Pickled Green Almonds

Because there's no hot-water bath canning involved here (it's a quick pickle recipe), there's not much difficulty involved. The biggest factor to consider is when and where to get green almonds - so let's cover that first.

I've actually written a detailed guide to green almonds already, with loads of information about finding, choosing, and using them. There's also nutritional information, health and science related tidbits, and more, so I do encourage you to check it out.

If you've already read the guide you probably know everything you need to know, but I'll give a quick overview on finding and using green almonds for those who have skipped ahead.

Green almonds are highly seasonal, as they can only be picked early in the almond season, and they have a fairly short shelf-life.  In the Northern Hemisphere they tend to start showing up in mid-April, and continue to show up until May or June.  Generally speaking, the earlier and fresher the almonds are the better.  If you're buying them late in the season be sure to try a couple to see if they're fresh and tender, as they can become bitter and woody if allowed to sit out for too long.  Try to avoid any almonds with brown spots on the surface, or with any particularly obvious signs of damage.  There is some variation in size between and within crops; small almonds are often younger and more tender, but this isn't a hard-and-fast rule.

Your best bet for finding green almonds is generally going to be at markets catering to Iranian/Persian communities.  Well-stocked Middle Eastern grocers and specialty green grocers are a good bet too, especially in larger cities.  If you live in an area with a lot of almond trees (e.g. California) you might want to see if any local orchards sell green almonds direct to consumers.

The spice blend used to pickle these almonds uses coriander and green cardamom to lean into the flavours typical of Iranian and Middle Eastern cuisine.  Rosemary also adds a nice, distinctive piney/herbal character that I personally think works quite well with the vinegar and almonds.  That being said, there's nothing to stop you from experimenting with spice blends of your own.  You could try other herbs, or a different spice blend.  Cinnamon wouldn't be out of place either, though I would avoid overdoing it, or you risk overwhelming the relatively subtle flavour of the almonds.

I specify white wine vinegar here for its flavour and comparatively mild flavour.  Champagne vinegar would be nice too, if you're feelin' fancy.  I personally don't like making many pickles with pure white vinegar, as I find it particularly harsh and biting - but if you like pickles made with white vinegar, go right ahead.  Red wine vinegar would give a very different character to the almonds, but it would probably be quite nice if you were planning to use them with roasted lamb or beef.  Let me know if you try it!

Piercing the almond ends with a skewer allows the vinegar to do its job faster, so these pickles are ready to eat pretty quickly. That being said, I think that they're better after spending a week or so in the fridge, soaking up flavours from the spices.

The finished pickled green almonds keep very well in the fridge.  Officially, you can let these sit for at least a couple of months.  Unofficially, I left a jar in the fridge for over 6 months and found them perfectly tasty.

Do note that this is a refrigerator pickle recipe, and not a hot water bath canned recipe.  This recipe has not been tested for home canning, and I do not recommend that you try it out.

I want to leave you one last little note on the serving suggestion shown in the photos on this recipe.  A simple roasted chicken (homemade or picked up ready-to-eat from the store) makes a great accompaniment to these pickles, and it makes for a lovely instant meal.  I recommend carving up the chicken and scattering it with almonds and a splash of the flavourful brine. A drizzle of honey wouldn't be out of place either.