All About Almonds

Almonds are amongst the most versatile edible nuts with a wide variety of uses, in addition to being nutritious and enjoyable to consume.

They are one of the most well-known tree nuts in the world and have their origins in Iran and its neighboring countries. However, over time, humans spread these trees across the world, especially to northern Africa and southern Europe. 

Almonds have origins dating back to the bronze age, with evidence suggesting the almond tree was domesticated in Jordan nearly 5,000 years ago.

In the present-day world, the United States is the biggest producer and exporter of almonds, with California being the hub for the tree nut. The western state contributes to nearly 80% of the world’s almond supply (Almond Board of California).

The Almond Board of California further states that California almonds are supplied to over 90 countries worldwide, and around 30% of the supply is reserved for domestic consumption.

If you are amongst the 30% and would like some recipe ideas, Olam has curated a list which could help you with your next culinary masterpiece; click here for some inspiration.

Did you know Olam customers can purchase bulk almonds and wholesale almonds from California?

Olam is amongst the most-trusted almond suppliers in the world, growing over 13,000 acres of conventional almonds as well as 2,000 acres of organic almonds here in California.

Olam also grows 33,000 acres of almonds in Australia, which represents 45% of their entire crop. This makes Olam the largest almond grower in the world. 

By having almonds in the two growing regions in opposing hemispheres, customers will always have the freshest and highest-quality almonds to purchase from.

So, while Olam is harvesting almonds in California, the Australia orchards are blooming, which gives customers fresh almonds year-round.

Olam is in control of the growing and processing of almonds, which allows us to control the quality every step of the way.

We process our almond produce in five facilities dotted around the world with plants in Australia, three in California and one in Vietnam. The California and Vietnam plants are all BRC certified facilities, ensuring customers get the highest-quality edible nuts.

In 2019 Olam International expanded its almond ingredient capacity with the purchase of leading Californian almond processer Hughson Nut and its three locations.

Hughson Nut is known for its quality almonds and the valued ingredients we produce. We manufacture one of the finest granulations of almond flour in the industry, and exacting standards for our sliced, slivered and diced almonds. 

Olam keeps the processed almonds in controlled storage conditions at our various warehouses in the United States that comply with international food and safety standards. To know more about our warehouses please click here.

All of the above varieties and more are available for purchase at OlamNuts.com, which sells bulk almonds and wholesale almonds.

Almonds are not considered a nut in the truest of sense but are actually a seed. The fruit of the almond is actually a drupe, which has a hard shell on the outside that protects the seed, which we all consume in various forms.

The almond seeds utilize the time from March to June to mature into a full size. Around the month of July the almond hulls split wide open to expose the kernel inside signalling the readiness for harvest.

California almonds are harvested from August through October, when Olam's farmers use mechanical tree shakers to collect the bounty.

Post-harvest the almonds are transferred to our processing facilities to remove the hull, shell and other foreign particles through use of mechanical rollers.

Some fun facts about almonds:

• Almonds arethe most popular snacking nut in the United States (Almond Board of California)
• Almonds are very versatile - they can be consumed whole, chopped, blanched, slivered, diced, and as butter, milk, flour and more
• Almonds are grown in hot weathers and cool winters – California and Australia are ideal geographical locations
• Almonds are reliant heavily on bees for pollination
• Olam customers can purchase bulk almonds and wholesale almonds in our B2B ecommerce marketplace!

Become an Olam customer to purchase the highest quality edible nuts from our website by clicking here.