Ten years on my list of top culinary accoutrements!
This is, by far, the best almond butter I’ve ever tried. And it’s most definitely the only one that’s won my heart—in a few short months this stuff became a regular part of my eating routine. If you’re inclined towards almonds, you’ll find that you’re equally enamored with it. And if you like great peanut butter—like the so-delicious Koeze brand we bring down from Grand Rapids, I have a feeling you’re going to really enjoy this stuff too.
Georgia Grinders Almond Butter is the brainchild of Jaime Foster who lives outside Atlanta. She decided to produce and sell the simple and delicious almond butter her grandfather had been making at home for years. It’s remarkably straightforward, but the key is its simplicity—just really high-quality almonds bought from one particular farm in California, ground in small batches with no added sugar, oil, emulsifiers, gums, or artificial additives at all. All Georgia Grinders does is gently roast the almonds, then grind them a few pounds at a time to preserve the natural flavor, and add a bit of coarse sea salt. Jaime leaves the butter a bit coarser and crunchier than most—the ratio of almond pieces to ground butter is very high, so it doesn’t taste gummy or sticky at all. Just deeply, deliciously, of almonds!
If you’re looking for a great breakfast, light lunch, or mid-afternoon way to up your emotional ante, swing by the Coffee Company where the Almond Butter is on the Eric’s AB&J: almond butter and raspberry jam (also from Georgia) spread generously onto toasted Roadhouse bread from the Bakehouse (one of my favorites)!
For what it’s worth, it’s also really good for you—almond butter has been tied to cardiac health and lower blood pressure, and it’s high in antioxidants. Personally, I most often just eat the almond butter right out of the jar. It’s also great though on almond butter, honey, and banana sandwiches. Or almond butter and bacon on buttered whole-wheat toast! Pretty much anything that’d be good with peanut butter is also great with this old-school nut butter from the South. A while back I mixed it with sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to make a really excellent almond butter vinaigrette for salad. Stuff a small spoonful of the almond butter into one of the magical Rancho Meladuco dates. Or put a little on one of those Glasgow’s Graham Crackers from the Bakehouse! Amazing, delicious, and, even after 10 years of eating it, I’m as enthused now as ever!
