fruiting in the 10-11th year after planting.

Almonds grow up to 80-130 years, it all depends on the growing conditions. On the territory of one of the oldest lighthouses on the Black Sea, Ai-Todor, which was built with the participation of the commander of the Black Sea Fleet M.P. Lazarev in 1876, almonds grow – the patriarch of Crimea, he is 200 years old. It should be taken into account that the town of Ai-Todor is one of the driest places in Crimea, there are no water sources there. Of all fruit crops, almonds are one of the most drought-tolerant crops. It is sensitive to moisture and therefore does not do well in humid regions. In severe drought, almonds quickly shed their polished leaves and painlessly tolerate dry air.

Almonds have a well-developed root system. That is why almonds successfully celebrated their bicentennial on the waterless Ai-Todor.

BOUQUET UNDER THE TREES

Nina Volkova, an agronomist and farmer, told me about this secret of a prosperous almond orchard in one of her interviews. It turns out that almonds alone can’t bear fruit. To get a harvest, you need to plant several varieties of trees next to each other so that the pollinator is nearby. If this is not the case, then it is enough to graft a branch of a “wild” almond on the tree, which will be a universal pollinator.

There is also a second way: during flowering, you need to put a bouquet with blooming almond branches in a jar of water under the tree. Nina Volkova believes that this will be quite enough. However, when buying almond seedlings, try to find plants of at least two varieties, then the harvest will be guaranteed. Competent farmers grow almond seedlings of several varieties and will immediately tell you the right decision.

In terms of heat and light, almonds are a brother of grapes and peaches, but they are completely undemanding in terms of soil. When planting in holes, no fertilizer should be applied, it is best to fill the depression with good soil. It is best to plant almonds in December or early spring.

In many gardens of Sevastopol residents, apricots, sweet almonds, and plums grow, and most often peaches and nectarines grafted on bitter almonds. Such trees are the least troublesome for gardeners. As you know, almonds stoically tolerate cold temperatures down to -25 degrees.

BOTH BITTER AND SWEET

As you know, almonds can be both bitter and sweet. Both varieties have a very wide range of applications. It is impossible to distinguish sweet and bitter almonds by appearance and smell, although connoisseurs assure that sweet almonds bloom with light colors, bitter almonds with a richer color. Moreover, it is believed that bitter almonds smell very sharp and piercing when they bloom, while sweet almonds smell delicate and sweet. But who among us would sniff a flowering tree in February to taste its nuts in September?!

I will not open America if I say that in an unripe, milky state, the nuts that are shoved into the markets at the beginning of autumn are also indistinguishable whether they are bitter or sweet, but at the same time bitter almonds do not lose their negative properties. Unripe almonds contain cyanides, which can poison the body. Almonds will only find their true flavor after ripening, so be careful and especially take care of children.

Bitter almonds are toxic! It is only suitable for recycling. Almond oil is prepared from bitter almonds, which is widely used in medicine and cosmetology.

Almonds need to be used with great care, making sure what kind of almonds you are dealing with. The almond pit is often similar to the peach pit, unscrupulous sellers often take advantage of this similarity.

MARCH BREAD

Almonds in Russia became famous during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, when nine overseas garden trees were brought to Arkhangelsk, among them “two trees of almond kernels”. At the feasts of Russian princes, lingonberry water, apple kvass, pear, and almond drink were served on the table for a long time.

Almonds have the widest distribution in the world, so in different countries and in different years, a variety of sweets from such a delicate nut have appeared. The most popular of them was marzipan, which means “March bread” in German. In fact, marzipan is almonds and powdered sugar ground into flour. During the reign of Peter the Great, marzipan was widely recognized in Russia. Rich families have been fond of it for more than a hundred years, surprising each other with various figures made of “food plasticine”.

The capital of marzipan in Germany was the city of Lübeck. Marzipan from Lübeck is the best gift for Christmas, New Year, and Valentine’s Day. In the Marzipan Museum in Lübeck, you can see not only the usual figures of animals, various multi-storey cake buildings, but also images of ancient German castles, the parliament building, for example.

And in Italy, you can hear a touching story about the time when the entire crop in the country died of drought, and people had nothing left but the tenacious and indestructible almonds. At this difficult time, the ingenious Italians came up with the idea of making flour from almonds, and then almond pizza, pasta with almond sauce, and marzipan were obtained from it.

In Spain, those who are interested in the history of marzipan will be told the year 1212, when in the monastery of San Clemente, monks pounded almonds and sugar to obtain marzipan.

