Which almond is used in the preparation of turrón

Almond varieties

Without quality ingredients, turrones would not have that special taste and texture that characterizes them. There are many levels of quality in turron. We specialize in handmade and carefully crafted turrones, so let's explain the types of almonds used to make these Christmas sweets, as they can vary.

Quality is defined by a good manufacturing process, and a quality raw material. In this section we also want to talk about the ingredients used in the different types of nougat and everything that surrounds it. At the end of the article we will also talk about the prices of almonds, which vary so much depending on the year.

It is interesting to note that nowadays, Spain requires more almonds than it can produce, so it is common to have imports from other countries. The artisan nougat maker, however, always looks for the national almond, especially the marcona almond.

It should also be noted that there are farmers who claim that almond cultivation is being lost because, in general, almond trees were planted in poor or dry areas, to get an extra, instead of using plantations with higher yields.

Almond varieties
Below we show a video in which a farmer tells us about different varieties of almonds, with special emphasis on one that is practically unseen and tends to disappear, native to the Alicante area of Elda and Petrel, known as the Pestaña variety. He also comments on the Marcona variety, which due to its humidity and sweetness properties is the most convenient and expensive variety for making nougat, and is the one we use in our formulas.

In this video we explain you some of the most used varieties of almonds for the elaboration of turrón. As is the case of the marcona, the comuna, the llargueta or the pestaña. We also tell you how to prevent bitter almonds from getting mixed up in the harvest.

The best measure is to walk around the crops during the flowering period of the almond trees/bitter branches, which is usually the end of January, beginning of February, and to saw them. In this way, when we pick the good ones, they will not be mixed.

As we have said, the marcona almond is the most valued to make artisan nougat like ours. But we also have others like the Ramillete, the california or the comuna. As a curiosity we can tell that normally, the prices of the almond are marked when the loaded ships leave the United States. In the end it works like the stock market, with ups and downs practically every day that determine the success or failure of the campaign.

It should also be noted that normally, almonds are paid in cash, so that manufacturers of nougat have to juggle because before starting the campaign, with prices closed, must have already purchased the almonds. Sometimes there are cheaper nougats due to different factors, but one of them is because it can be nougat made with old almonds, from previous years. There are sellers who even have them in stores to speculate.

In the case of the traditional nougat maker, as we are, we wait until September or October to make it, since that's when we have the freshly picked almond harvest.

Marcona almond

The marcona almond is the most widely used variety in handmade nougats, like the ones we make. We repeat: turrones artesanos. We emphasize this because the marcona is an expensive variety and even difficult to find in recent years. There are cheaper turrones that obviously do not use this type of almond but cheaper varieties. For the price of turrón not only this raw material is affected, but also the production process, which can be either more industrial or more artisan.

Its shape is very characteristic and easy to recognize, since they are usually round and small. Their price also depends on the size they have, so the larger ones are usually the most sought after and therefore usually more expensive. They look very good in the hard nougat bars, from Alicante, since in them you can see the almond. In the soft one, however, the almond is crushed and cannot be used. That's why many times turroneros use "mitges de marcona" or marcona stockings, which are, after all, pieces of other marcona that manage to lower the price a little.

The marcó, as turroneros call it, requires a specific climate and care, and Alicante is the ideal area for this. In fact, the marcona almond is one of the jewels in the crown of Alicante's gastronomy. One of the reasons that explain and demonstrate that the origin of turrón was invented in Jijona is precisely the existence of this type of almond, which has been delighting millions of palates all over the world due to its sweetness and humidity characteristics. Other varieties are drier and do not have the humidity that allows the development of so many gourmet products in Spanish cuisine.

The soft turrón from Jijona and the hard turrón from Alicante need this type of almonds to have the taste and texture that have made them so famous. If it is made with other varieties it would come out totally different, drier, with less texture. This variety allows the ideal mixture in the boixets and the mechanical ones. The master nougat makers are the most knowledgeable about marcona, and the ones who really juggle so that the nougat comes out with its ideal flavor and texture.

