The secret is apricot pits. The pits of apricots, nectarines, peaches and plums all contain a kernel that tastes astonishingly like an almond. Not a sweet almond, but one with a rounded nutty flavor that ends bitter. And they can be used in ways other nuts cannot.
Both the almond and the apricot belong to the prunus family, also known as the “stone fruits”. Cherries, peaches and plums belong to this family too. All members of the prunus have a bitter cyanide compound in the seed that makes them poisonous.
Is there almond in apricot seed?
Apricot seeds are almond-shaped kernels inside the fruit’s pit, or stone. Raw apricot seeds contain a compound called amygdalin, which is an enzyme that your gut turns into cyanide.
What fruit does almonds come from?
We should probably start with the very important fact that almonds are not, in fact, nuts. They’re actually the seed of a fruit from the almond tree. Like cherries, peaches, and plums, that fruit is a stone fruit, having a fleshy fruit exterior and a pit on the inside.
Do bitter almonds come from apricots?
Bitter almonds are a type of high-cyanide-containing almonds, but also: “Bitter almonds” you see for sale/on ingredient lists are usually the seeds of stone fruit like apricots, cherries, and peaches.
Is an almond a peach?
Almonds are indeed a member of the prunus family that includes peaches, though not the same species. If you were to crack open a peach pit, you’d notice the inside looks very similar to an almond.
Is apricot considered a nut?
Apricots and almonds are technically not nuts but are seeds from stones or pits of a drupe, a fleshy fruit surrounding the stone or pit. Many of the culinary nuts are technically drupe seeds; for example, cashew, hickory, walnut, pecan.
Why is there an almond in my peach?
The fruits of this family are what’s known as drupes, which essentially means that they have a stone (or pit) inside the fleshy, edible part of the fruit. Inside the pits of the almond fruits are where the almonds are found; in peaches, it’s the noyau.
Do apricot kernels taste like almond?
Apricot kernels are sometimes confused with bitter almonds. However, the apricot kernels have a slightly grassy taste compared to bitter almonds. More importantly, the sale of these unrefined nuts is not permitted in the U.S. because bitter almonds are potentially poisonous when eaten raw.
What are apricot seeds called?
Overview. Apricot kernel is the seed found inside the apricot pit. It contains a chemical called amygdalin, which the body turns into cyanide. It can be toxic.
What is almond made of?
The edible part of the almond is actually a seed from a drupe, a fruit in which the outer shell and hull layers are typically not eaten. After extracting the almond seed, the shells and hulls are often used for livestock feed and bedding.
What is the origin of almonds?
Almonds originated in the western parts of Asia and China, and were most likely cultivated there. Although the exact place of domestication is lost in time, scientists have been able to point to Western Asia as the most likely place they were first grown.
Almonds Are In The Peach Family
The nut we know as the almond is technically the hard-shelled fruit of the almond tree, itself a member of the prunus family. This category of stone fruit encompasses trees and shrubs that produce edible fruit like cherries, plums, peaches and nectarines.
Are peach almonds poisonous?
The seeds (also known as stones, pits, or kernels) of stone fruits like apricots, cherries, plums, and peaches do contain a compound called amygdalin, which breaks down into hydrogen cyanide when ingested. And, yes, hydrogen cyanide is definitely a poison.
Is almond extract made from peach pits?
Artificial almond extract owes its almond-like flavor to a chemical called benzaldehyde, which is made from chemicals in an industrial setting. It’s not made from almonds, peach pits, or apricot pits.
What type of nut is almond?
In the botanical world, a nut is a dry, hard-shelled fruit. But as you can see, almonds have a fleshy outer layer. Therefore they’re technically not nuts, but a different kind of fruit called a drupe, said Tom Gradziel, an almond researcher at the University of California, Davis.
Is almond a fruit or nut?
Most nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, and cashews, are botanically defined as seeds rather than fruit. Yet, a handful of true nuts like chestnuts and hazelnuts are technically fruits. The lone exception is peanuts, which are a legume.
Do peaches and almonds come from the same tree?
Almond and peach are two well-known tree species. Although the two trees seem different because of their products (fruit and seed), both of them belong to the Prunus genus and are genetically very similar that they can be crossed and fertile hybrids can be obtained from them.
Is Avocado a nut?
Since avocado is classified as a fruit and not a tree nut, you should be able to eat avocados even if you have a nut allergy. However, some studies have shown that avocados have similar proteins as chestnuts. So if you’re allergic to chestnuts, you may have to avoid avocados.
Is there an apricot allergy?
Like many other allergies to fresh fruits and vegetables, apricot allergy can take two different forms. In the North of Europe, a milder form of apricot allergy is associated to birch-pollen allergy due to the similarity between a protein in birch that causes birch-pollen allergy, and an apricot protein.
What part of the apricot is the kernel?
An apricot kernel is a single seed found inside the stone of an apricot.
Elvira Bowen is a food expert who has dedicated her life to understanding the science of cooking. She has worked in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, and has published several cookbooks that have become bestsellers. Elvira is known for her creative approach to cuisine, and her passion for teaching others about the culinary arts.