Parrinello - Azienda Agricola

As soon as we pick the almomds they need to have the hull removed. In the past the process was manual but now we use specific equipment; a supply hopper and a cylindrical chamber with cracks on its sides, and a shaft in the centre of the hopper, fitted with blades. The almonds are put into the hopper and then in the cylindrical chamber. The hulls are removed and the almonds are expelled.

The almonds are now without the hull. So they need to be dried, in order to reduce the humidity. They can be dried by a dryer or they can ba dried in the sun. The drying takes about 3-4 days and finishes when the almonds are ready, that is when the sound of the almonds knocking on their shell can be heard. At this point the humidity rate is about 8-10%.

In the past this process was manual, but today a specific equipment is used. This equipment shells the almonds and separates the broken shells by ventilation. As soon as the almonds are shelled, they can be sold as they are or can be subjected to further processes, in order to obtain other products.

The cotyledons seedcoats are removed mecanically by friction, but first the almonds need to be scalded in water (80-90 ° C) for about 5-6 minutes. Then the almonds are dried in a dry air oven for about 100 minutes. Finally they are cooled, in order to avoid condensate and, therefore, reabsorption of the humidity.

A first selection occurs thanks to an optical sorting machine that separates possible residual Seedcoats. Successively a second manual selection on a conveyer belt is done, in order to separate And assure an impeccable product to our customers.

This process consists in selecting the almonds mechanically, basing on several factors (size, weight, shape). The calipers used are 37/38 and 34/36.