What is almond oil, its composition and calorie content. Useful properties of oily pomace from almond kernels, contraindications to use and possible harm. Almond butter recipes. Interesting Facts.
Almond oil is a natural herbal product made from almond seeds. To obtain it, only sweet kernels are used. Fat from bitter almonds is used for technical purposes only. Food production technology includes drying, grinding and subsequent double cold pressing, excluding any chemical effect. This method of mechanical processing allows you to preserve a maximum of useful substances. The use of almond oil in cooking is quite extensive, although it is used mainly in its raw form. It is added to dressings of ready-made dishes from poultry, meat, fish, various cereals, vegetables, mushrooms, as well as to sweet pastries. Next, we will talk about the composition of the almond pomace, its beneficial properties, the rules for choosing when buying and options for using it in cooking.
Composition and calorie content of almond oil
In the photo, almond oil
It is easy to determine what almond oil is useful for, thanks to its chemical composition, in which the level of all nutrients is visible. If we talk about sweet varieties, then the product is completely safe. As for the bitter kernels, hydrocyanic acid is very often determined in them, which is dangerous to health. Next, we will consider what beneficial substances are contained in oil pomace from sweet almonds.
The calorie content of almond oil per 100 g is 884 kcal, including:
- Proteins - 0 g;
- Fat - 100 g;
- Carbohydrates - 0 g;
- Phytosterols - 266 mg
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Vitamin B4 - 0.4 mg;
- Vitamin E - 39.2 mg;
- Vitamin K - 7 mcg
The vitamin E content is impressive. The indicator is 2.5 times the daily rate. Based on this, in order to get the right amount of this useful substance, it is enough to use about 40 g of the product in various dishes.
In a smaller amount, almond oil contains vitamins PP, F, beta-carotene.
Of the minerals, manganese, phosphorus and copper are determined in insignificant amounts.
Saturated fatty acids per 100 g:
- Palmitic - 6, 5 g;
- Stearic acid - 1, 7 g.
Monounsaturated fatty acids per 100 g:
- Palmitoleic - 0.6 g;
- Omega-9 - 69.4 g.
The level of monounsaturated fatty acids is quite high and exceeds the norm by more than 4 times.
Of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-6 is present in the composition of almond oil in the amount of 17.4 g, which is equivalent to 103% of the body's daily requirement.
The beneficial properties of almond oil
Almond oil is considered one of the healthiest. Its healing properties have been known for several millennia. Eating this product allows you to treat many diseases and fight premature aging.
Useful properties of almond oil for different body systems:
- Vascular system and blood circulation … By removing cholesterol, almond oil helps to cleanse blood vessels and eliminate manifestations of such a dangerous disease as atherosclerosis. With constant use, the elasticity of the vascular walls improves, the lumen expands and blood flow improves.
- Gastrointestinal tract … By consuming edible almond oil internally, many digestive problems can be cured. For example, the product has a beneficial effect on health in case of high acidity and gastritis. It gently envelops the walls of the stomach, which protects them from all sorts of negative influences. This is a very important curative effect for ulcers. You can also eliminate flatulence, prevent constipation due to the laxative effect and generally improve bowel function.
- Respiratory system and ENT organs … The high-quality product helps to speed up the recovery from bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, otitis media, rhinosinusitis. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and also makes it easier for phlegm to pass, thereby helping in the renewal and softening of mucous membranes and making breathing easier. When treating the nose and ears, they use squeeze from the almond inside, and also use it externally. The oil helps to actively fight against pathogens.
- Skin … The vitamins and fatty acids present in almond oil make it indispensable for solving various cosmetic problems. First of all, the product is useful for preserving youth due to the high content of vitamin E. With its help, you can smooth out wrinkles, restore the tone of the skin, making them more elastic. The therapeutic effect is manifested due to the anti-inflammatory and regenerative action.
It is noteworthy that almond oil can also be used for massage in children. It perfectly stimulates blood circulation and the development of the musculoskeletal system, eliminates rashes and peeling of the skin, helps relieve allergy symptoms.
Contraindications and harm of almond oil
In general, almond oil squeeze is a safe product. The exception is individual intolerance. If you ignore the contraindications, even good almond oil can be harmful, causing a strong allergic reaction. Therefore, if there is a tendency to such reactions, then it is better to get acquainted with it, starting with a small portion.
