COOKING
TIPS
How-To
Flour
Make your own nut flour by finely grinding whole or chopped nuts in a food processor. Pulse the machine just a few seconds at a time to avoid making a paste.
PESTO SAUCE
For simple pesto sauce, stick to this ratio: ¾ cup Fisher® Nuts, 2 cups greens or herbs, ½ cup olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Add grated cheese if desired.
GLAZED NUTS
Simply sweet glazed nuts are this easy: Combine 1 cup nuts, 1 tbsp. water, ¼ cup sugar and 2 tsp. spices in nonstick skillet and cook 5 min. Spread onto foil-lined baking sheet and bake 10 min. at 300˚F.
Measure
How much do you need? For every XX cup chopped nuts, start with about XX cups whole or halved nuts.
Nut Butter
Make homemade nut butter by blending 2 cups nuts with ⅔ cup oil until smooth. Add spices, salt or honey, to taste if desired.
Nut Milk
Prepare homemade nut milk by soaking 1 cups nuts in water overnight in the refrigerator. Drain, then blend with 3 cups fresh water and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add a few dried fruits or some honey for sweetness.
Hacks
GLUTEN-FREE CRUMBS
Gluten-Free Option - Use ground nuts instead of bread or cracker crumbs for a crunchy gluten free breading.
VEGAN CREAM
Vegan Option - For dairy-free “cream” sauce, soak 1-1/2 cups cashews in water overnight in the refrigerator. Drain, then blend with 1-¼ cups unsweetened almond or coconut milk, 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. garlic powder until smooth.
BAKING
When preparing muffins or cakes, toss nuts in a small amount of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking.
SNACK BOARD
Put a quick snack board together featuring 2 or 3 varieties of nuts and cheeses, some pickles or olives, and few dried fruits.
Crusts
Add chopped nuts to your favorite pie or cheesecake crust for extra crunch and flavor.
Rubs
Add ground nuts to a spice rub for meat to balance the spices and add richness.
TOPPINGS
Sprinkle nuts onto casseroles, Mac & cheese, hummus or dips.
VEGGIES
Enhance your everyday cooked vegetables with a garnish of toasted nuts.
DRESSINGS
Blend nuts into your favorite salad dressing for a richer texture.
Meats
Chopped nuts mixed with bread crumbs and oil makes a great crust topping for meats or fish.
Grains
Stir chopped nuts into prepared rice or other grains, stuffing, pasta dishes, stews.
Toast
TIP 1
Don’t overcrowd the pan! Place enough nuts just to cover the bottom to ensure even browning.
TIP 2
To prevent burning, be sure to remove nuts from the pan as soon as they’re lightly browned and fragrant.
TIP 3
Nuts burn quickly so keep a close eye and stir frequently. Chopped or sliced nuts will toast faster than whole or halved nuts.
STOVETOP
Heat nuts in a dry skillet on medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Depending on the nut, this should take 3-8 minutes.
OVEN
Arrange nuts on baking sheet. Bake at 350°F, stirring occasionally. Check nuts after 5 minutes but this could take longer.
MICROWAVE
Arrange nuts on a plate. Microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring after each.
SMELL
The aroma will be deeply nutty, roasted and fragrant.
LOOK
When toasted, nuts become a few shades darker than they started. If you are unsure, crush a few and see if the center is still white and creamy. If so, keep toasting!
Chop
TIP 1
A variety of techniques can be used to chop nuts to the size you need. Nuts can be toasted before or after chopping.
TIP 2
Depending on your recipe, you may want nuts finely ground, coarsely chopped, or somewhere in between.
CHEF’S KNIFE
Rock the blade across the nuts on a cutting board.
FOOD PROCESSOR OR BLENDER
Quickly pulse nuts a few seconds at a time.
ROLLING PIN
Place nuts in a clean kitchen towel or resealable bag. Use a rolling pin, bottle or small pan to gently crush nuts.
Store
TIP 1
Store nuts tightly sealed in the original bag in a cool dark place to lock in freshness.
TIP 2
To maximize freshness, store in refrigerator or freezer.
TIP 3
Once opened, use Fisher® nuts before the Best By date stamped on the package.