I want to smoke my nuts....

[wade]

I might have to try smoking some Almonds. Christmas is coming up and my relatives universally all love almonds, peanuts, etc.

This method works very well for Almonds

 

[HalfSmoked]

Nice write up and instructions Wade.

Warren

 

[SonnyE]

and place the strained nuts in a large roasting pan

Wade, I hate it when I strain my nuts.... But I did, all 3 pounds of me almonds I did.

______________________________________________________________
My wife is visiting her Auntie and Cousin in Hawaii. Yesterday, texting, she asked if I had a good night and what was I doing....
With me, that can be a loaded question. Here is what transpired while I was playing with my nuts, and concocting flavor powders....

I told her, "It's raining here. So I'm playing with my nuts.
Almonds and Pecan Pieces. Making some Christmas varieties. Sweet to Hot. Playing indoors."
SonnyE

She wrote back, "Auntie wants to know how your nuts are doing."
Asking me a question like that will get very elongated replies. The question came in at a very inopportune time, as I had me hand on my nuts. (As I am sure you can understand being as you handle your own nuts.)
The following was my reply:

Right now....
Sorry I had my hands full...
Right now I'm brining my nuts.
I have to soak them in a Salt/Sugar brine, It's COLD!
Takes 10 minutes. Talk about having blue nuts!
The scary part is next my nuts have to go in the dehydrator to dry.
After about an hour at a balmy 130 degrees, I have to turn UP the heat to 160 degrees.
I would imagine my nuts will probably shrivel up, because they need an hour in there.

After that, I can smoke them.
I think I should powder them before they go in the smoker.
I think it would make me feel better about abusing my nuts.
I have several Interesting ideas I think I'll do with some powdered honey, just a sweet simple taste to suck on.
But I also have some Hot Honey powder.
It's Honey powder, but has some Cyan powder mixed in.
I think it will makes some Sweet Hot Nuts to enjoy!
Otherwise, Some Garlic, and maybe try some SPOG.

For those who got this far, SPOG is a nice thin powder (think Baby Powder, but for my nuts) of Salt, Pepper, Onion, and Garlic. It gets ground together in a Mortar & Pestle. If you don't grind it, it can mess with your nuts, and make them uneven in the mouth.
Also thinking about some brown sugar on my nuts. Kind of a sweet molasses taste, sort of Southern, without the Cajun, heat on my nuts.
I'll let you know how my nuts fare.
I have to go take care of Chase (Grandson), he needs a donut.
Nuts, an interruption in handling my nuts.

More later....

She wrote back, "Auntie and Tia loved your net saga. Will there be a sequel too, they want to know." :confused:o_O

My reply, " Oh, it was just a bunch of nuttiness. I have 4 flavors I just started smoking, and 9 ounces to make sweet for the kids and whom ever. Honey Powder Almonds.
Done. Sitting back and wait now.

A sequeel?
Just be glad I don't make sausage.
That would really turn into a bunch of Baloney.
But you can tell them that my nuts are hot at the moment...
SonnyE
________________________________________________

Yeah, you could say I am a different kind of nut.....

Going to vacuum pack my nuts today for Christmas.
Then I'm unveil them at the Christmas Party at the Daughters house for all the friends and family to fondle and taste.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

I don't actually have a response to your post Sonny, I'm just going to keep snickering and reread it a few times.

 

[SonnyE]

I'm watching this thread, though I'm interested in smoking pecans. Hopefully the same method would be used.

Mornin Steve, or Afternoon as it might be....

Hey, I took my left over bag of Pecan Pieces from Walmart and dusted and mixed them with some Honey Powder.
I didn't want to get too crazy with them because, like yourself, I just love the flavor of Pecans.
I put them in my Dehydrator for a couple of hours at 165 degrees. The pecans were already a tad wetted with something, and salted. The wetting was probably a misting of EVOO, or cooking oil. But it helped stick the Powdered Honey to the Pecans, and the heat was to help melt and set the honey powder.
Or at least, That's my story and I'm stickin toit.

I think brown sugar might be great too.

