Barsy's Almonds is all over the map!

We're proud to announce that Barsy's Almonds is now in 21 states! Check out our Where To Buy page on our website to find our complete list.
We're especially proud of this accomplishment because we don't work with a distributor. Nope. So every single one of those Co-ops, grocery stores and specialty stores was added one by one over the last six years. It's not the most efficient way to get our product on the shelves, but it does have some invaluable advantages:
1. We build a personal relationship with every store, which means we get really good at anticipating orders. This lets us fine tune our baking schedule, so stock is never more than a week old when it ships and 90% of it ships within two days.
2. It helps us keep prices as low as possible. Since we are a very small-scale operation we don't have the economies of scale the big food manufacturers have, which means every bit of savings is a help - and that includes distributor fees.
3. We get to know the unique story of every store, even the ones we only reach through email or the phone. We've heard some truly fascinating histories. This has been a particular joy for us. And the perfect antidote to the sometimes exhausting tedium of running a small business.
4. We make great friendships! Turns out the folks we deal with are some of the nicest, brightest and most interesting folks around. No kidding! You want to meet great, committed people? Start chatting up the clerks at your local co-op. Trust us.
5. We get great feedback. We've made a lot of changes to our business operations and a big percentage of them have been in direct response to suggestions from our various store contacts.

Did you know Barsy's Almonds has been professionally paired with local beer? And no, we don't just mean in your den. Heavy Table had a great article about us a couple of years ago. They did the hard work of tasting and testing a number of local brews to see which ones went best with each of our almonds. That kind of selfless dedication is hard to fathom.
Anyhoo, go to the article in Heavy Table to see the results. We're especially amused by the surprise pairing with Smokies.

Lake Wine&Spirits Best Cheese Shop For 2013

Our friends at Lake Wine and Spirits (404 West lake Street, 612-354-7194) are way tickled that City Pages has chosen them Best Cheese Shop for 2013. CP said they have a "friendly, helpful staff," and an "unpretentious corner-market vibe."

"A fairly recent (and sorely needed) addition to Minneapolis's Whittier neighborhood, Lake Wine and Spirits is your one-stop shop for a Friday night party run or an evening in with a block of cheese, a baguette, and two bottles of wine."

We'd like to think that we had something to do with CP's choice, so pick up some Smokies, Sweeties, Naughties, Hotties, and Stuffies while you're getting the cheese, baguette, and vino.

Recipe, 3 Weekend Demos

We'll be at three stores this weekend, introducing Barsy's Almonds to new friends.

Friday, 11-1, we'll be at both Mississippi Markets in St. Paul, 1500 7th Street West, and 622 Selby (Selby at Dale).

Saturday, 12-3, we'll be at the Edina Whole Foods, 7401 France Avenue South. It's Local Vendor Day, and we'll be helping the Edina WF celebrate its First Anniversary.

Here's a recipe for Barsy's Almond Berries. Thanks again to Jeanette and Christopher for this tasty treat.

1 pint Strawberries (I know we're rushing the season, but I'm tired of winter!)

1/2 pint blueberries

1/2 cup of your favorite Barsy's Almonds (Call me conservative, but I'm going with Sweeties. Don't let me stop you from getting a little daring, though, with -- say -- Hotties.)

1 cup amaretto liquer

Mix berries together in a bowl. Pour amaretto over the berries and toss well. Cover and chill. Sprinkle almonds on top before serving.

The Creation of Barsy's Almonds

Maybe it would be a good idea to talk about what we're talking about here.

The Barsy's website, http://barsysalmonds.com/index.html, says this about Barbara and Jason:

            Tired of working in an office for someone else,
            they were determined to start a business of their
            own. But what kind of business?

They had been the creative team for a business-to-business mail order company which its founder had bootstrapped from himself, an accountant, and a shipping-receiving guy to a thirty-some-employee, eight-digit concern. In failing health, and not up to the challenges presented by the Internet, the founder sold his brainchild to a company full of bean counters that buys going concerns from people who know what they're doing. It was the turn of the millennium.

