Toasted Nuts & Seeds
Toasting nuts and seeds with herbs and spices is a quick and easy trick to releasing more complex flavours and irresistible aromas. This has to be our favourite crunchy garnish to elevate any dish.
Ingredients
Raw, unsalted nuts or seeds (we used a mix from Yummy Snack Foods)
Tip: Ensure they are unsalted — our blend already has salt so you don’t want to overpower them.
The Salty Greek seasoning blend
Equipment
Oven:
Metal baking sheet or shallow pan
Parchment paper or reusable silicon mat
Stovetop:
A shallow frying pan/skillet with enough surface area for an even, thin layer of nuts/seeds
Recipe Steps
Add your desired quantity of nuts or seeds to either a frying pan (to toast on the stovetop) or baking sheet (to toast in the oven).
Using the spoon from the The Salty Greek jar, sprinkle enough seasoning to evenly coat the nuts — refer to the pictures for examples.
There’s no need to add oil or butter, as toasting the nuts will bring their natural oils to the surface, allowing the seasoning to bind.
Tip: Put The Salty Greek in a spice mill to achieve a finer blend — using the grinder here will ensure the nuts or seeds are coated more evenly, resulting in a better distribution of flavour and better texture for eating.
Given the differences between equipment heat levels, nut or seed sizes and types, or toasting-preference, it is essential to closely monitor this process to avoid burning. They really can turn in a matter of seconds, especially if the heat is too high! As they continue to cook after taken off the heat, it’s better to take them out earlier than later.
As a guide, smaller/softer types like pepitas, sesame seeds or walnuts will need less time — around 5 to 8 minutes. Heartier varieties like brazil, hazelnuts and almonds can take between 8 to 12 minutes. Toasting the herbs and spices with the seeds and nuts will release an incredible fragrance, so a good indication is to monitor closely when the aromas emerge.
If oven-toasting: Use a low-medium heat between 160°C to 180°C, shaking the pan at the halfway point to ensure even browning and check on their progress.
If stove-toasting: Use a low-medium heat, shaking frequently (every 30-50 seconds) to ensure even browning.
Tip: Avoid stirring in the pan as it leaves gaps on the surface and creates clusters of nuts. A light shake to roll the seeds and nuts around and level out is enough to create an even colour and toasting. Oven-roasting is less hands-on and can achieve a more even result.
After toasting, let them cool down and transfer to a sealable air-tight container to store them. The flavour and aroma is most prominent for the first week, but we’ve found they still taste fantastic after that (if they last that long!).
Yummy Snack Foods
Our go-to for nuts, seeds and dried fruits is Yummy Snack Foods — they stock a huge variety of individual and mixes, alongside different snack foods and confectionary. Their retail store is local to us at 108 – 112 Frederick Street in Welland, which is convenient for how quickly we go through their products! The mix we used for this post was the 500g ‘Mixed Nut Kernels Raw’ which includes almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts. This product is also part of their range where 10c goes to supporting the McGrath Foundation.
With the holiday season coming up, their diverse range of hampers are perfect for gifting — one which now includes a special limited edition mini jar of The Salty Greek herb and spice blend!
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