I didn't smoke my Pecans. But it might be an idea to try. ;)

 

[wade]

I love your nut jokes... Keep on cracking them :-)

 

[SonnyE]

I love your nut jokes... Keep on cracking them :)

Oh dear Wade, that does sound like it could hurt.

I do have to get cracking and package them up though.
What do you think about vacuum packaging? Or should they be jarred so my nuts don't get bruised from being squeezed?

 

[Steve H]

I love your nut jokes... Keep on cracking them :)

Now he has to crack them???;)

 

[Steve H]

Mornin Steve, or Afternoon as it might be....

Hey, I took my left over bag of Pecan Pieces from Walmart and dusted and mixed them with some Honey Powder.
I didn't want to get too crazy with them because, like yourself, I just love the flavor of Pecans.
I put them in my Dehydrator for a couple of hours at 165 degrees. The pecans were already a tad wetted with something, and salted. The wetting was probably a misting of EVOO, or cooking oil. But it helped stick the Powdered Honey to the Pecans, and the heat was to help melt and set the honey powder.
Or at least, That's my story and I'm stickin toit.

I think brown sugar might be great too.

I didn't smoke my Pecans. But it might be an idea to try. ;)

How did they taste? I asked the wife to pick up a bag of raw Pecans. I'm hoping to give it a shot this weekend. I'm looking more for the salty, smoked results over sweet this time.

 

[johnmeyer]

Wade,

Thanks for that description of how you smoke nuts. One thing I am definitely going to try is pulverizing the salt. That should make a huge difference in how much adheres because the smaller particles should have less of a tendency to fall off. Brilliant idea.

 

[SonnyE]

Thanks for the thought of pulverizing the salt in a coffee mill, Wade.
You inspired me to get cracking with one the wife has that she gave to me to play with.
I carefully washed and cleaned it well, keeping the bottom up to avoid water going into the motor end.
Then I poured about 1 ounce of Kosher Salt it it and ground it into powder.
I had a goodly pile of Almonds I smoked last night that were nice and tasty as they were.
But a good dusting and mixing of the powdered salt really made them perk up.
I do think I have presentable nuts to show everybody.

I may retire my Mortar & Pestle to smashing things other than for powdering my nuts...

I believe I shall acquire some Peanuts to add to my repertoire of nutty offerings.
I've had some really hot Peanuts I liked a lot. But I don't know who's nuts I was putting in my mouth.
Only that I liked them, strange as that may sound.


OK, I just sat back down. I came home with enough stuff to get myself killed.
But I have 4 more varieties of nuttiness on hand. I did 3 different recipes of Spicy Peanuts.
Of course I forgot a couple of ingredients. But hey! When you don't know what to expect, you can expect anything.
Tasty, Tasty, Tasty! Hopefully, others will find my nuts entertaining.
If I listen carefully toward the West, I do believe I can hear laughter coming from the Pacific Ocean. Pretty near the direction I reckon Hawaii would be.
The wife texted me, and I let her have yet another salvo of today's adventures.
I'm so pooped! I think I'm getting too old to be playing with my nuts so much.
Good Lord, Today involved a frying pan, and a stint in the oven to set glazing.
I don't think I can keep this up. It's just nuts!

 

[gmc2003]

Sonny with all your nut fondling - I'm surprised you haven't gone blind.

Chris

 

[SonnyE]

Sonny with all your nut fondling - I'm surprised you haven't gone blind.
Chris

No, eyesight is holding up, Chris.
But my grip is slipping do to the fur beginning on my palms, since you brought it up.
Tomorrow I want to smoke some of the peanuts I processed today. Just for a taste test.

OK, I'm pooped.

 

[Steve H]

Gearing up to give it a go. I've decided to give cashews a try. I also found a pan that should work for this too.

 

[wade]

Wade,

Thanks for that description of how you smoke nuts. One thing I am definitely going to try is pulverizing the salt. That should make a huge difference in how much adheres because the smaller particles should have less of a tendency to fall off. Brilliant idea.