The two hung in there for a few years. In 2008, they took a recipe of Barbara's -- Smokies -- to Minneapolis' Midtown Farmers' Market. Smokies were a hit!

What are Smokies? Here's what the website -- http://barsysalmonds.com/about.html -- says:

         Sometimes called our “regular almonds”, these are
         the first almonds we sold and they’re still
         our most popular. They feature a deep hickory flavor
         that’s been called “vegan bacon”. The delightful
         crust is nutritional yeast, believe it or not.
         Wonderful with beer!

That "delightful crust" gives Smokies the savory, umami flavor that rockets Smokies to the next level of sensation. (Umami is a Japanese word for one of five basic flavors, along with sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. It's the one they didn't teach me in fifth grade science.)

At the Midtown Farmers' Market Barbara and Jason realized they might be able to fulfill their dream of freedom and self reliance.

Customers suggested a cinnamon almond. Always alert for the surprising, subtle twist, Barbara and Jason covered almonds with the spices of chai lattes, and invented Sweeties. (Barbara has always made a fabulous cup of tea!)

They also created Naughties, Hotties, and Stuffies. A very bright niece suggested a maple-flavored almond, named Sappies, but so far the motif seems to be names that only just get by the censor.

More on Barsy's flavors later.

Green Beans Amandine Recipe

Here's Jeannette's and Christopher's recipe for Green Beans with Barsy's Almonds.

1    Pound fresh green beans, trimmed

1    Tablespoon olive oil

1/4 Teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 Cup of your favorite Barsy's Almonds

Heat oven to 375. Toss green beans in a baking pan with olive oil and salt. Bake 30 minutes. Stir in almonds.

I remember having something like this at my grandmother's house on Sundays. The grownups called them "Beans Amandine," and I wondered what "amandine' meant. Now I bake amandes. Around here, we call this "hot dish."

This will serve 4-6. The entire dish will have about 485 calories, 8 grams of protein, 47 grams of carbohydrate, 21 grams fiber, 20 grams of fat (the good kind), and pretty good vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

I think I'll make this with Hotties to spice up the evening.

Biscotti Recipe & Luck, Wisconsin

Saturday Barbara will be at the Natural Alternative Food Co-op in Luck, Wisconsin (241 South Main Street, 715-472-6544). It's Customer Appreciation Day. Drop by to say hi, and sample some Smokies, Sweeties, Naughties, Hotties, and Stuffies.

Take home some Naughties (or any other flavor) and try baking some of Christopher and Jeanette's Barsy's Almond Biscotti.

3 eggs

Grated peel of 2 oranges

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup of your favorite Barsy's Almonds

Heat oven to 300. Whisk egs, orange peel, vanilla and almond extract. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt, and add egg mixture, mixing until just blended. Stir in almonds.

Divide dough in half and form each half into a log measuring 12 by 1 1/2 inches and 1/2 inch thick. Bake on a prachment-lined baking sheet 50 minutes, until golden. Cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.

Reduce oven heat to 275. Slice biscotti 1/2 inch thick on a cutting board with a serated knife. Lay slices flat on baking sheets and bake 20 minutes until dry and lightly toasted, turning once. Cool on a cooling rack.

Almond Taxonomy: Or How Dogs Are Closer To Cats Than Almonds Are To Walnuts

We're putting on our Mr. Wizard hats today, and doing a little science.

Cats and dogs are closer to each other than almonds are to walnuts. Pretentious people everywhere call cats Felis catus (it's really not a Monty Python joke!). Cats are of the family Felidae and the order Carnivora. Dogs, Canis lupus familiaris, are of the family Canidae, and same order as cats, Carnivora.

Got that? Carnivora, at the "order" level, is the umbrella that dogs and cats share. Cute picture.

Almonds, Prunus amygdalus, are from the Rosaceae family and the Rosales order. Walnuts, Juglans regia, are of the Juglandaceae family and the Fagales order. So we have to go up one more level than dogs and cats to the Rosid clade to get an umbrella over both almonds and walnuts.

Well, that and a quarter will get you over the bridge at Keokuk.

Almonds are more closely related to peaches and other stone fruits. Notice the word "prune" hidden in their Latin name. An almond -- called a "drupe" -- is a seed, inside the fruit of an almond tree.