Marcona almond prices

Marcona almonds are expensive. One must assume so. And why is the marcona almond expensive? The price of almonds is also influenced by the law of supply and demand. There are years in which there is a good harvest and therefore prices are acceptable. However, there have been years when there have been frosts, bad weather and loss of harvest, so it has become very expensive. So part of the success of the nougat campaign depends precisely on this, the weather, and the harvest of almonds because that directly influences the final price of the nougat bar.

Thus, there have been years in which we, the turroneros, have paid between 10 and 12 euros per kg of repelled marcona almonds, now shelled, while other years it has dropped to 6 or 7 euros. We are already talking about the almond put in the warehouses of the turron factory, already peeled. It is true that the farmer receives much less per kg, although these are generally prices for shelled almonds. There are companies that do all the processing, such as Sirvent Almendras S.A.

It is also worth mentioning that farmers prefer to plant and grow other varieties that give them a better yield because it is also the case that marcona almonds only give a good harvest every two years. We are talking about yields of 18%-20% while there are other varieties that give more. Therefore, nowadays it is possible that marcona almond trees are not a good business for farmers, although that is like everything else. If no one plants this variety, those who do work with it will probably be able to ask for more money per kg. In the end it is all about balance.

By the way, if we talk about organic marcona almonds, it is even more complicated to get them, which means that prices go up even more.

Almond bouquet

The almond bouquet is typical of Murcia and Alicante and owes its name to its shape and appearance. Its fruit is of good quality, elongated and flat and its shell is very hard and glassy. For its cultivation it needs cold environments.

The flowering and ripening is early and the branching is medium. Its use is mainly in the preparation of sweets and the famous peeled almonds.

It is also used in the production of marzipan products.

The common almond

The common almond is of Spanish origin and is the result of the mixture between other classes of almonds such as the Marcona, Cristomorto, Ferranduel and Ferragnes. It has a delicious sweet flavor and therefore is a favorite in pastries, especially for the preparation of marzipan and nougat. Its peel is hard. It usually replaces the marcona mainly because of its price, since it is usually cheaper.

The Llargueta almond

The llargueta almond is usually used, for example, to make caramel or even toast with salt. It is not as sweet as the commune and is called llargueta because of its more elongated shape. Its shell is usually harder.

The guara almond

Due to the great problems of supply that exist with the marcona almond, alternatives are being sought so that, for example, we have more yield. This is the case of the guara almond which has a late flowering (March-April instead of February) and therefore does not get lost in frosts. The ripening and harvesting season is usually at the end of August and September.

The guara almond is not an original variety but is worked in the laboratory, specifically in Aragon. For this reason, yields of around 40% have been achieved, compared with almost 20% for the marcona variety.

It is also self-fertile, needs less water and achieves higher yields. Many amateur gardeners plant this type of guara almond tree. Many turroneros are trying to make tests with this variety, although as the marcona it does not achieve anything. It is often used to make oils for musical instruments, for example.

The California or American almond

As for California, it must be said that it is the one that comes from the United States, specifically from this state whose climate is quite similar to the Mediterranean climate. It is a much less showy almond because it is smaller than, for example, the marcona. In addition, it is much drier, which, despite the fact that some people use it to make nougat, is not ideal. The main difference with Spanish almonds is that their shell is hard, while ours are hard.

It has been used in the nougat precisely to lower its price, since it has always been much cheaper. We are talking about that while you were paying 10 euros or more for a marcona, the Californian one was for 3 or 4 euros. Today, curiously, its price is more expensive than the marcona, although it depends on the year. As we have said, it depends on the climate and the weather disasters of the year, such as drought.

It is also a combination of other varieties of almond. It has a darker shell colour and can be processed very easily. It is used to make different food products and can also be eaten naturally.

Organic almonds
Organic almonds should certainly be mentioned in this article, since they are worked without fertilizers or chemicals. We can already assume that their price is higher than that of other non-organic varieties, especially because of demand.

