FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
What is freeze-drying?
Freeze-drying is a vacuum dehydration process.
The product is first frozen and then subjected to a vacuum to remove water or other solvents.
This makes a solid (the frozen water included in the food) pass directly to steam, without passing through a liquid phase, which makes it a perfect dehydration.
For example, our fruit toppings are made like this: the orange in our pistachio or the lime and lemon in our cashew nuts.
What is the Flor de Sal?
Fleur de sel" is widely used in plating, as a garnish and to create texture.
It is usually sprinkled on top of meat, fish, salads or other preparations as a finishing touch to enhance their flavour and create texture.
This salt is obtained by evaporation of seawater (usually in salt pans) and is only "Virgin Sea Salt", that which is obtained from the surface layer of seawater as it evaporates in the sun and wind.
This thin layer that remains when the water evaporates is the salt, usually in flakes and is called "Flor de Sal".
FLOR DE SAL = VIRGIN SEA SALT.
According to Royal Decree 1634/2011, which amends Royal Decree 1424/1983, which approved the Technical-Sanitary Regulations for the production, circulation and sale of edible salt and brines, sea salt is the salt obtained from the evaporation of seawater.
'Virgin sea salt', the Royal Decree stipulates, may be called 'flor de sal' when the floating layer of crystallised salt on the surface of the water in the crystallisers, formed exclusively by the action of the wind and the sun, is harvested by hand and without washing or adding any ingredients is collected for consumption.
What is our roasting like?
Our roasting point is very special and delicate, as we roast the nuts in horizontal trays with a single layer of nuts, without letting them overlap each other, and turning them by hand every 8 minutes to achieve a perfect roasting, at the limit of the maximum crunchiness that can be achieved, which is why our nuts have such a special "crunch".
This special toasting, as well as being seen when you bite into it, can be "seen" by biting a nut in half and looking inside, you will see that it is completely golden.
What to do and how to act if my order has an incident?
1) Check whether the goods have been knocked or crushed, resulting in broken contents or damage to the products.
2) All our packages (whether boxes, parcels or pallets) are sealed with Finca La Rosala security tape. Please check that this is the seal that ‘closes’ the packages.
3) Also check that the packages declared are the ones you have received and that none are missing.
4) Once you have received the goods, check inside the packages to ensure that the references and units described in our document are correct. If you have any problems with any of these 4 points, please follow the instructions below:
1) If it is one of the first three, make a written note on the carrier's delivery note.
2) If there is any damage or the packages do not have our Finca La Rosala seal, please place all the damaged goods together and take a single photo showing all the goods clearly.
3) If, upon opening the packages, any items are missing or incorrect, please take a single photo showing the items received.
4) Within 24 hours of receiving the goods, please send us the photo with the incident report to comercial@fincalarosala.
Please note that Finca La Rosala will only be responsible for incidents reported in a timely manner as described in this section, as we have insurance for this purpose. However, if the instructions are not followed, we will not be able to compensate and/or refund for the incident. Please consult our Quality and Incident Policy here.
Why do we only use natural ingredients and all our nuts are allergen-free?
At Finca La Rosala we believe that as food producers and processors we have to ensure the highest quality in our food, without artificial ingredients and trying to reduce all possible allergens in each of them.
Better foods can be made without these ingredients, which is why we only use natural ingredients and all our nuts are gluten-free, lactose-free and suitable for vegans (with the exception of our Pecan Honey and Golden Almond, which contain rosemary honey).
Why does Finca La Rosala only use raw materials of the highest quality and, if possible, of Spanish origin?
Our aim is to have the best nuts available on the market, so at Finca La Rosala we never stop searching for the best quality and largest calibres of each nut.
