ALMONDS;-
The Sweet variety of almond cultivated in Kashmir is P.amygdalis var dulcis.There are number of types of this variety grown and classified depending upon the thickness of the shell. The almond is said to be native to central and western Asia. In India it is grown only in the valley of Kashmir. Kashmir is a fruit Bowl of the country , occupies around 60% of its total area under fruit trees and accounts for over 905 of the total production. The estimated area under Almonds is 17247 (ha) and produces 10,000 (MTS) per year. Thanks to its vast size and cold climate, which reduces pests and diseases the almonds of the valley are considered one of the best of its kind in the consumer market, it is because of its neutrality, and the product has established its name and fame in medicinal industry.
Almond fruit is long and pubescent with tough flesh, when the fruit ripens the husk or flesh splits open, exposing the nut or stone. At this stage the fruit is harvested, cleaned of the dried skin and dried in the sun for some time. They are then bleached which gives the surface of the shell a bright golden colour.The nut has a thick or thin pericarp which contains a flattened, long, oval seed with a brownish seed coat, Unshelled almonds keep well for about more than one year, while the kernel stays well for one or more years when kept in low temperatures.