Tag: Almond hull

Recent research from the Almond Board of California is exploring how consumers may one day eat processed almond hulls as a nutritious ingredient. The question, 'can you eat the hull of an almond?' is more complex than a simple yes or no, depending on the almond's maturity and preparation.

Botanically, almonds are not true nuts but are the seeds of a drupe, which is a stone fruit related to peaches and cherries. The fruit surrounding the almond seed, commonly referred to as the hull, is generally not edible and can be dangerous to consume, especially from wild varieties.

The almond we purchase in a bag is not how it begins its life on the tree. What does an unprocessed almond look like in its natural state? It is a seed from a fruit, encased within a fuzzy green hull and a hard shell, bearing little resemblance to the snack we know.