On the other hand, at Finca La Rosala we support everything local and national, as far as we can, obviously cashew nuts are not grown in Spain, so we have to buy them from another source. Neither are our peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans, although there is production in Spain (of very small peanuts and pecans and of consolidated walnuts and hazelnuts) we cannot buy them because of the lack of stability when buying them 365 days a year, but all our varieties of pistachios (organic pistachios from our Finca La Rosala and conventional pistachios from friendly plantations in Castilla La Mancha) and almonds are national, top quality and of the highest calibre.
Please note that both the origin and the size are indicated on the page of each product.
Did you know that the nuts we usually eat raw are not fresh but "dried"?
Raw nuts, when they are fresh and have only been harvested a few months ago, or they have been stored in cold storage between 4-6ºC and not more than 1 year has passed (next harvest), are soft, moist, because they still contain a higher percentage of water, and they have a stronger flavour.
If you eat "raw" nuts and they are "crunchy", they are either raw nuts that have not been stored properly or from a harvest before the last one (in some cases both options), which have dried out over time.
Well-preserved raw nuts and last harvest: Moist + Strong flavour. Poorly preserved and/or old raw nuts: Dry + Mild flavour.
What is the difference between the Jumbo Peanut and our other peanuts (from the same Runner 38/42 variety)?
Our Jumbo Peanut is one of the crunchiest peanuts (beware that to some palates it may seem "hard") on the market, as it is roasted for that purpose, that is its main characteristic, totally different from the rest of our peanut references, in which we use the most common / known peanut (runner), which is creamier.
For this reason in particular, the Jumbo Peanut is only sold individually, as it is a very specific product that has a more particular public. This Cacahuete Jumbo was the mythical "Panchito" roasted by Angelito in an exceptional way and with which we learnt to roast our nuts.
What is the difference between our different varieties of almonds: Largueta, Valencia and Marcona?
At Finca La Rosala we have 3 varieties of almonds, each with unique and different properties:
Almendra Largueta: The most fibrous almond, the best for roasting, once roasted, with a simple snap of the fingers the skin is removed. It is offered with roasted skin with or without salt.
Valencia almond: Sweet almond, rich, ideal for almost any use, it is the most used (without skin) in cooking and pastry preparations, as well as a snack. It is offered with or without raw skin and with or without toasted skin with or without salt (toasted only without skin, as once toasted the skin is very difficult to remove).
Marcona almond: The queen of almonds, considered the best almond in the world and, therefore, the most valuable. Unbeatable flavour, the sweetest almond and more "clayey" texture than the Largueta Almond (which is why it is used in fine confectionery). It is only offered without skin, but raw, roasted without / with salt and roasted with flavours (Rosemary, Gold and Truffle). *In terms of nutritional properties, the differences between each variety of almond are minimal.
If you would like to know more about Spanish almond varieties, we invite you to visit the Agrupación de Exportadores de Almendras y Avellanas de España website.
Does Finca La Rosala produce any of the nuts and dried fruits offered in our online shop?
Finca La Rosala is the name of our farm, which is located 8 km south of Calzada de Calatrava. The name Rosala has its origin in the 19th century, when it was called Rosada, as the soil is reddish pink, which, with the passing of time, derived in Rosala. There, at La Rosala, we have had an organic pistachio plantation of about 22 hectares since 2009, so you can enjoy our organic pistachios bought directly from us.
Did you know that nuts and dried fruit should always be kept in the fridge?
Very few people know that nuts and dried fruit must be kept in the fridge, but they must be hermetically sealed (zipped bags or glass jars), as if they are not hermetically sealed they get damp.
Here you can see an audiovisual explanation
The reason for keeping them cold (4-6ºC) is because in this way they conserve all their organoleptic properties for much longer, as once opened, hermetically sealed and in the fridge, they last up to a year as if they were from the first day. They retain all their properties and, if they are toasted, their perfect texture. See for yourself at home, you'll be surprised!
PS: It is recommended to take them out 10 minutes before eating, so that they are tempered, as the cold slightly reduces the flavour, like most foods kept in the fridge.
Did you know that fried nuts are much more harmful to your health than roasted nuts?
