Hello! Today we will talk about almonds. Almonds, or rather almonds, are widely known to the
public due to their widespread use in cooking and cosmetics. However, from a scientific
point of view, almonds are not a nut at all, but a kind of stone fruit, like a peach or
apricot. It is classified as a stone fruit according to biological characteristics and
systematic position, but according to the characteristics of the fruit, it is a nut.
Almonds are the most valuable representative of the nut crops group.
Almond kernels are a source of vitamins and minerals, a favorite treat for children and
adults, an indispensable ingredient in many confectionery and alcoholic beverages.
The beneficial properties of almonds usually outweigh the harmful ones, but one must always
remember about the dangers of eating its raw nuts. It is not for nothing that potassium
cyanide smells like almonds. After all, it contains the deadly glycoside amygdalin, which
decays to release hydrogen cyanide. Of course, it is not the amygdalin itself that is fatal,
but its excess amount. You should know that there are two main types
of almonds - sweet and bitter. Sweet almonds are naturally used in cooking. It is distinguished
by excellent sweetness, fragility and pleasant nutty taste with a unique aroma.
Bitter almond kernels are inedible, narcotic, and consuming large amounts of these nuts
can cause hallucinations, nausea, and drowsiness. They just contain the very deadly amygdalin.
50 bitter almond nuts are a lethal dose for humans. Bitter almonds are the most common
source of fatty oil. After the necessary cleaning, they are used to make the best soaps.
As their name suggests, bitter almonds have a very bitter taste. This species grows both
in the wild and commercially, and is mainly used to make pasta or bitter almond extracts.
It is not usually sold in grocery stores.
The shell of almond seeds is used to flavor and improve the color of cognacs, liqueurs,
wines, and also make activated carbon from it.
Common almond is a tree that reaches a height of 8 m, or a shrub with pale pink or white
and fruits in the form of an ovoid drupe with a leathery hairy and inedible pericarp. There
are about 40 varieties of almonds. The crown shape can be pyramidal or spreading.
The plant has the ability to branch strongly, therefore it needs regular molding pruning.
It has a powerful root system capable of reaching water from a depth of 4-5 m. It is not demanding
on soils, but feels best on light and fertile soils. It grows poorly in swampy and acidified
places. This plant belongs to the subgenus almond,
genus plum, pink family. It is very often mistaken for a nut, although it is actually
a stone fruit. Almonds cannot be called a nut, as they are the kernel (bone) of a fruit,
similar to a plum or a peach. The peculiarity of almonds is that all the taste of the fruit
is concentrated in the stone, and not in its pulp.
Begins fruiting 4-5 years after planting. Besides a source of delicious fruits, the
almond tree is an ornamental plant that can beautify any garden. Single large white or
pink flowers have a strong aroma that attracts bees, so almonds are also valued as an early
honey plant.
Central Asia and North Africa are considered the birthplace of almonds. According to some
sources, Turkey is considered his homeland. From there he went to Europe and then to America.
Today, the area of its distribution covers the territories of the Mediterranean, Afghanistan,
Iran, Kopet Dag mountains, Western Tien Shan, Transcaucasia, California. These are regions
with hot summers and mild winters. In the Russian Federation, the zone of distribution
of the fruiting variety of culture is narrower: this is the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar
Territory, the southern foothills of the Stavropol Territory. In the middle lane, an ornamental
variety of almonds, the steppe bean, is successfully grown. Cultural plantings of varietal and
bitter almonds are almost ubiquitous in Crimea. This light-loving plant is highly drought
tolerant. Under natural conditions, such a culture prefers to grow in small groups (several
pieces of bushes or trees) at an altitude of 800-1600 meters above sea level.
Almond blossoms begin in early spring. In regions with a mild climate, almond blossoms
can be observed from January to March. In the southern regions of Russia, the buds begin
to bloom on it in April. A real paradise for lovers of almond and almond
blossoming gardens is Mallorca in Spain. If, speaking of olives, the endless slopes of
the Andalusian mountains, completely covered with olive trees, come to mind, then in Mallorca
the same can be said about almond trees, there are 13 million of them.
Quite large white-pink flowers are formed by five petals. With the normal opening of
the buds and pollination of the flowers, the fertilization process takes place with the
formation of fruit ovaries. The blossoming almond tree is covered with
a foam of white or pink petals, exuding a sweet scent with a subtle bitterness. The
shape of the flowers is goblet, with a diameter of 2.5 to 4 cm. Depending on the variety,
the flowers can be either simple or double. February 16 is World Almond Day. It is celebrated
mainly in the United States, accounting for 65% of the world production of this product.
Almond Blossom Days are celebrated in Spain and Portugal. In many countries with mild
climates, the flowering of almond plants is associated with the beginning of spring. Even
the ancient Egyptians, the beauty of a flowering almond plant forced them to include almond
branches with flowers in magical rituals, the ancient Chinese associated blooming almonds
with female beauty, the ancient Romans considered it a symbol of fertility, and the Persians
called it the Tree of Heaven.
