Is there a difference between almond extract and almond oil? And if so, what is it?

Question

I had been looking off and on for "almond oil" for the past few months, whenever I'd go to the grocery store, but I'd never be able to find it. Then, today...when I was at Walmart, I was looking through the different brands and sizes of vanilla extract, when I see "almond extract." Never even knew there was a such thing.

Are almond oil and almond extract the same thing? And if not, could they be used almost interchangeably? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Almond extract is only the flavor of almonds. It is used in baked goods.

From the Food Network website: "almond extract
Definition: A flavoring produced by combining bitter-almond oil with ethyl alcohol. The flavor is very intense, so the extract should be used with care. See also extracts.


--Copyright (c) 1995 by Barron's Educational Series, from The New Food Lover's Companion, Second Edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst " (http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/encyclopedia/termdetail/0,7770,84,00.html)


Almond oil is pure oil extracted by crushing almonds. It is light and clear w/ a fairly neutral taste. Almond can be used in salad dressings or in beauty treatments (ex. lotions, massage oil, etc.). If you can't find almond oil, consider hazelnut oil or walnut oil.

From the Food Network website:

"Definition: An oil obtained by pressing sweet almonds. French almond oil, huile d'amande, is very expensive and has the delicate flavor and aroma of lightly toasted almonds. The U.S. variety is much milder and doesn't compare either in flavor or in price. Almond oil can be found in specialty gourmet markets and many supermarkets.


--Copyright (c) 1995 by Barron's Educational Series, from The New Food Lover's Companion, Second Edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst " (http://web.foodnetwork.com/food/web/encyclopedia/termdetail/0,,85,00.html)

You can find almond oil w/ the cooking oils in fancy grocery stores or in the health & beauty section of stores like Trader Joe's.

Answer 2

Bitter Almond Extract

Answer 3

I buy almond oil from King Arthur Baking company. The difference is great between the almond oil and the extract. Oil is much stronger, more potent. I use it interchangeably only by diluting the oil with vanilla, using a quarter or half of what the recipe calls for in the extract. it's very potent.

Answer 4

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It isn't that one has more sugar added (who adds sugar to oil), it's that one comes from the bitter almond, and one comes from the sweet almond. There are two forms of the plant, one (often with white flowers) producing sweet almonds, and the other (often with pink flowers) producing bitter almonds. The kernel of the former contains a fixed oil and emulsion. As late as the early 20th century the oil was used internally in medicine, with the stipulation that it must not be adulterated with that of the bitter almond; it remains fairly popular in alternative medicine, particularly as a carrier oil in aromatherapy, but has fallen out of prescription among doctors. The bitter almond is rather broader and shorter than the sweet almond, and contains about 50% of the fixed oil which also occurs in sweet almonds. It also contains the enzyme emulsin which, in the presence of water, acts on a soluble glucoside, amygdalin, yielding glucose, cyanide and the essential oil of bitter almonds, which is nearly pure benzaldehyde. Bitter almonds may yield from 4–9 mg of hydrogen cyanide per almond. Extract of bitter almond was once used medicinally, but even in small doses effects are severe and in larger doses can be deadly; the cyanide must be removed before consumption.

Answer 5

Amond extract is basically almond oil diluted with water and alcohol, so there is a difference, but its a slight one. Im not sure if you can use them interchangeably, but I imagine it wouldnt make very much of a difference. Hope I helped some!


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