Blanching

Blanching nuts removes the thin papery skin, which has flavor and color but not always the taste or appearance you would like. To blanch nuts, put up to ¼ pound of them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for only 1 minute (you don’t want the nuts to lose their crispness), then drain and cool in cold water. Pop the nuts out of their skins with your fingers or rub them with a kitchen towel. Spread on paper towels to dry.