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    Home » Wellness + Travel

    Almond Harvest Experience Recap!

    September 18, 2017 by Chrissy Carroll 18 Comments

    Disclosure:  I received a sponsored Almond Harvest Experience trip from the Almond Board of California, however I was not compensated for this post.  As always, all opinions are my own.  

    You know the song.  Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.

    Except in what world DON’T you want the nuts?!  (Ok, ok, aside from the allergy world).  They’re the best!

    They provide healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals.  And almonds are one of the nuts that can give you the biggest nutritional bang for your buck.

    I was treated to a sponsored trip last week to visit California to see firsthand how almonds grow and learn more about their nutritional benefits.  Here’s what went down…

    Almond Harvest Experience Recap

    After flying into San Francisco, a driver met me at the airport to take me on the trip out to Lodi to our hotel.  My car companion was the lovely Dana White, a fellow RD who I didn’t know prior to this trip but enjoyed getting to know!  {Side note, she just released a healthy air fryer cookbook – <–affiliate link – so ya’ll should check it out!}

    The hotel room at Wine and Roses in Lodi was very cute, and I walked in to this lovely little gift basket.  Hello, wine!  At that point it was already almost 11pm, so I got some sleep.

    Day 1

    On Wednesday morning, I started the day with breakfast with some other RDs on the trip.  After a nice bowl of oatmeal (topped with almond milk, almonds, and a little maple syrup!), I suited up in my running gear.

    The Wine and Roses property was only a few blocks from a lake, so I decided to go for a run in that area.  While there wasn’t a pathway that looped around completely, I was able to trackback and forth a few times.  I don’t get to run outside at home too often (the little one means it’s often treadmill runs with gym childcare), so this was a treat.  It was gorgeous outside; a perfect 6 mile way to kick off the day.

    Run at Lodi Lake

    After the run I got ready for the day and met the rest of the group the start of our almond harvest experience.  We kicked things off with lunch, followed by several sit-down sessions all about almonds.

    One of the dietitians that works with the Almond Board talked about the increased snacking frequency in our country.  Consumer market research shows that more people than ever are substituting snacks for meals, and are snacking more throughout the day.  Interestingly the snacks that we have early in the day tend to be more planned, nutritious snacks – while those later in the day tend to be out of emotional eating or comfort food.

    The point of this was to emphasize that if we could substitute healthier options like almonds in place of some of the less-healthy snacks, we would improve the overall nutrition quality of someone’s diet.  I like that concept.

    Honey Lavendar Almonds

    After that session, we learned a lot about how almonds grow and sustainability practices.  Given the fairly recent struggles with droughts in California, the portions on sustainability and methods of water reduction were timely.

    And we had a food demo from a chef.  You guys – have you ever had homemade almond milk before?!  This stuff was ah-mazing.  I can’t wait to make it for myself again.

    Homemade Almond Milk

    That evening, we visited a winery for a tour, tasting, and dinner at Harmony Vineyard.  Lodi is apparently the second largest wine region in California, so it was nice getting to experience a bit of that culture.  I was able to taste freshly picked wine grapes, then try several different varieties of their wine.  Just awesome.

    Tasting grapes at a Lodi Vineyard during the Almond Harvest Experience

    Harmony Vineyards Lodi

    Day 2

    On Thursday morning, our group met bright and early to grab breakfast and then head out to Stewart & Jasper for a tour of the almond orchards, almond plant, and kitchen facilities.  It was incredible to be out in the field and see the nuts up front.  I mean, we hear the phrase “tree nuts” – but of course I had never seen a tree with nuts before up close.

    In the almond orchard at the almond Harvest Experience

    They showcased the shaker, which is a portable machine that simply grabs the tree and shakes the nuts off.  In just a few seconds they are able to get all the almonds off the tree.  After that, the almonds typically will stay on the ground for 1-2 weeks until they’re completely dried, and then they are swept up and taken away for processing.

    Almond Harvest Experience - Shaker Machine

    I was able to try some almonds right from the tree.  There are actually three parts – the shell, the husk, and the seed.  The shell is that outer layer that you can see can easily peel off in this stage.  Then there’s a woody husk around it that you can crack open.  And inside that husk is the seed.