Fruits contain a high content of calories and vegetable fats, which are good for our body and are burned quickly, but if we fry them, we are adding even more fats to them and not so good.
In addition, this makes them heavier and harder for the body to digest, causing stomach ache in people with sensitive stomachs.
From Finca La Rosala we strongly recommend, as any nutritionist, that nuts are eaten raw or roasted (roasted without salt or anything else are the healthiest of these), just as we make them.
Why do bitter almonds occur and how is Spain working to eradicate them?
The issue of bitter almonds is almost unavoidable. At Finca La Rosala we are constantly warning our suppliers to control the issue, who recommend that we buy high calibres where it is difficult to find bitter almonds, but even so, there are always some that slip through the cracks. This problem has always existed in Spain and no matter how much they want to control it, there is always some farmer who does not check his harvest and will have a bitter almond tree and spoil the whole batch.
The main cause of bitter almonds is due to the presence of a specific gene that produces amygdalin, a toxic compound that generates a bitter taste in almonds. This gene can be transmitted hereditarily in certain varieties of almond trees and is spread through sexual reproduction of the plants.
To eradicate this problem, various strategies are being implemented. In Spain, research and genetic analyses are being carried out to identify and eliminate trees carrying this gene. In addition, the use of sweet and bitter-resistant varieties of almond trees is being promoted. Awareness campaigns are also carried out to encourage farmers to take preventive measures to avoid the spread of bitter almonds.
These efforts are essential to ensure the quality and safety of almonds on the market. You can read a recent comprehensive study on the subject here.
What to do if I detect bitter almonds?
At Finca La Rosala we take any complaints about the quality of our products very seriously, and achieving excellence is our daily mission.
If you detect the presence of bitter almonds please send us the following information to comercial@fincalarosala.es or to our WhasaApp Business +34 651 80 88 88 19:
- Order number
- Product code or reference
- Photo of the back of the bag where you will see the batch number
We will transfer the query to our Quality Control department and we will give you a solution by managing the return or replacement of the product, as well as the direct report of the case to our supplier for the purchase of almonds, which we do not produce on our farm.
How do we roast nuts to preserve as much of their properties as possible?
For general knowledge, when any food is heated, it loses its organoleptic properties (organoleptic properties are all those descriptions of the physical characteristics of matter in general, as perceived by the senses, such as taste, texture, smell, color, and sound) depending on the temperature; the higher the temperature, the more properties it loses. That is why low-temperature cooking (below 70 degrees) is very popular. This means that we are trying to preserve the maximum properties of the food by cooking it over low heat, as our mothers, grandmothers, and cooking experts did. This allows us to enjoy all of its flavor, aroma, texture, etc. When roasting nuts, we must do so at a minimum medium temperature in order to preserve not all of their properties, but quite a few of them. This means between 130 and 150 degrees. If we roast them at a low temperature, the nuts will be pale, whitish, and not very appealing to the eye. If we roast them at a high temperature between 170 and 220 degrees, as most people do, they will be darker and less flavorful, as they will lose almost all of their properties.
It should be noted that when cooking at a low temperature, it takes a long time for food to cook, whereas if you cook at a high temperature, the cooking time is very short, as otherwise the food will burn.
That is why Finca La Rosala chose the middle ground, where time and temperature are combined to achieve perfect roasting, while ensuring that the maximum organoleptic properties are maintained. Depending on the nut being roasted, it is given more or less heat and more or less time.
We try to ensure that the nut is roasted on the inside, not burnt, and has a yellow/orange color on the outside, which identifies the ideal roasting of the nut.
How do you remove the skin from almonds and thus the anti-nutrients?
All almonds are passed through boiling water for a minute or less, then they are left to cool and then the skin is easily removed with a normal peeler, or the skin can also be removed with the fingers.
With this process the anti-nutrients are removed, because they are in the skin, not in the almond kernel itself.