The fruit's flesh, we have read, is tough and fuzzy, and, looking at pictures, about as thick as an almond. That doesn't sound appetizing, and we've been to a lot of lavishly stocked grocery stores and never seen almond fruit.

But inside that leathery hide, crack open the stone, and there's a tasty, nutritious kernel of goodness. And Barsy's Almonds seasons and bakes ten tons of them -- and growing --  each year for you.

Recipe For Almond Pesto

Cook with almonds. Cook with Barsy's Almonds!

Friends Jeanette and Christopher gave us sixty recipes using Barsy's. Christopher is a chef, and has entertained us with some surprising, and very good vittles. Like his raspberry-thyme sherbet. Really good! We froze a bunch of spinach from last year's garden, and have been eating from that layer in the freezer lately, so here's Chris and Jeanette's recipe for Barsy's Spinach Almond Pesto.

1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup your favorite Barsy's Almonds
1 package or 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed almost dry
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until the mixture is the consitency you prefer.

We used Smokies, and -- confession -- used a full cup, skipping the pine nuts. It occurs to us that the daring might think a Hotties pesto mighty good.

Smoked Almond Salad Recipe

Barsy's Smokies have a rich, smoked, bacony flavor. But, like all of Barsy's Almonds, we make Smokies with no animal products or added fat.

Here's a salad that we've adapted to use Smokies. Barbara and husband, Tom, enjoyed the original in a St. Louis vegetarian restaurant thirty years ago. The chef there used sunflower seeds that had been roasted with soy sauce.

For each salad grate one medium carrot, and toss with a handful of raisins. Put a half cup of uncooked bean sprouts in the center of a salad bowl, and make a ring around it with the raisin-grated carrot mixture. Garnish with a quarter cup of chopped smokies, and dress with vineagar and oil, or your favorite dressing.

Almonds Are Good Food

We talk to a lot almond eaters. We meet them when we demo Barsy's Almonds, passing out samples, in the fifty-or-so Minnesota stores that carry them. We also demo frequently in Iowa, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, with occasional trips to Illinois, and plans for Michigan and East Coast tours.

Some of the folks we meet are kind enough to ask us the leading question, "Almonds are really good for you, aren't they?"

With a disclaimer for people who are allergic to nuts, yes, almonds are really good for you.

Almonds are a good source of protein, fiber, and energy. They're also full of B vitamins, Vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.

The oil in almonds is useful in reducing LDL, the "bad cholesterol," and Harvard's Nurse's Health Study found that women who ate five ounces or more of nuts a week had significantly less heart disease. The Sixth Edition of the Nutrition Almanac says that "Patients with Parkinson's disease have been found to have a lack of nuts in the diet, prior to contracting the disease."

Almonds taste good, too, and Barsy's Almonds are a treat that's real food.

Sample Barsy's Almonds In St. Peter, MN Saturday

Come to the St. Peter Food Co-op on Saturday. Barsy's Almonds will be the featured vendor, with Barbara passing out samples between 11:00 and 2:00

St. Peter is one of our favorite places, on US 169, and the Minnesota River, about an hour west of the Twin Cities. It's a small farming and college town that supports the co-op. Mortar boards mingle with feed caps at the co-op. It's a full-line grocery store, run by people who love and understand food, with plenty of bulk foods and a great deli with great coffee.

And the co-op carries all five Barsy's flavors: Smokies, Sweeties, Naughties, Hotties, and Stuffies.

That makes it a great place to fill in any gaps in your Barsy's education.

Barsy's Healthy Treats At Mississippi Market

Jason and Barbara met a lot of nice people and turned them onto Barsy's Almonds Saturday. St. Paul's Mississippi Markets were getting ready for the Super Bowl, and Jason was at the Selby Avenue, and Barbara was at 7th Street.

The Selby Mississippi Market is at 622 Selby Avenue in St. Paul, at the intersection with Dale. The 7th Street Market is at 1500 West 7th Street. Both Markets are large and airy, with everything you expect from a supermarket, but more and better.

