7 Holiday Spiced Nuts Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are the most popular nuts at Christmas? ›

We've got our festive favourites when it comes to nuts. Walnuts, with their rich, buttery flavour, are a must-have. Hazelnuts, too, are popular, bringing a sweet, mellow taste that's perfect for festive recipes.

Pistachio – Pistachios are the Christmas Nut. In my home growing up, the only time we ever saw the pistachio was at Christmas time. It was always exciting to see the special treat, and the many sweet and delightful combinations of treats made with them. They are said to bring good luck to the holiday.

Spiced nuts freeze well and thaw quickly, so keep some on hand for last minute gatherings. To freeze, put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in one layer and place in the freezer. Once they harden, transfer them to an airtight container.

For special occasions like showers or birthday parties, you can serve nuts in tiny mason jars. Not only does this alleviate contamination concerns, but it also makes for easier snacking. Feel free to customize the jars with the date of the celebration and a ribbon.

Appearing on the list of popular Christmas nuts is walnuts, pecans, Macadamias, filberts, peanuts, Brazil nuts and cashews. As the holidays approach, buying Christmas nuts in bulk is a time-saving, budget-friendly task to add to your holiday preparation list.

North American crooners sing of “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” and nuts have long been used as edible decorations on Christmas trees.

Nutcracker dolls, also known as Christmas nutcrackers, are decorative nutcracker figurines most commonly made to resemble a toy soldier. In German tradition, the dolls are symbols of good luck, frightening away malevolent spirits.

Why are they called wooden toy soldier nutcrackers? Because the first nutcrackers were made as replicas of soldiers and other figures of authority. The common folk took great enjoyment in having the ruling people working for them, cracking their "hard nuts of life".

My pecans are sticky, what went wrong? When candied pecans are warm, they might be a bit sticky, but once they cool, the sugar coating should harden. If after they have cooled down, the pecans are still sticky, this means that the sugar mixture never reached a high enough temperature when on the stove.

“If a nut is really oxidized, I guarantee you you're not going to get it past your mouth because it just tastes so awful,” says Schaich. But if you do, for some reason, eating the occasional spoiled nut is “no big deal,” because we have enzymes in our stomachs that can essentially incinerate the oxidation byproducts.

Can nuts go bad? ›

A: Nuts can't expire; however, they can change in taste or go rancid. Nuts contain much-unsaturated fat, an oil that makes nuts likely to go rancid. Nuts spoil faster when exposed to light, air, or heat. No fuss; cool, dark, and air-sealed are the three trifectas to storing nuts properly.

Trail Mix, Naturally!

Just mix in peanuts (or your favorite nuts) with a variety of dried fruit (such as cranberries, raisins, pineapple, bananas or apricots), dark chocolate bits and whole-grain oat squares.

Best of all, because it was easy and we did it together: we cracked almonds, Brazil nuts, filberts, walnuts, and pecans in shells. While reminiscing about our favorite memories from the past year, we would laugh at funny stories and sing along to old holiday tunes playing softly on the radio while we did this work.

When it comes to holiday nuts, roasted almonds reign supreme, offering a timeless appeal. Their toasty aroma and delightfully crunchy texture create an irresistible combination. Whether enjoyed by themselves or used in savory dishes, these versatile nuts provide a comforting and satisfying experience.

Peanuts, almonds, pecans, and walnuts top the list of the most consumed nut varieties in the United States, showing up most often in sweeter items.

These include common, widely known types of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios, and butternuts, among others. Some lesser-known nuts are also edible, such as saba nuts, paradise nuts, pili nuts, baru nuts, mongongo nuts, and more.