Nuts

Preparation

1. Crumbly

   Step 1

   If nut meats crumble when you crack the shells, soak the remaining unshelled nuts in salt water overnight.

2. Difficult to crack, shell

   Step 2

   For pecans and similar nuts, cover them with boiling water and let stand until cold. Crack the nuts end-to-end with a nutcracker and the meat should emerge in one piece.

   Step 3

   For chestnuts, make a small gash on the flat side of the nut, penetrating the outer skin. Roast in a 400°F oven until the skins loosen, or cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Remove and let stand until cool enough to handle. The shells and skins should be easier to remove.

3. Difficult to peel, skin, remove nut meat

   Step 4

   For almonds and similar nuts, drop the whole nut (shelled) into boiling water and let stand for 3 minutes with the heat off. The skins (that is, the brown layer on the nut meat) should come off easily. Dry the nut meats on a towel.

4. Need some, have none

   Step 5

   In brownies and similar items, coarse bran can successfully be substituted for nuts.

   Step 6

   To substitute for nuts in molasses cake, spice cake, and stuff of that ilk, brown a cup of rolled oats by spreading them on a baking sheet in a 425°F oven, watching carefully to be sure that they don’t burn. Add the oats before baking the cake.

   Step 7

   In many baked goods, other bits, like chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or raisins (or other dried fruits), are a fine substitute.

5. Rancid

   Step 8

   There’s not much to do with rancid nuts except compost them. Next time, store your nuts in an airtight bag or container in the refrigerator or freezer to keep them fresher longer.

6. Shells mixed in with nuts

   Step 9

   Dump the whole works in a bowl of water. The shells will float, the meat will sink, and the guppies will swim around in the middle.