Almond Harvest Experience Recap!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as 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.

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