Under natural conditions, almonds propagate by seed. Fresh, unprocessed almond seeds are
used for germination. It is important that they do not have traces of rust, rot, mold.
Germinated seedlings need standard care - watering, weeding, loosening the soil. When the plant
reaches a height of 30 - 50 cm, all its branches located at a distance of 10 cm from the root
collar are cut off. After that, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place.
The key to healthy plant development, abundant flowering and a good harvest is free access
to air and sunlight, combined with protection from gusty winds. The ideal place for almonds
is the southern or southwestern gentle slopes. Almond trees have adapted to survive in arid
regions with very hot climates. This made them not demanding on the quality of the soil:
both rich chernozem areas and scarce stony or sandy areas are suitable. The only thing
they cannot stand is stagnant groundwater and acidic soil. The best option to plant
an almond tree seedling would be a well-lit area protected from strong winds with light
and nutrient-rich soil. The best time to plant almond seedlings is
early March or fall (last week of November). If planting is carried out in the fall, then,
as practice shows, such plants take root with great success. 14 days before planting on
the site, you need to dig a hole with a diameter of about 50-70 and a depth of up to 60 cm.
If several almond plants are planted nearby, then the distance between the holes is about
3-4 m, and when planting in rows, the row spacing will be 5-6 m.
The tree will feel comfortable on soil with good air and water permeability. Such a substrate
can be chernozem, sandy loam and loamy soil. It is desirable with high lime values. If
there are none, then it is recommended to lime the soil by adding dolomite flour or
slaked lime. Almond pruning is carried out both in the
spring (before the juices move) and in the fall. the first is performed as a sanitary
procedure, the second for crown molding after flowering. When pruning, three tiers of skeletal
shoots are removed. Almond fertilizers should be applied in the last week of April or early
May. The plant needs nitrogen preparations to build up the deciduous mass.
The first harvest of the almond tree takes place in the fourth or fifth year after planting.
The ability to bear fruit lasts up to 50 years, reaching a maximum at 15-20 years of age.
The quantity and quality of fruits is influenced by many factors: the variety and age of the
plant, the region of growth, the amount of sunlight. The average yield of almonds per
tree is 8-10 kg of peeled kernels. Ripening occurs, depending on the variety,
from mid-July to the end of September. The tree is preparing for this process. It sheds
its leaves in advance. After that, all his resources are directed to ripening the fruits.
The almond is a velvety or smooth drupe to the touch. The leathery, rather dense green
shell-pericarp, when the nut ripens (in June-July), cracks along the ventral seam and is easily
separated by hand. Under it, the stone itself opens, 25–35
mm long, ovate-lanceolate or oval in shape with a smooth, perforated surface of brownish-brown,
light beige or white (depending on the variety). It protects the kernel of the nut, which has
the same shape as the fruit, sweet or bitter in taste, with a pleasant almond aroma.
After removal of the pericarp, the bones are dried in the open sun. Unpeeled kernels are
stored in linen or matting bags in dry, well-ventilated darkened rooms.
The degree of maturation is visible to the naked eye. Pericarp, when dry, burst.
Harvesting is done by hand and machine harvesting is permitted in large gardens. The soil takes
cover. The trees are shaking. After the covering material is collected together with the crumbling
nut. Mechanized nut knocking is carried out by special machines.
The most popular model of the almond harvester today is the umbrella-type shaker. The machine
grasps the trunk with an iron claw, revealing an “inverted umbrella” at the bottom,
tightly wrapping around the trunk and begins to shake the tree with small but very sharp
jerks. The fruits are crumbled and caught by the "umbrella", from where they are moved
to the bunker.
A problem with all types of shakers is barrel damage. Of course, engineers all over the
world are seriously working on this situation and, with each new generation, the machines
are becoming more and more perfect, but so far it is far from a complete solution to
the problem. In the first year, probably, nothing will be noticeable, but by the 9th
year trees with serious bark damage, sometimes penetrating to living wood, may already appear.
The world leader in the export of almonds is the United States. It brings the country
$ 4.4 billion a year in export earnings. Thus, the share of the USA in the world export of
almonds reaches 65%. Almonds are a very profitable crop for farmers. The average selling price
of raw inshell almonds, for example, in 2018 was about $ 6.5 per kg. This is the price
the farmer received. Taking into account the yield at the level
of 3 tons per hectare (the average yield of almonds in California is 3.1 tons per hectare),
almonds allow an American farmer to receive about $ 20 thousand in revenue per hectare.
Considering that all processes in the production of almonds are mechanized, it is a very profitable
crop.
About 30 varieties of almonds are now grown in California, but the main 10 varieties account
for about 70% of all production.
The almond tree is generally used for 25 years. After 20 years, the yield of the almond tree
begins to decline. However, it happens that for 30 and 35 years, the farmer does not get
rid of the almond garden and does not replace it with a new one, although this is a rarity.
