FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
What is freeze-drying?
Freeze-drying is a dehydration process carried out under vacuum conditions.
First, the product is frozen and then subjected to vacuum to remove water or any other solvents it may contain.
This causes a solid (the frozen water contained in food) to turn directly into vapour, without passing through a liquid phase, resulting in perfect dehydration.
For example, our fruit toppings are made this way: the orange in our pistachio topping and the lime and lemon in our cashew topping.
What is Fleur de Sel?
"Flower of salt" is widely used for plating, as a garnish and to create textures.
It is usually sprinkled on meat, fish, salads or other dishes as a finishing touch to enhance their flavour and create texture.
This salt is obtained by evaporating seawater (usually in salt pans) and only "Virgin Sea Salt" is obtained from the surface layer of seawater when it evaporates in the sun and wind.
The thin layer that remains when the water evaporates is salt, usually in flakes, and is called "Fleur de Sel".
SALT FLOWER = VIRGIN SEA SALT.
According to Royal Decree 1634/2011, which modifies Royal Decree 1424/1983, which approved the Technical-Sanitary Regulations for the production, distribution and sale of edible salt and brine, sea salt is salt obtained from the evaporation of seawater.
The Royal Decree stipulates that "virgin sea salt" can be called "flor de sal" when the floating layer of salt crystallised on the surface of the water in the crystallisers, formed exclusively by the action of the wind and sun, is harvested manually and, without washing or adding any ingredients, is collected for consumption.
What is our roasting process like?
Our roasting process is very special and delicate, as we roast the nuts on horizontal trays with a single layer of nuts, without allowing them to overlap, and turning them by hand every 8 minutes to achieve perfect roasting, to the maximum crispness that can be achieved, which is why our nuts have that special crunch.
This special roasting process can be verified not only by tasting the nuts, but also by breaking one in half and looking inside, where you will see that it is completely golden brown.
What should I do and how should I proceed if there is a problem with my order?
1) Check whether the goods have been knocked or crushed, resulting in breakages 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 four points, please follow these instructions:
1) If it is one of the first three, make a written note on the carrier's delivery note about the issue in question.
2) If there is any breakage 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 pay for the incident.
Please see our Quality and Incident Policy here.
Why do we only use natural ingredients and why are all our nuts allergen-free?
At Finca La Rosala, we believe that food producers and processors must ensure the highest quality in our foods, without artificial ingredients and trying to reduce all possible allergens in each of them.
Better food can be produced 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 Honey Pecans and Golden Almonds, which contain rosemary honey).
Why does Finca La Rosala only use top-quality raw materials and, where possible, sourced from Spain?
Our goal is to have the best nuts on the market, which is why at Finca La Rosala we are constantly searching for the best quality and largest sizes of each nut.
Furthermore, at Finca La Rosala we support local and national products as much as possible. Obviously, cashews are not grown in Spain, so we have to buy them from another source. The same applies to our peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans. Although there is production in Spain (of very small peanuts and pecans and established walnuts and hazelnuts), we cannot buy them due to the lack of stability in purchasing throughout the 365 days of the year. However, all our varieties of pistachios (organic pistachios from our La Rosala farm and conventional pistachios from friendly plantations in Castilla La Mancha) and almonds are Spanish, top quality and of the highest calibre.
Please note that both the origin and the calibre are indicated on each product page.
Did you know that the nuts we usually eat raw are not fresh but "dry"?
Raw nuts, when they are fresh and have only been harvested a few months ago, or have been stored in a cold room at 4-6ºC for no more than 1 year (until the next harvest), are soft and moist because they still contain a higher percentage of water, and they also have a stronger flavour.
If you eat "raw" nuts and they are "crunchy", they are raw nuts that have not been stored properly or are from a harvest prior to the last one (in some cases both), and have dried out over time.
Well-preserved raw nuts from the last harvest: Moist + Strong flavour. Poorly preserved and/or old raw nuts: Dry + Mild flavour.
What is the difference between Jumbo Peanuts and the rest of our peanuts (from the same Runner 38/42 variety)?
Our Jumbo Peanut is one of the crunchiest peanuts (be warned that some palates may find it "hard") on the market, as it is roasted for that purpose. This is its main characteristic, which sets it apart from our other peanut products, for which we use the most common/well-known peanut (runner), which is creamier.
For this specific reason, we only sell Jumbo Peanuts individually, as it is a very specific product that has a more particular audience. This Jumbo Peanut was the legendary "Panchito" that Angelito roasted exceptionally well and with which we learned to roast our nuts.
What is the difference between our different varieties of almonds: Largueta, Valencia and Marcona?