In addition, it is important to understand that a high content of tocopherol can also be harmful if there is an excess of it in the body. Symptoms of an excessive supply of vitamin E include headaches, blurred vision, muscle aches and cramps, and digestive problems. If they occur, it is necessary to revise the diet. Also, you should not take medications with this substance with almond oil.
Among the negative reaction of the body with excessive consumption, it is worth highlighting irritation of the skin and an increase in the activity of the sebaceous glands.
Almond oil can cause certain harm in obesity, aggravating the human condition, because the product is high in calories. It is also not recommended to abuse it for those people who are watching their figure, so as not to gain excess weight.
Thus, if we correlate the benefits and harms of almond oil, then, of course, the high usefulness of the product can tip the scales to its side. The beneficial effects on the body, the many uses in cooking, and the availability fully explain the popularity of squeezed from sweet almond kernels.
How to choose almond oil?
First of all, a product can be assessed visually, but sometimes it is difficult to do this in a store, because ideally the product is supplied in dark glass bottles. High-quality pomace has a uniform light yellow color without any inclusions. Sometimes an almost colorless oil also goes on sale. The taste is nutty, rather delicate, there may be a slight pleasant bitterness. The aroma is not pronounced.
You can buy almond oil in specialized stores or online. But it is advisable that the supplier is verified. It is not shameful to inquire about the documentation for the goods being sold, tk. the choice depends on how useful and safe its use will be.
The price of good quality almond oil is quite high. It exceeds the cost of sunflower by 10-20, and sometimes 30-40 times. Depends on the varieties used and production technology. The product made with the use of wooden presses is highly appreciated, which excludes the contact of raw materials with metal.
If the product is cheaper, then this is a reason to doubt its naturalness, usefulness and safety. To reduce the cost of products, unscrupulous manufacturers can use low-quality raw materials or add unwanted additives.
Also, before buying, you can read the reviews about almond oil. In online stores you can find goods from Russia, Pakistan, USA, India, UAE, Egypt, Germany and other countries.
Features of the use of almond oil in cooking
The oily pomace from almond kernels can be used in cooking instead of olive oil. You can buy edible almond oil both refined and unrefined. In the first case, the product can be used for frying. It will not foam when heated and will not significantly affect the taste and smell of the finished dish. Usually this option is chosen when cooking fried fish. Its taste characteristics are rather modest. Moreover, the usefulness is much lower.
As for unrefined pomace, it is not recommended to subject it to heat treatment. Such a product should be used for dressing salads and making various sauces. The benefits of unrefined almond oil are maximized. In addition, it will fill the aroma and taste of food with nutty notes.
Before using open jar almond oil, you need to make sure that it hasn't deteriorated. Assess visually so that there is no sediment, and taste it. The fact is that the shelf life of the opened product is greatly reduced. At the same time, you need to keep it in a glass container with a tightly closed lid in the refrigerator.
Almond oil for food is used in combination with many foods. First of all, in its pure form, it is often added to fish, meat, vegetables. On its basis, many recipes for sauces and dressings have been developed - with mushrooms, cheese, vegetables, seafood and others. The simplest use is to sprinkle a fragrant, oily liquid on fresh bread croutons.
Almond Butter Recipes
The variety of culinary recipes with almond kernels and its oily pomace is explained by their excellent taste and high healthiness. But it should be borne in mind that the amount of valuable substances is greatly reduced if you use the product for frying and baking at high temperatures. We offer several interesting recipes where the taste of almond oil and its aroma are well manifested.
Almond Seed Oil Dishes:
- Mushroom sauce … Ingredients: almond oil (25 ml), water (50 ml), mushrooms (100 g), soy sauce (1 tsp.), Onions (0.5 pcs.). First, we wash the mushrooms, chop a little. In a frying pan, along with water and chopped onions, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat until all the liquid has evaporated. Cool, add soy sauce, almond oil and beat with a blender to get a homogeneous mass. The sauce is ready.
- Spaghetti with almond butter pesto sauce … Ingredients: spaghetti (200 g), cooking water, tomatoes (200 g), basil (30 g), almonds (60 g), almond oil (30 ml), Parmesan cheese (100 g), salt (to taste). First, prepare the sauce. We wash the basil leaves, dry them and, together with peeled garlic and salt, send them to a blender. Grind a little. Lightly fry the almonds in a dry frying pan. Chop the cheese into pieces. Place both ingredients in a blender bowl for basil. Beat in a pulsating mode and gradually add almond oil. We bring to the desired consistency. Cut clean tomatoes into 4 parts, take out the pulp with seeds and leave for other dishes, and chop the remaining walls with a knife. Combine them with pesto sauce. Cook spaghetti al dente. Combine them with the sauce on a serving plate and serve immediately.