Byzantium also claims primacy in the invention of almond dough: marzipan was a sweet for the ruling elite of the Byzantine Empire. The Turks, after the conquest of Byzantium in 1453, borrowed Byzantine sweets.

Confectioners from India, France, and the island of Sicily tell their “marzipan legends”. Wonderful sweets are mentioned in many fairy tales by Andersen, Hauf, the Brothers Grimm, Hoffmann.

DO YOURSELF

Of course, marzipan culinary masterpieces are an expensive pleasure, at one time they were presented to emperors, and they, in turn, surprised overseas guests with them. The fame of marzipan culinary products has spread all over the world.

In many countries of the world, marzipan is an indispensable treat for St. Nicholas Day and for the New Year. However, you can also make marzipan at home.

Real high-quality marzipan can be obtained from sweet almonds with the addition of powdered sugar (in an amount of one-third to two-fifths of the volume of nuts). This is an indispensable base of marzipan, which, when you add egg whites and a drop of lemon juice, will be very plastic and will take any shape at your will. Before cutting, the dough is frozen in the refrigerator.

The more expensive the marzipan, the more almonds it contains. In different countries, pine nuts, lemon juice and lemon and orange zest, pineapples, rum, liqueur, and grated yolks are added to almond dough. Culinary experts assure that the most delicious marzipan should still be tasted in Germany or Austria and that German confectioners allegedly have a secret: they put one bitter almond for every 100 sweet almonds.

Old-timers of Sevastopol may recall that the Sevastopol bakery has long produced almond cakes, which have always been on sale in bread shops. Confectioners know how to keep their secrets, but it is well known that almond dough is perfectly dyed in different colors with food coloring. Baked goods can be stored for up to two months, but if you want to store the product you like longer, then after three months it becomes inedible.

Since high-quality almonds are expensive, sometimes confectioners mix flour from cheaper nuts into the almond dough, but this is already a violation of the technology of making marzipan – the taste of the product changes dramatically, losing its fantastic tenderness and charm.

THE TASTIEST OF NUTS

Of course, there are no comrades in taste and color, but almonds are recognized by many as the most delicious of the nuts. Its core contains only 5-7% of water and up to 93-95% of vitamins, proteins, fats and carbohydrates that are useful for the human body. In terms of the number of bioactives, almonds are also ahead of all others. Almonds are also primaced in terms of the amount of potassium, magnesium and manganese they contain.

Almond shells are used to make high-quality adsorbent coals. In the pharmacy, we buy them under the name activated charcoal. In addition, almond shells are a valuable raw material for winemakers, as they contain substances that color wines and give them a faint almond smell and bitter taste.

Almonds have bright analgesic, antispasmodic and antihelminthic properties. Nut kernels are indispensable for anemia, diabetes mellitus, bronchial asthma, insomnia and many other diseases and ailments. Almonds delay the aging of the body, they are used to remove sand from the kidneys and to treat peptic ulcers, migraines, anemia. Almonds are useful for lowering cholesterol in the blood.

Nutritionists advise eating almonds with leaf lettuce, green onions, various seasonings, and fruits. Almonds for salads are roasted in the oven, crushed, mixed with honey and other seasonings.

You should always remember that nuts are a holiday food and overeating will cause unwanted effects. Know that nut proteins are absorbed much faster than meat proteins (you can eat a lot of nuts only if you want to gain weight urgently).

AND OIL, AND WATER, AND NUTS

Almond oil is an ancient remedy of folk medicine. So, a few drops of oil on a piece of sugar will help with an acute cough, palpitations. Almond oil is indispensable in the care of seriously ill patients, in the fight against bedsores.

Almond water will relieve intestinal and stomach pain. There is an ancient pharmacological enveloping agent, a special emulsion used for gastrointestinal diseases and heartburn. The emulsion contains chopped almonds and water.

To improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, it is recommended to eat a few nut kernels daily as an afternoon snack, washed down with hot milk.

STEADFASTNESS IN SORROW

Almonds are one of the most beloved plants on Earth. Its flowers are mentioned in the Bible, and the parable of the miracle of the “blossoming rod” is associated with it.
The almond is the emblem of the universal resurrection. In the traditional symbolism of China, the almond embodies feminine beauty and tenderness, as well as the “steadfastness in sorrow” beautifully formulated by one of the Chinese poets.

Let’s finish what is written by Ivan Bunin’s poems:
… Spring is whimsical here.
Almonds bloom in Capri in the cold.
And dimly in the darkish haze of the bay
Distant cities are white.