    In Shell Almond during Almond Harvest Experience

    Of course, the first husk that I cracked open had a worm in it along with the almond. 🙂  But round two and three went much better, haha.

    After this, we were treated to a demonstration of almond glazing.  The smell when you walked into the kitchen was intoxicating.  You know when you are walking along the streets of a city at Christmastime and smell the vendors with glazed nuts?  That’s totally what it reminded me of.  It was so wonderful to watch them make the glazed almonds and then try them.

    Then we got an even bigger taste testing of all these varieties – both seasoned and glazed!  Plus, we tasted different kinds of almond butter, almond caramels, almond brittle…you name it, we tasted it.

    Almond Taste Test

    That concluded the final part of the harvest experience, but luckily I wasn’t flying back until Friday morning.  I enjoyed an afternoon at the pool and a dinner with some friends that night!  I’m sure any of you busy ladies know, the downtime was a rare treat.

    Chrissy at the Pool

    I hope you enjoyed living the almond harvest experience vicariously here on the blog!

    Share with me:  Are you an almond fan?  What’s your favorite way to eat almonds?

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Chrissy Carroll
    Chrissy Carroll
    Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian, RRCA Running Coach, and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing training tips, sports nutrition information, and healthy recipes for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.
    Chrissy Carroll
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    Comments

    1. Deborah Brooks

      September 18, 2017 at 9:30 am

      I love and eat a ton of almonds but have no idea about how they are grown or produced. This sounds like such a fun experience for you all

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        September 24, 2017 at 4:33 pm

        Same here – I eat them all the time but never thought about production and harvesting until this trip!

        Reply
    2. Kelly @ TastingPage

      September 18, 2017 at 3:30 pm

      That’s so cool. Very interesting that they shake the trees and let them sit on the ground for a while before collecting. Will respect my almonds even more next time I eat them!

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        September 24, 2017 at 4:33 pm

        The shaker is crazy – it only takes like 2 seconds to get all the almonds off the tree!

        Reply
    3. Nicole @ Fitful Focus

      September 18, 2017 at 5:13 pm

      I LOVE almonds, so I’m all about this trip! Sounds like it was a blast!

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        September 24, 2017 at 4:34 pm

        It was a ton of fun 🙂

        Reply
    4. Abbey Sharp

      September 18, 2017 at 5:34 pm

      Looks like it was such a fun informative time! That almond milk looks so refreshing!

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        September 24, 2017 at 4:34 pm

        Oh my gosh, it was so good. I can’t wait to make homemade almond milk again!

        Reply
    5. Rachel

      September 18, 2017 at 8:07 pm

      Sounds like a really cool trip! I had no idea they shook the almonds from the tree and then left them there! #themoreyouknow

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        September 24, 2017 at 4:34 pm

        Haha, I didn’t either until this trip!

        Reply
    6. Emily

      September 18, 2017 at 9:06 pm

      How cool!! My boyfriend is from the central valley, CA where they grow a ton of almonds! Now I feel like I can pretend I (kinda) know how to farm too lol

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        September 24, 2017 at 4:35 pm

        That’s so fun. I feel like unless you live out that way, you never really think about how they grow.

        Reply
    7. Rebecca

      September 19, 2017 at 8:57 am

      looks like such a fun & informative trip! I hope to do a sponsored trip sometime this year!

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        September 24, 2017 at 4:35 pm

        It was a blast Rebecca! I hope maybe you’ll have a chance to go on it at some point 🙂

        Reply
    8. Jessica @Small Bites by Jessica

      September 19, 2017 at 9:18 am

      Sounds like you had such a fun time! Looks like quite the experience!

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        September 24, 2017 at 4:35 pm

        Yes, it was awesome!

        Reply
    9. Mikki

      September 19, 2017 at 9:20 am

      How fun! Looks like an awesome trip. I have always wanted to do something like this! I love almonds!!

      Reply
      • Chrissy Carroll

        September 24, 2017 at 4:35 pm

        It’s definitely really cool to learn more about where our food comes from.

        Reply

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