The Mississippi Market website describes the stores as "St. Paul's premier source for local & organic produce, sustainably raised meats, health and wellness products, and delicious healthful food.

"...we're consumer owned and controlled and have been since we opened in 1979."

Here's a link to the Mississippi Market website: http://msmarket.coop/

Mazopiya in Prior Lake

What is a Mazopiya anyway? In the Dakota language it means, basically, a store. But the Mazopiya in Prior Lake, Minnesota, is hardly basic. You get the sense of great care and thought and community the minute you walk in. As they put it:

"Our mission is to support a healthy, sustainable community; environmentally, economically, and socially. We will focus on products that are locally produced and sourced. We will provide the highest quality natural and organic foods and exemplary customer service."


 Even the design and construction of the building was done with great care. As much of the building material was sourced locally and a lot of attention was paid to keeping waste and energy consumption to a minimum. The result is a delightful place to shop for delicious, healthy food.


We'll be there Friday, August 5, from 11-2 to join in their Grand Opening Celebration. Join us to sample lots of great, local food, including Barsy's Almonds, of course!

Meet your local food producers at White Bear Lake Kowalski's Market

On Saturday, July 30, we'll be participating in a yearly event we always look forward. That's when Kowalski's Markets celebrate their commitment to local sourcing by inviting dozens of local vendors into their stores to meet the customers, talk about their products and, of course, offer free samples.

We can speak from experience when we say Kowalski's is totally committed to sourcing as much as they can locally. This local chain goes out of its way to attract and support the best local bakers, growers, cheese makers, candy makers and, it goes without saying, almond roasters!

Anyone who's ever been at one their nine stores is immediately struck by how clean, well-stocked and easy-to-navigate the store is. And it doesn't take long to also notice the attentive, cheerful staff. Maybe that's because Kowalski's is committed to running their organization with an emphasis on democratic process and fair treatment.

You can meet up with Barbara on 7/30 at the White Bear Lake Kowalski's at 4291 S. Lake Street, White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Come and say hi and much on some almonds, then be sure to browse the store to get a sense of just how varied and vital our local food scene really is.
White Bear Lake, MN

Saint Cloud's Good Earth

Friday, June 24, Barbara will be at The Good Earth in Saint Cloud, Minnesota for lunch, dispensing good vibes and samples of Barsy's Almonds. Good Earth carries quarter pounds of all five Barsy's flavors, as well as Naughties in bulk.

Every Friday through September 2, The Good Earth hosts its "Good-for-You Cookout" from 11:30 to 2:00, offering deli selections and healthy grilled food. Barbara will miss John Hooper's yak burgers by a week (he's at Good Earth on the first Friday of every month), but she'll probably take time out for a portabella burger. If you're looking for healthful tasty Friday lunch, the Good Earth is the place to be in St. Cloud. Cookout cost is seven bucks; six to members.

While you're there -- Centennial Plaza, 2010 8th Street North (Veteran's Drive) -- get to know this community-owned source for least-cost nutritious food.

Check progress on the deli seating expansion, due to open the second week of July. Good Earth is committed to healthy lifestyles and cooperation between producers and consumers, with respect for the ultimate source of health and wealth always in mind. In addition to a pleasant atmosphere in which to enjoy your food, the expansion will include space for classes in preparing and enjoying nutritious foods that are good for your family and the environment.

Grand Opening - St. Peter Co-op

Join us in St. Peter, Minnesota on Saturday, June 11, to celebrate the grand opening of the St. Peter Food Co-op's new store. St. Peter is located in the Minnesota River Valley, about seventy miles southwest of the Twin Cities  on US 169, and twenty minutes northwest of Mankato. The new store is on the right at the intersection of 169 (Minnesota Avenue) and Mulberry Street, across from the Nicollet County Courthouse.

The St. Peter Co-op has been supplying the scenic home of Gustavus Adolphus College with healthy and delicious food since a handful of residents organized to supply themselves with better nutrition in 1979. The spacious new store is the Co-op's third location, and can supply a food-conscious household with everything it needs. The staff prides itself on "personalized customer service," "product expertise," and "customer advocacy." Store personnel have shopped for housebound patrons, and will special-order the odd item you don't find on the shelves.  There are free in-store classes, and Brand Development Manager Jennifer Luhmann says that members and staff "are passionate about food, about its look, smell, and taste. They know where it comes from and the people who supply it."