Properties of the almond

The properties of the almond are the content of essential fatty acids, minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium and sodium. Also a large amount of protein and vitamin E. All this gives rise to the benefits of the almond, one is the balance it provides to cholesterol and prevention of osteoporosis.

In addition, it contributes to the care of cardiovascular health and is a great antioxidant. As if that were not enough, almonds provide a feeling of satiety, so they are ideal for those who want to lose weight in a healthy way. It helps to control the order of the meals.

Almonds are also rich in nutrients, so we want to highlight the most important ones:

• Protein: almonds are very rich in protein. In fact it is considered a protein food. It has more protein than meat. They are a fundamental part of vegetarian diets, although it is a vegetable protein, and therefore not exactly the same as animal protein. However, it is rich in amino acids that the body lacks.
• Fats: Many fats are good, almonds are rich in fatty acid and are very beneficial to health. It contains a high percentage of monounsaturated fats that are good for the cardiovascular system. Only 3% of almonds have saturated fatty acids which are the least beneficial. In fact, eating nuts like almonds regularly prevents cardiovascular disease.
• Carbohydrates: Almonds have an important part of carbohydrates, so it is ideal for diabetics as they are a good source of energy.
• Vitamins: Especially the vitamin of the group B, as it is especially the vitamin E, which works as an antioxidant.
• Minerals: Zinc, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and iron. But where the almond stands out especially is in its contribution of calcium

Benefits of the Almond

The main benefits of eating almonds are many and very diverse, so we want to make a small list. Our turrones are 60% almond so we consider the benefits of almonds to be very important.

• Cardiovascular health: is the biggest benefit, almond helps to have polyunsaturated fats that balance cholesterol. It increases the health of the arteries and prevents all kinds of heart related conditions.
• Alcohol intoxication: The consumption of almonds before ingesting alcohol increases the tolerance of the second. It reduces the effects of a hangover.
• Prevents obesity: According to the Health And Nutrition Examination Survey, regular consumption of almonds is associated with a lower incidence of overweight or obesity.




The price of almonds, annual quotations

Almonds have had a very large growth in demand and as a consequence in supply. It has undergone many changes in recent years. It has become one of the most demanded foods because of its properties.

For more information, you can consult the following link where you can find out more about the price of almonds, with its ups and downs.










What are the ingredients of turrón?

The main ingredients of nougat in general are almond, honey, egg white and sugar. The type of almond and honey is what will most define the quality of the nougat, as well as its production process, since it requires time for drying, handling, etc. We are talking about the soft nougat and the hard nougat, since there are others like the Toasted Yolk or Snow Nougat that, for example, do not have egg white or honey.

The first thing to note is that our turróns have the Jijona and Alicante Designation of Origin. This guarantees the quality of the ingredients and a minimum amount of almonds (60%-70%). For example, if we look at the term Supreme Quality in the soft turrón from Jijona it will mean that we are looking at 64% almond.

Some manufacturers speak of Supreme Improved Quality, where this percentage is usually increased to a minimum of 68%.










It is understood that the higher percentage of almond in the turrón, the richer it is. But it is not just any almond, the best almond for making turrón is the marcona almond. There are many types of almonds, each one is ideal for something different.

The main ingredient of Jijona's turrón is almonds, generally of the "Marcona" variety. This variety is dry land, typical of the Mediterranean climate, and gives the dough its particular sweet taste, along with pure bee honey and sugar.

Marcona is used in the case of turrón because it is the sweetest and most flavoured almond for enjoying turrón. It is usually peeled and roasted before using it as an ingredient, so it is used without skin.

As for the honey, we usually use bee's honey as it is consistent and has a very powerful flavor. Together with the almond the honey creates a mixture with a very good taste and that is to suck the fingers.

All the nougats base their mixture on almonds, which is the common denominator of these sweets. Not only nougats but also marzipans are based on almonds.

Therefore all Jijona's sweets that we enjoy more and more at any time of the year have the benefits of almonds.