Almonds today

tailfeathers · April 19, 2014, 10:27:29 AM

To nice a day to waste so I decided to do some almonds. Got nine cups each of savory smoked and honey smoked going. First time I've used my Amazn tube, so far it seems to be working great, got a mixture of oak and alder pellets in it. Filled it about 2/3 full. If it's still putting out good smoke when the nuts are done I'll kill the heat, add a little ice and smoke a little Cabot extra sharp cheddar and Dimock Dairy habenero.

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TNRockyraccoon · April 19, 2014, 10:53:29 AM

Those look great! I've really enjoyed smoking almonds almost as much as I've enjoyed eating them.

BoxcarBetts · April 19, 2014, 10:59:55 AM

Have you tried smoking cashews? I've done hickory and mesquite with them and so far I think mesquite is the best. The sweetness really compliments the cashews. They're a bit pricey, but I get the big jars of them at Costco. They're $16.99 in Canada and I think the jar is 1.25L or something like that. So that's a pretty decent price. And then I use the empty jars to store jerky. :D

BoxcarBetts · April 19, 2014, 11:01:26 AM

Hahaha Just realised I (a newb) am giving smoking advice to a Sr. Member! I'm sure you've smoked cashews... I guess I just wanted to hear myself speak! Haha

tailfeathers · April 19, 2014, 11:25:08 AM

Hey boxcar, the fact is that I never have tried smoking cashews, sounds good though. I'll have to give it a try. In fact I think SWMBO is going to Costco this afternoon, maybe if I promise to be good she will buy me some cashews! That's the best thing about these forums. Anyone, regardless of experience level, can ALWAYS learn something new because nobody knows it all!

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BoxcarBetts · April 19, 2014, 11:44:56 AM

Well in that case, Tailfeathers... I just simply cold smoke mine for 2 hours, put 'em back in to the jar, and let them sit for up to 2 weeks. I normally sneak one or two before just to be safe (well, impatient), but have found that they don't begin to be edible until at least a week.

And you're so right about this forum! I'm learning so much from it already. So far I haven't screwed up any smokes thanks to the tips I get here!

By the way, what's that mesh you've got to sit the almonds on?

WoodlawnSmoker · April 19, 2014, 11:45:13 AM

Those almonds look really nice!

Hey Betts, that cashew smoking sounds like a good idea, do you soak or treat the cashews in any way before smoking?

tailfeathers · April 19, 2014, 11:54:52 AM

Boxcar, the mesh is frogmat, you can order them from Yardandpool.com. They are flexible, dishwasher safe nonstick miracles. I wrap them around my pieces of cured loin and tie them with butcher twine to keep the bacon nice and round when I smoke it. They work great for jerky as well. I cannot recommend them highly enough , and I'm sure others would echo my feelings about them. I can't even imagine not having them to be honest with you.

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WoodlawnSmoker · April 19, 2014, 12:00:48 PM

The frogmats are worth every penny even though they are a little pricey. Betts, as you are in Canada, order them from Frogmats Canada, mine was free shipping.

tailfeathers · April 19, 2014, 01:49:58 PM

I've never used them (yet) but there is a product (Q-matz) available from A-Maze-N that is supposed to be the equal to frogmat. It comes in either 18 or 24" widths and you order it by the foot. I just ordered 7' of it so I can cut myself some mats that will be a little longer and wider than the racks so I can go up the sides and ends to keep nuts in. If you look at the pics you can see that the ends and sides of the racks are open and thus nuts can fall out rather easily. The qmat is WAY cheaper than frogmat to start with plus it is 50% off right now! (the 18"x7' roll was $21.49 plus 7.50 shipping). All reviews I have seen are positive, and A-Maze-N seems like a good oufit so I'm giving it a shot. I'll let you know what I think after I get a chance to try the stuff.

Saber 4 · April 19, 2014, 05:41:41 PM

The almonds look great and the cashew idea sounds tasty.

Quote from: tailfeathers on April 19, 2014, 01:49:58 PM
I've never used them (yet) but there is a product (Q-matz) available from A-Maze-N that is supposed to be the equal to frogmat. It comes in either 18 or 24" widths and you order it by the foot. I just ordered 7' of it so I can cut myself some mats that will be a little longer and wider than the racks so I can go up the sides and ends to keep nuts in. If you look at the pics you can see that the ends and sides of the racks are open and thus nuts can fall out rather easily. The qmat is WAY cheaper than frogmat to start with plus it is 50% off right now! (the 18"x7' roll was $21.49 plus 7.50 shipping). All reviews I have seen are positive, and A-Maze-N seems like a good oufit so I'm giving it a shot. I'll let you know what I think after I get a chance to try the stuff.

I lay cheese cloth on top of my frogmats to cover the sides of the racks when I do nuts and chex mix. The smoke get's through real good and it's easy to pick them up and pour all the nuts or chex mix into bags or jars.

BoxcarBetts · April 19, 2014, 06:24:19 PM

Tailfeathers,

Sounds good! I'll definitely have to look into those mats. Please do let us know how the Q-matz work out! I'm actually smoking some chopped potatoes and had to ensure they weren't too small for the grate. And the smaller bits of jerky too. Definitely would be nice to have something a little finer!

Woodlawn,

So far I have only just tossed the cashews in there and gave them a blast of 2 hrs of cold smoke. The smoke seems to stick well and as mentioned, they mellow out nicely between 1 and 2 weeks. I get the salted ones from Costco, so that's really the only pretreatment for mine so far. Let us know if you stumble onto something good! I bet a maple or caramel glaze would be awesome. Not sure if mesquite would go well with that though. Maybe!

manfromplaid · April 19, 2014, 07:35:45 PM

i am using the Q-mats they have a smaller pattern then the frogmats and so far work very well. i ordered a 6 foot by 2 ft piece and was able to cut out 9 rack size pieces. shipped into alberta all in 42 bucks.

hutcho · April 20, 2014, 05:28:49 PM

I tried the blazin pistachios recipe on cashews and peanuts and it was great! Had plenty of heat too. Would definitely recommend it if you are looking to spice them up a bit. Susanminor.org is where you can find it.

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tailfeathers · April 24, 2014, 08:59:11 PM

Got the Q-matz that I ordered from A-Maze-N. Ordered a piece 18"x7', cost with shipping was @ $29.00. I cut six pieces just slightly larger than a Bradley rack, made a 45 degree cut in each corner and tied them with 4" zip ties. Formed little baskets that should be just the ticket for smoking nuts, chex mix, etcetera.

I always had trouble with keeping stuff from falling off the ends and sides, this oughta prevent that.

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