In addition to groceries (and nutritional supplements and body-care products), the Co-op includes a delicatessen with hot bar, sandwich- salad- and build-your-own-burrito bars. On the day I'm writing this, the hot bar features Teriyaki Chicken, Ma’sMashed Potatoes, Baked Penne, Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Vegetarian Sloppy Joes, Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Veggie Pizza, and Brown Rice.  Today's soups are Tomato Basil Feta and Cream of Spinach. Seating is airy and inviting. The day I visited, it was full of people enjoying tasty lunches with friends.

St. Peter carries all five Barsy's flavors -- Smokies, Sweeties, Naughties, Hotties, and Stuffies -- in bulk. We will be at the Grand Opening on the tenth to tempt you with free samples. Other local food suppliers with be on hand, too, showing off their wares.

Lanesboro Local and the Rhubarb Festival

We'll be doing a demo at Lanesboro Local in Lanesboro, Minnesota on Saturday, June 4, right smack in the middle of Lanesboro's wonderful Rhubarb Festival.


Lanesboro Local is an interesting and timely non-profit venture. Their mission is to support local growers and producers whose success directly contributes to the strength of the local economy. Through their website and their retail Marketplace in Lanesboro, they are building awareness of the true value of locally grown and produced goods. It's definitely a venture to watch.


It helps that they're located in a lovely town that's been going through a lively revitalization in recent years, thanks to plenty of pretty scenery, a charming town, a great location on a major bike trail and lots of local enterprise. There's even a nice little feature on them in the April 2011 Smithsonian!


As for the Rhubarb Festival, it promises to be a blast, with lots of rhubarb treats, music, games and the ever-popular Rhubarb Olympics.


Sounds like a nice weekend destination, no? Do join us at Lanesboro Local to sample our almonds and check out the local foods. Then head out into town for good times at the Rhubarb Festival.

Midtown Farmers Market

We'll be at out regular booth at the Midtown Farmers Market on Saturday, May 21 and it will feel like home. Why? Because in May 2007 this is where it all started. Back then, we sold one kind (Smokies) at one spot (Midtown) every Saturday through November. And it was the enthusiastic support we got from the market, the Corcoran Neighborhood and the folks who came to our booth that convinced us we had a product with legs.

We come back to the Midtown every year to support this lovely market, meet with our long-time customers, try out new flavors and just soak up the wonderful community atmosphere.

The Midtown Farmers Market was founded in 2003 by volunteers from seven South Minneapolis neighborhoods. This open-air farmers market was the result of their vision to create a public marketplace at the hub created by the new Hiawatha light rail station.

Since its inception, tremendous community support has enabled the Midtown Farmers Market to grow and evolve. It was the first Minnesota farmers market to accept SNAP-EBT. Each year over 60,000 people visit the market. Midtown Farmers Market shoppers’ votes propelled it to 4th place out of 5,272 farmers markets nationwide in the 2009 Local Harvest and Care2 Love Your Farmers Market Contest.

We'll be there several times this summer, so you'll have lots of chances to drop by. Check our Events Calendar for all the dates and come say hi!

Eastside Co-op Plant Sale

Don't let spring get away from you! Head to the lovely Eastside Food Co-op  in Northeast Minneapolis this Saturday (5/7) for their annual plant sale. You'll find everything you need to get your garden off to a great start including potting soil, compost, straw and, of course, lots of healthy fruit and vegetable plants.


We'll be there from 11 to 2, meeting with customers and handing out yummy samples. Come to say hi, nibble on some almonds and pick up your heirloom tomato plants.


Self-christened “The Little Co-op That Could,” the Eastside Food Co-op opened its store in Northeast Minneapolis on December 4, 2003 after a long, dedicated effort. They're totally committed to their community, offering not just great food, but classes, film nights, farmers markets and more. Not only that, they're just  really nice folks!