Do You Know What This Is?

A miniature avocado? A tiny, unripe mango? Nope. Like the fresh garbanzo beans we showed you last week, this is a common food seen in an uncommon state. Take a guess and click below to find out the answer...

We saw these fresh almonds at Fairway over the weekend and, not knowing what to do with them, bought three for 27 cents — just to take a peek.

The inside seed is what eventually grows into the almond we know and love. If this fruit were left on the tree, the fuzzy, fleshy pod would dry up and split open as the seed matured. So why harvest them early?

We have no idea, to be completely honest. We've read you can eat the flimsy inner seed and scoop out the flesh to eat as is or in salads, but we found it woody and bitter. Are we just missing out on a delicacy?

We'll throw it out to you... Any culinary wizards using fresh almonds for anything? Have you seen these in your markets?

This Lifecycle of an Almond video from the Almond Board of California is pretty interesting to watch, if you want to know more about how almonds grow.

(All images: Elizabeth Passarella)

Comments (10)

The only person I've ever met who LIKED young almonds was my gardening professor. He was Middle Eastern and I got the impression it was something he'd grown up eating. The rest of the class didn't share his enjoyment.

I saw these at our local produce store. They look interesting, but I have no idea what to do with them either!

Yeah, they sell them in markets out here in CA - some people like eating them whole. Me, not so much. Must be an acquired taste.

Tiamat is correct-- these are something you eat growing up in a middle eastern family. Green almonds and green plums are a sure sign of spring. You will often find me eating both...with salt!

These are available at my local middle eastern grocery, and Judy Rogers talks about them in The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. She serves them with proscuitto and white peaches, I think. Amandica, do you just dip them in salt, then? Because I'm all about things dipped in salt, I may have to try them.

Well I am native Iranian, and I grow up with this. It is harvested in our new year which is the beginning of spring and it is soaked in water and scrubbed of the top layer which is not edible. Then It is kept wet and eaten slightly salted. Once the top fuzzy layer is rubbed off it is very nice.

A Turkish friend of mine eats these - she cooks them with onions and salt, and eats them cold. If you search for "green almond dish" you'll find some recipes. I've never had 'em myself, though.

While growing up in Puerto Rico, we would collect young almonds from along the beaches and take them back to mi Abuelas to crack open the shells and snack.

Thanks for the soaking and scrubbing tip, Ramesisda2nd. I did not know this when I tried them.