At the Farmers Market: All Agog for Almonds

They came in buckets and brown bags, all neatly lined up in rows. Inside were crunchy, tasty and cholesterol-free nuts we all know as almonds – the top agricultural export of California.

Fat Uncle Farms was on its first month at the Calabasas Farmers Market, said employee Tony Russo. “This is such a busy market,” he gushed, in between customers last Saturday.

Russo and fellow employee Cayla Clark were cheerfully handing out samples of the delightful tree nuts and describing its different cooking methods and varieties.

Grown in Wasco, northwest of Bakersfield, but processed in Santa Barbara, the almonds and other specialty almond products are now sold in several farmers markets in the Southland and also online.

In business since 1981, Fat Uncle Farms’ almonds were only exclusively available in the Santa Barbara Farmers Market and neighboring areas for the longest time.

Take your pick

Among the items being sold were blistered almonds in plain, rosemary, Chinese barbecue, Cajun and garlic-herb flavors.

The “blistered almond effect” is a result of roasting. Air pockets form during the process and then they evaporate, making the almonds lighter, flakier and not too tough on the teeth.

Roasted at 360 degrees with a sprinkling of sea salt, the blistered almonds almost have the same health benefits as the more traditional, raw almonds.

In Calabasas, the sweet almonds sell out quickly, according to Russo. They come in three flavors: honey roasted, cinnamon sugar and goin’ coconuts.

The smoked almonds are also good alternatives, which come in salt and pepper, garlic and cinnamon sugar.

All almond varieties, in the nifty resealable brown bags were priced at $5 or two bags for $8. For volume orders, “every purchase of nine bags and the 10^th is free,” Clark said.

Almond forms

Russo and Clark were also encouraging market-goers to try the almond butter. The popular alternative to peanut butter is a grittier food paste made from almonds and good with apple slices, bananas and crackers. Available in regular and honey-almond, the tubs were selling for $8 or two for $14.

Almond flour was also available. Perfect for baking and sauce thickening, the gluten-free flour is also a good flavor enhancer and coating for fried food.

Online and in their Santa Barbara hub, one can also get almond milk. As warmer weather arrives, Russo disclosed that almond milk ice cream will be coming to Calabasas soon.

*The Calabasas Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at 23504 Calabasas Road, across the street from the Sagebrush Cantina.