Peanuts Aren't Real Nuts (And More Essential Nut Info)
The first-to-go party snack, the perpetual “secret ingredient,” and the controversial brownie add-in—what can’t nuts do? From buying to storing to cooking, here are the, erm, nuts and bolts of this versatile, valuable pantry staple.
But first, a disclaimer: While we hate to blow their cover, most “nuts” aren’t nuts at all. Peanuts are legumes, pine nuts are the seeds of pines, and almonds, pecans, cashews, and walnuts are the seeds of fruits classified as drupes. To make things simple, we’re considering all foods treated like nuts to be “culinary nuts” for the info below. (And FWIW, hazelnuts are really nuts.)
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova1/8Whole, Raw Nuts are Your Best Bet
Versatility, dependability, longevity. No, that’s not our presidential campaign slogan—it’s the reason we buy whole, raw nuts.* First, they’re yours to chop, flavor, candy, “mylk,” and roast to your liking (since those pre-roasted nuts are never as dark as we’d like anyway). Second, they’re easier to quality-control: You can make sure they’re full-sized and neither wrinkled nor misshapen. And third, because they haven’t been compromised by cooking or cutting, they have the longest lifespan. For the best-tasting, highest-quality nuts, shop from stores with high turnovers, where new bags arrive on the reg.
*The exception to our rule? Slivered and sliced almonds. You’re not a robot.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova2/8Roast for the Most
Eating a nut without roasting it is like eating a potato without salting it—wholly unsatisfying and kind of disorienting. With a stint in the oven, where their flavors intensify, nuts go from spongy and bland to complex, crunchy, and rich. Roast nuts whenever you’re not going to be cooking them later (so, definitely for a salad topping but not necessarily for granola). You might be tempted to dry-roast on the stove, but the oven provides even heat, no stirring required:
Spread nuts out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet—one type at a time, since they cook at different rates
Roast at 325° for 8-20 minutes, shaking pan halfway. The time will depend on what type of nut you're using. When they're ready, almonds and hazelnuts should be light brown all the way through; the others should be slightly darker. All kinds should be intoxicatingly fragrant
Transfer to a bowl or plate immediately so the nuts stop cooking
Eat fast! They’re best within 3 days
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Pearl Jones3/8It’s (Even) Better with Butter
Or, for something more indulgent and even more flavorful, cook them on the stove in butter (the fat helps distribute heat, meaning less risk of burning). Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat, then add 1 cup roughly chopped raw nuts and a generous sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the nuts are golden. Transfer the nuts to a paper towel with a slotted spoon, let cool, then eat by the handful or sprinkle over fish or yogurt.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou4/8Know Your Almonds
So many almonds, so little time. But does it even matter which type you buy? Here’s our breakdown:
- Raw: You know the ones. Barack Obama eats seven a night. Keep these stocked and ready to roast
- Blanched: Quickly boiled to remove their skins, they’re like raw almonds—only naked. Use in recipes like delicate tarts and blended soups, where the skins’ texture or color would be distracting
- Slivered: Skinless and cut into tiny strips, these can be swapped in for blanched almonds and can wiggle into sauces and salads for crunch in every bite
- Sliced: A photogenic addition to brittles and shortbread, they come with and without skins and look like little cross-sections of the whole nut
- Marcona: Imported from Spain, they’re softer, sweeter, and more oily than domestic counterparts and are often sold roasted and salted, ready to sit on a cheese board
5/8There's (Almost) Nothing A Nut Can't Improve
When a dish is missing something, 90% of the time it’s acid or salt. But the other 10% of the time, it’s nuts.* They’ll add the fattiness and texture you’re yearning for in...
- Dressings: You could scatter nuts on top of a green salad…or you could mix toasted, finely chopped nuts directly into the vinaigrette and coat every leaf and vegetable
- Smoothies and shakes: Blending in soaked cashews offers rich silkiness sans dairy
- Fruit salads: Scatter oil-fried nuts over thinly sliced fruit for that magical salty-sweet, crunchy-juicy equilibrium
- Dips: Creamy gets boring fast. Sprinkle butter-toasted nuts over hummus, whipped ricotta, or avocado dip
- Crisps and crumbles: Add a handful of coarsely-chopped pecans into the topping for a crispy lid to the bubbling fruit
- Pasta: A logical addition to room temp pasta salads, nuts can also be the base of a sauce: Try browning chopped walnuts in sage butter and spooning it over tortellini
- Green sauce: Just like pesto gets pine nuts, nearly any green sauce you’re throwing together will gain richness and body from the addition of nuts. Try cilantro with peanuts, parsley with almonds, or mint with hazelnuts
*Not scientifically proven data
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova6/8Yeah, You Do Want To Be That Person Who DIYs Nut Butter
If you’re only going to transition from buying to making one kitchen staple, let it be salad dressing. But if you’re ready to DIY two food items, try your hand at nut butter, which is leaps and bounds more delicious than the store-bought alternative and infinitely tweakable. Making a batch is as simple as hauling out your food processor. Here’s how to do it.
7/8Store Them Right
Nuts are pricey, which means you might be tempted to buy in bulk, but be honest with yourself: You’ll never get through 8 pounds of macadamia nuts before they go bad. Instead, get what you’ll eat in the near future and store your stash in an airtight container in the freezer. Protected from the light and heat that would make them go rancid faster, they’ll stay good for at least a year, maybe longer. And if you’re not sure what rancid means exactly, you’ll know it when you taste it: Bad nuts have an off, sorta chemically flavor you definitely don’t want contaminating your cookie dough or grain salad.
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott8/8Crushing It
When you need a whole lot of halved or coarsely chopped nuts for dukkah or energy bars, using a knife might take...forever. Instead, place your nuts on a rimmed baking sheet or clean kitchen towel (to contain any flyers), then use a heavy skillet to press down. They’ll split from the force of your incredible strength.