At Finca La Rosala we have three varieties of almonds, each with unique and different properties:
Largueta almonds: These almonds are more fibrous and are best for roasting. Once roasted, the skin can be removed with a simple snap of the fingers. They are available with the skin on, roasted, with or without salt.
Valencia almonds: Sweet, rich almonds, ideal for almost any use. They are the most commonly used (without skin) in cooking and baking, as well as a snack. They are available with or without the raw skin and with or without the roasted skin, with or without salt (roasted only without the skin, as once roasted the skin is very difficult to remove).
Marcona almonds: 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 haute patisserie). Only available without skin, but raw, roasted with or without 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 learn more about the varieties of Spanish almonds, we invite you to visit the website of the Spanish Almond and Hazelnut Exporters Association.
Does Finca La Rosala produce any of the nuts offered in our online shop?
Finca La Rosala is the name of our estate, which is located 8 km south of Calzada de Calatrava. The name Rosala dates back to the 19th century, when it was called Rosada, as the soil is reddish-pink, which, over time, became Rosala. There, in La Rosala, we have had an organic pistachio plantation covering some 22 hectares since 2009, so you can enjoy our organic pistachios bought directly from us.
Did you know that nuts should always be stored in the refrigerator?
Very few people know that nuts should be stored in the refrigerator, but they must be sealed tightly (in zip-lock bags or glass jars), because if they are not sealed tightly, they will become damp.
Here you can see an audiovisual explanation
The reason for storing them in a cool place (4-6ºC) is because this way they retain all their organoleptic properties for much longer. Once opened, sealed tightly and stored in the refrigerator, they last up to a year as if they were fresh. They retain all their properties and, if they are roasted, their perfect texture. Try it yourself at home, you'll be surprised!
PS: It is recommended to take them out 10 minutes before consumption to allow them to warm up, as cold temperatures slightly reduce the flavour, as with most foods stored in the refrigerator.
Did you know that fried nuts are much more harmful to your health than roasted nuts?
Nuts are high in calories and vegetable fats, which are good for our bodies and are burned quickly, but if we fry them, we are adding even more fats, which are not so good.
This also makes them heavier and more difficult for the body to digest, causing stomach pain for people with sensitive stomachs.
At Finca La Rosala, we strongly recommend, as do all nutritionists, that nuts be eaten raw or roasted (roasted without salt or anything else is the healthiest way to eat them), just as we prepare them.
Why do bitter almonds occur and how is Spain working to eradicate them?
The issue of bitter almonds is almost inevitable. At Finca La Rosala, we are constantly reminding our suppliers to monitor this issue, and they recommend that we buy large sizes, in which bitter almonds are difficult to find, but even so, some always slip through. 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 their harvest and will have a tree that produces bitter almonds and spoils the entire batch.
The main cause of bitter almonds is the presence of a specific gene that produces amygdalin, a toxic compound that gives almonds a bitter taste. This gene can be transmitted hereditarily in certain varieties of almond trees and spreads through the sexual reproduction of plants.
Various strategies are being implemented to eradicate this problem. In Spain, research and genetic analysis are being carried out to identify and eliminate trees that carry this gene. In addition, the use of sweet almond varieties that are resistant to bitterness is being promoted. Awareness campaigns are also being carried out to encourage farmers to take preventive measures and 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 should I do if I detect bitter almonds?
At Finca La Rosala, we take any complaints about the quality of our products very seriously, as 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 WhatsApp Business number +34 651 80 88 19:
• Order number
• Product code or reference
• Photo of the back of the bag where you will see the batch number
We will forward your query to our Quality Control department and resolve the issue by arranging for the product to be returned or replaced, as well as reporting the case directly to our almond supplier, as we do not produce almonds on our farm.
How do we roast nuts to preserve as many 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, colour, 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 a low heat, as our mothers, grandmothers and cooking experts did. This allows us to enjoy all its flavour, aroma, texture, etc.
When roasting nuts, we have to do so at a minimum medium temperature in order to preserve not all of their properties, but quite a few, which is between 130 and 150 degrees. If we roast them at a low temperature, the nuts become pale, whitish and unattractive in appearance, and if we roast them at a high temperature between 170 and 220 degrees, as most people do, they become darker and less tasty, as they lose almost all their properties.
It should be noted that when cooking at low temperatures, it takes a long time for food to cook, whereas when cooking at high temperatures, the cooking time is very short, 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 ensure that the nut is roasted on the inside, not burnt, and has a yellow/orange colour on the outside, which indicates that it has been roasted to perfection.
How do you remove the skin from almonds and thus the antinutrients?
All almonds are blanched in boiling water for one minute or less, then left to cool, after which their skins can be easily removed using a standard peeler. The skins can also be removed by hand.
This process removes the anti-nutrients, as these are found in the skin rather than in the almond kernel itself.