Almond Tree

The Almond Tree is a member of the Rosaceae or rose family. Other members of this family are apples, plums, cherries, pears, apricots, and peaches. The almond is related most closely to the peach in the genus Prunus. Both crops have the subgenus Amygdalus.

The Almond Tree and other species related to it usually originated from the Mediterranean region. Most probably, the almond and the peach evolved from the similar ancestral varieties in the south central part of Asia.

Almonds were cultivated by at least 3000 BC, and maybe a lot earlier seeing as wild almonds have been discovered in archeological sites in Greece way back 8000 BC.

They were scattered down the Mediterranean shores in the northern part of Africa and southern part of Europe by the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. Spanish Padres brought the almond to California during the 1700s when they established the mission there at Santa Barbara.

Because of the growth of better cultivars around the later 1800s, the industry began in California near the turn of the century. They charged tariffs on imports of almond to safeguard the industry.

The industry flourished at a sensible pace from that time until around the year 1960. However, since that time, land and production have grown several times larger. This makes California the leading almond producer in the world.

It’s a year round business to cultivate almonds. The fruit requires the hot summers as well as the cool winters. It also needs little rain and irrigation. The almond can’t tolerate temperatures that are sub zero. Almond trees don’t self-pollinate, so it is recommended that each orchard have more than just one variety. Bee hives positioned in every orchard can help in pollinating the trees.

Almond trees are grown in hexagonal or rectangular arrangements. The arrangement should have different rows of pollinizers and cultivars. Rows of pollinizers are being used because almond trees are harvested by shaking. This makes harvesting easier and doesn’t mix cultivars.

The petals drop after the bloom. The leaves grow and soon after the fruit, which is hairy and grayish green in color comes out. You’ll see the hull and it will continue growing and hardening. The hull will start to open up around the month of July. Between the middle of August and late in October, the split will grow wider.

This will show the shell and lets the nut dry. The entire nut and the stem then separate and then the hull opens up completely a short while before harvest. That’s the time the almonds can be harvested. Prepare for harvest by sweeping the orchard ground to get rid of the debris. You can use mechanical tree shakers to shake the off the trees. After harvesting, the fruits are brought to the huller.

You can dry and hull the fruits right away. You can also stockpile them for fumigation after harvest against Navel Orangeworm. You can dry nuts using forced hot air until the nut’s moisture content is 5 to 7 percent. After, the nuts are dehulled and then shelled.

Nuts that are in-shell can be put in bins for numerous weeks, even months, until the time for final processing. The nuts are then shelled and sorted depending on their size and appearance. Lastly, they are bleached to improve the color. Nuts are salted, flavored, and/ or roasted before they are packed.

You can store almonds for several months in-shell, or if dry, shelled. They can store for longer periods, up to several years, when they are frozen. Nuts that are intended to be stored long term are fumigated and stored at a temperature under 40F.

There are numerous almond varieties. No particular type is solely attributes of California almonds. In the industry, there are 3 main marketing categories. These are California, Mission and Nonpareil. Each type has advantages in various applications.

Almonds have nutritional value. A 1 ounce serving of almond, which is about 30 grams, contains 7 grams of protein, magnesium, vitamin E, riboflavin, phosphorus and copper. It doesn’t contain sodium and cholesterol. They contain fat, which is generally unsaturated. It has 60 percent of monounsaturated fat, the variety that’s good for the heart.

Almonds are used in numerous cooking as well as cosmetic products. The burnt ashes of the almond’s skin can be used tooth powder. It helps strengthen the teeth and gums, and whiten the teeth. Almond oil can also be used on lips to make it pinkish in color and softer. Almond can provide a lot of benefits when consumed by a patient with tuberculosis. Almond oil may also be used to massage the patient’s body.

In the United States, allergic reactions to nuts are quite common. An estimate of 0.5% of the entire population is affected.

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