- Rice with almond oil and tomato sauce … Ingredients: brown rice (300 g), olive oil (21 tablespoons), salt (to taste), almond oil (1 tablespoon).l.), garlic (3 cloves), almonds (100 g), red pepper (1 pc.), onions (1 pc.), tomatoes in their own juice (200 ml), orange juice (50 ml), dried basil (1 tbsp. L.), Parmesan cheese (130 g). Fry finely chopped garlic in oil until golden brown. We take it out and fry the crumbled almonds. Add crushed tomatoes, onion rings, chopped peppers. Heat the onion until soft. Pour in orange juice. You can add a little zest. Add salt, basil and black pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes over low heat. Boil the rice until tender with the addition of olive oil. Put a pile of boiled cereals on a plate and pour over the sauce.
- Chicken with almond butter … Ingredients: chicken fillet (700 g), coconut flakes - 60 g, olive oil for frying (60 ml), zucchini (2 pcs.), Bulgarian pepper (2 pcs.), Carrots (2 pcs.), Lime juice (30 ml), garlic (1 clove), ginger (1 tablespoon), almond oil (2 tablespoons), salt (to taste). First of all, cut the fillets into long pieces and fry in olive oil until tender. Prepare the sauce separately. For it, mix almond oil, lime juice, garlic, coconut, ground ginger and salt. Beat until smooth. Fry grated carrots, chopped zucchini and bell peppers in a skillet after frying the chicken. Put the vegetables on a plate, a few pieces of chicken and pour over the almond sauce.
- Trout with almond butter sauce … Ingredients: trout (1 kg), onion (1 pc.), Olive oil (40 ml), herbs (50 g), butter (50 g), dry white wine (40 ml), almond oil (2 tbsp. L.), almonds (40 g), lemon juice (40 ml), salt and pepper. Add gutted trout carcass and sprinkle with pepper inside and out. Chop the onion into strips and divide into two parts. Put one part on the bottom of the baking dish, and place the second, along with black peppercorns and bay leaves, inside the carcass. Pour wine at the bottom of the mold, sprinkle with chopped herbs and put fish on top. Pour olive oil over the entire surface. It is best to use the top grill for baking. Heat treatment time is 15-20 minutes. To prepare the sauce, heat the butter and fry finely chopped almonds in it until it turns golden. Remove from heat and add a mixture of almond oil and lemon juice. Pour the prepared fish with the resulting dressing and serve it to the table.
- Almond cookies with chocolate ganache … Ingredients for the dough: flour (380 g), chopped almonds (200 g), corn starch (3 tablespoons), butter (150 g), refined almond oil (50 ml), cognac (40 ml), vanilla (1 tsp), brown sugar (70 g). For chocolate ganache, take dark chocolate (100 g), cream (60 ml) and sea salt (0.5 tsp). Fry almonds and combine with starch and flour. Warm the butter to room temperature, add sugar, brandy, vanilla and refined almond oil to it for food. Grind the resulting mass with a blender until a homogeneous consistency. Then combine with dry ingredients and knead the dough. We make a ball out of it, put it in a bag and send it to the refrigerator for half an hour. From the pieces of the chilled mass we form the halves of the shells: one side should be flat, the other convex. For this, you can use special forms. Put on a baking sheet with paper and bake for up to 15 minutes at 180 degrees. Cool it down. Cooking ganache: combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. We heat it up so that the chocolate melts and combines with the cream and salt into a single pasty mass. Then, using the cream, we connect the two halves. Let it freeze and serve.
Interesting facts about almond oil
Almond oil has been known for several millennia. And all this time, a person appreciated its beneficial properties according to his merits. For example, in ancient Egypt, this product was considered a symbol of well-being. It was not only eaten, but also used for various magical rituals during prayers to the gods. The ritual of asking for an improvement in the financial situation began after the priests treated candles and money with almond oil.
It is known that the oily pomace from almond kernels was also used by Cleopatra. It was this product that the queen used to maintain her beauty and youth.
Watch a video about almond oil:
Despite the fact that the product is quite expensive, nutritionists recommend including it in the diet to normalize digestion and improve overall health. You can also make it at home, but it's much easier to just eat a few almond kernels.