The purpose of the brine is also to help the salt to stick. Some of the powdered salt will dissolve when it comes in contact with the brined nuts but it then recrystallises again on the surface during the roasting.

 

[wade]

I also found a pan that should work for this too.

Yes that pan looks perfect

 

[SonnyE]

Gearing up to give it a go. I've decided to give cashews a try. I also found a pan that should work for this too.

View attachment 381696

I have a vegitable pan simular to that I have used in the past to smoke nuts (Almonds).
Worked great for me!

The nuts I've been doing I'm doing on my mats for my racks (Santa hint)

Today I'll probably be smoking other nuts, Peanuts, Cashew's, and some mixed unsalted nuts.
Please share your results with your cashews! Cold, warm or hot smoking, Steve.
Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[SonnyE]

Heat the smoker to 160 C (320 F) and then roast the nuts for 3 x 8 minutes (a total of 24 minutes). After each 8 minutes stir the nuts well as, at first, the salt brine will be causing some to stick to the tray.

Wade, I'm curious what you would recommend for us Masterbuilt smoker folks, our smokers are throttled at ~275 degrees.
So can I just roast longer? And what in your opinion would be long enough.
Or should I do them in the kitchen range oven, then smoke? (Or vice-versa)

I converted your Grams to Ounces for our side of the pond.
Basically 1 ounce of salt, to 8 ounces (1 cup) of water.
(4.98 tsp salt = 1 ounce. Round it to 5 tsp)
But I do understand weighing the Salt is more accurate than measuring. Due to grain size variations. And finer salt crystals tsp could make a saltier brine.
Correct?
(I learned that from Dave...)

I'm about to start playing with my nuts again. I want to smoke some Peanuts and Cashews today. (I have my batch of Jerky in the dehydrator)

I'm a regular 'Suzy Homemaker". But it would be a bit odd if Suzy had nuts, don't you think?
I have some butt burning seasonings now. Up to Habanero seasoning. But I've been afraid to put any on my nuts. I can only stand so much fire on my nuts after all.

 

[wade]

Wade, I'm curious what you would recommend for us Masterbuilt smoker folks, our smokers are throttled at ~275 degrees.
So can I just roast longer? And what in your opinion would be long enough.
Or should I do them in the kitchen range oven, then smoke? (Or vice-versa)

I converted your Grams to Ounces for our side of the pond.
Basically 1 ounce of salt, to 8 ounces (1 cup) of water.
(4.98 tsp salt = 1 ounce. Round it to 5 tsp)
But I do understand weighing the Salt is more accurate than measuring. Due to grain size variations. And finer salt crystals tsp could make a saltier brine.
Correct?
(I learned that from Dave...)

I have not tried roasting at the lower temperature. You may be able to by roasting longer but you are trying to slightly brown the surface of the nut to get that roasted flavour. I am not sure you would get the same result at a much lower temperature. Yes, a better option would be to do the first stage in your kitchen oven and then do the cold smoking step in the smoker. Do you have the cold smoking attachment for the Masterbuilt? If you use smoked salt in the brine then you will get smoke flavour from that even in the oven.

Yes, the salt is better weighed than measured as the different grains do have different weights. With these nuts though it is not as important to weigh than it is if you are making, say, a bacon cure. The example below shows the different weights of 1 rounded tablespoon of different types of salt...

• Table salt 12 g
• Diamond kosher salt 9 g
• Morton kosher salt 17 g
• Maldon salt 9 g
• Sea salt 20 g
• Hawaii Gold Sea Salt 17 g

The differences in weights are due to the size of the crystals and also their shape - which allows some to pack together more efficiently.

 

[johnmeyer]

I have an MES so I too am limited to 275.

I actually have problems burning the nuts during the higher temperature phase of the process (I too smoke at 160, but then finish at a higher heat). I have had badly burned nuts even when the smoker was set to 225. I would therefore think that to finish at Wade's much higher temperature will require watching things like a hawk in order to avoid burning the nuts. Perhaps this is less of a problem with nuts which have more oil, but for raw almonds, it is really easy to get a burned exterior, which doesn't taste very good.