A guide to serving nuts on holiday tables

When the doorbell starts ringing on the morning of a holiday, one of the first things set out for guests is usually a bowl of nuts. With a little planning, that bowl can look inviting and suit many different tastes. In this article we have gathered some tips for choosing and serving nuts when you are hosting over the holidays.

Put together a balanced selection

The secret of a good serving platter is variety. Rather than piling up a single product, balancing salty, plain and sweet flavours lets every guest find something they like.

• The classics: pistachios, hazelnut kernels and almonds form the core of the platter.
• Crowd-pleasers: roasted chickpeas, cashews and salted peanuts keep the conversation going.
• A sweet touch: dried apricots and sugar-coated chickpeas are especially popular with children.
• Plain options: raw almonds or walnut kernels are a good alternative for guests watching their salt intake.

You can also think about colour as you build the platter: the green of pistachios, the orange of apricots, the brown of almonds and the pale tones of leblebi side by side make the platter inviting all on its own.

Small touches in presentation

Mixing everything together on one big plate may seem practical, but the flavours and textures can run into each other. Dried fruit can take the crunch out of roasted nuts, and salty products can spoil the taste of sweet ones. Instead, use a divided serving dish or a row of small bowls.

If you are serving peanuts in their shells or sunflower seeds, don’t forget to put an empty bowl alongside for the shells. Filling the bowls just before serving and topping them up as the day goes on stops the nuts from sitting out for too long and absorbing moisture.

How much to buy and how to store it

Holiday visits are spread over several days, so it is hard to predict how much you will need. It is best to shop close to the holiday and keep the products unopened in a cool, dry place. If you move opened packs into containers with tight-fitting lids, you can serve them on the last day of the holiday just as fresh as on the first.

If you want to keep the platter full across several visits, putting out small amounts of each product and topping up often reduces waste and keeps the platter looking cared for.

A few notes on children and allergies

Whole nuts are not recommended for young children because of the risk of choking, and treats such as sugar-coated chickpeas should be given under adult supervision. If any of your guests have a nut allergy, it is a good idea to prepare a separate nut-free treat for them and to check the allergen information on the packaging.

Much of the joy of a holiday lies in the tables we share. A carefully prepared nut platter is a small but essential part of them.