Harvesting of almonds is carried out in several stages, so the technique for harvesting almonds
is also specific. To begin with, the nut is shaken to the ground with special self-propelled
shakers. Then self-propelled sweepers rake the almonds into even swaths in the middle
of the rows, as only the sun gets here, which allows better drying of the almonds right
on the ground. California is usually hot - the temperature reaches 35-40 degrees Celsius
during harvesting, you usually don't have to spend money on drying almonds. After the
shakers, self-propelled almond pickers are switched on, which, after drying on the ground,
pick it up and partially clean it of leaves, soil and other weeds.
An interesting feature - after harvesting, the almonds need to be cleaned of the pericarp
- such a green shell. Previously, this service was completely free for California farmers,
because the almond pericarp is considered a valuable animal feed, especially for numerous
dairy farms in California. Therefore, the companies involved in peeling almonds made
good money selling the pericarp. However, now times have changed - there are too many
almonds, and the cleaning service has become paid, and not cheap.
After peeling, the almonds go to the factory, where they are sorted and processed. In India,
for example, they send mainly almonds in their shells, since the cost of labor there is low,
and it is peeled from the shell already on the spot. For the US market and other richer
countries, it is usually peeled and then sorted by size, color, etc.
Trade wars negatively affect the price of almonds. Considering the difficulties in accessing
the markets of India and China, an interesting phenomenon has emerged - Australia exports
its almonds to these countries, but buys almonds from the United States for domestic consumption.
At the same time, Australia demonstrated a high rate of development of its own production
of almonds, where the yield of this type of nuts grew by an average of 12.5% per year
due to favorable natural conditions and the intensification of the use of modern agricultural
technologies and equipment. Australian producers intend to continue to increase the volume
of cultivated products by increasing the area of almond planting.
Yet nuts have gained a reputation as a “wholesome delicacy” lately, and the business of California
almond farmers has revived significantly. 82% of all almonds in the world come from
the American “golden state”, where they are a key component of agricultural exports.
“Nuts, and almonds in particular, have become more appreciated as the world has realized
the nutritional value of almonds and the benefits they provide to the body,” American farmers
say.
The kernels are freed from the shell by machine. At the same time, there is a large number
of split products. Therefore, immediately follows the bulkhead, calibration and rejection.
Almonds are packed directly into consumer or shipping containers. The latter includes
boxes, cloth bags. Consumer - any allowed for
the manufactured type of product.
Khraneniye osushchestvlyayetsya pri temperature ot -15 do +20°S. Vlazhnost' dolzhna uderzhivat'sya
v rayone 70%. Dopuskayetsya srok godnosti do 5 let pri soblyudenii temperatury ot -15
do 0°, do dvukh let – pri +10 – +20°S. Na produktsiyu v potrebitel'skoy tare sroki
i usloviya khraneniya ustanavlivayutsya proizvoditelem. V posledniye gody proizvoditeli mindalya s
radost'yu podkhvatili novosti o yego pol'ze dlya zdorov'ya. Marketingovyye kampanii priveli
k postepennomu, no oshchutimogo rosta etogo rynka. Na internet-saytakh proshla reklamnaya
kampaniya, gde mindal' pozitsionirovalsya kak “luchshaya bystraya yeda na khodu”.
Kitayskaya reklamnaya seriya “Molodyye serdtsem” sosredotochilas' na ideye “neizmenno khoroshego
nastroyeniya”, togda kak materey v Indii nastoychivo ubezhdali, chto mindal' pomozhet
detyam imet' uspekh vo vsekh delakh. Diyetolog doktor Mishel' Viyen izuchala yego poleznyye
kachestva boleye 10 let. V odnom issledovanii, kotoroye provodilos' v Natsional'nom meditsinskom
tsentre “Gorod nadezhdy” (g. Duarte, Kaliforniya), g-zha Viyen obnaruzhila, chto, kogda mindal'
byl vklyuchen v diyetu dlya pokhudeniya, patsiyenty poteryali bol'she vesa, chem te, kto soblyudal
diyetu bez mindalya. Storage is carried out at temperatures from
-15 to + 20 ° C. Humidity should be kept around 70%. A shelf life of up to 5 years
is allowed if the temperature is maintained from -15 to 0 °, up to two years - at +10
- + 20 ° C. For products in consumer containers, the terms and conditions of storage are established
by the manufacturer. In recent years, almond growers have happily picked up on news of
its health benefits. Marketing campaigns have resulted in a gradual but tangible growth
in this market. There was an advertising campaign on Internet sites where almonds were positioned
as “the best fast food on the go”. The Chinese advertising series Young at Heart
focused on the idea of “always being in a good mood,” while mothers in India were
persistently convinced that
almonds would help their children to
be
successful in all their endeavors. Nutritionist Dr. Michelle
Wien has studied its health benefits for over 10 years. In one study at the City of Hope
National Medical Center in Duarte, California, Ms. Wien found that when almonds were included
in
a weight-loss diet, patients lost more weight than those on the diet. without almonds.