Health

Sweet-and-Sour Green Almonds

By Aglaia Kremezi
AlmAGRO-dolce1.jpg

Photo by Aglaia Kremezi


Unripe almonds are sold in some US markets in the spring.

Makes two 1/2 pint jars.

2 ½ -3 cups (about 1/2 pound) green almonds--available in the spring in select California and New York markets
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 cinnamon sticks, about 2 inches long
2 bay leaves
2 or more small dried chili peppers, slashed in half with scissors

Brine:
2 1/2 cups pickling white vinegar
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 cup honey
2-4 tablespoon sugar (to taste)

Pierce the green almonds with a skewer, starting at the stem and stopping before you reach the tip. Pack in 2 jars and add 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, and 1 or more chilies in each jar.

Make the brine: In a non-reactive saucepan, warm the vinegar with the cloves, honey, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir until the honey and sugar dissolve, lower the heat, and simmer for 1 minute. Taste, stirring in more sugar if you like. Pour the hot brine over the almonds, topping with a little more vinegar if needed, to cover the almonds completely. Close the jars and leave in a cool place for at least 4 weeks before serving, shaking the jars from time to time.

Aglaia Kremezi writes about food in Greek, European, and American magazines, publishes books about Mediterranean cooking in the U.S. and Greece, and teaches cooking classes.