Late summer brings a noticeable change to Northern California almond orchards. The green hulls that have protected the developing almonds for months begin to split open, orchard floors are prepared, equipment starts moving, and almond farmers know one of the most important times of the year has arrived: harvest season.
But how are almonds harvested from thousands of trees and eventually turned into the almonds, almond butter, and snacks you enjoy at home?
Unlike fruit that is picked individually from a tree, farmers harvest almonds through a carefully timed process that uses specialized equipment, California sunshine, and plenty of farming experience. And while the basic steps may sound straightforward, knowing exactly when to begin can make all the difference.
At Maisie Jane's, almond harvest is especially meaningful. With four generations of almond farming behind our family, we know that harvest represents much more than a few busy weeks in the orchard. It is the result of an entire growing season of caring for the trees, supporting pollination, managing water, watching the crop develop, and responding to whatever the seasons bring.
So, how are almonds harvested, how do farmers know when they're ready, and what happens after the almonds leave the orchard?
Let's take you into the orchard during California almond harvest season to find out.
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How Do Farmers Know When It's Time to Harvest Almonds?
Before asking how are almonds harvested, it helps to understand how farmers know the crop is ready in the first place.
Almonds grow inside a protective outer hull. As the nut matures during the summer, that green hull begins to dry and naturally split open, eventually exposing the almond shell inside. This process is known as hull split, and it is one of the signs farmers watch as harvest season approaches.
Timing is critical. Farmers cannot simply choose the same date every late-July/August and begin harvesting almonds. Weather throughout the growing season, orchard conditions, tree health, and almond variety can all influence when a crop reaches maturity.
Farmers spend time walking their orchards and examining the almonds to determine whether the hulls have opened sufficiently and the crop has reached the proper stage for shaking.
Starting too early can leave immature almonds attached to the trees. Waiting too long can create other challenges, including exposure to pests or unfavorable weather later in the season.
California grows more than 30 almond varieties, and each has its own characteristics and maturation schedule. One variety may be ready to shake while another in the same orchard needs additional time.
Knowing when to harvest almonds therefore takes more than looking at a calendar. It requires experience with the trees, varieties, orchard, and growing conditions of that particular year.
How Are Almonds Harvested in California?
So, how are almonds harvested once farmers determine that the crop is ready?
Almond harvesting is a combination of special technology and natural drying. Rather than hand-picking individual nuts, farmers use equipment designed to efficiently move thousands of almonds from the trees to transportation trailers.
The process happens in four main stages.
Stage 1: Shaking the Trees
The first step in harvesting almonds is getting them off the trees.
A machine called a tree shaker moves through the orchard one tree at a time. The machine carefully grips the trunk and rapidly shakes the tree for a short period, causing ripe almonds to fall onto the orchard floor.
In a matter of seconds, a tree that spent months carrying its crop can release thousands of almonds.
The timing farmers carefully watched for earlier in the season becomes especially important here. Almonds need to be mature and dry enough to release properly when the tree is shaken.
Check out this almond shaking video on our socials!
Stage 2: Drying in the California Sunshine
After shaking, the almonds aren't immediately loaded onto a truck.
Instead, they remain on the orchard floor to continue drying naturally. California's hot, dry summer conditions provide an ideal environment for reducing the moisture remaining in the hulls and shells.
Depending on conditions, almonds may remain on the ground for several days before they are ready for pickup.
Stage 3: Sweeping Almonds into Windrows
Once the almonds have had time to dry, specialized sweepers move through the orchard.
Rather than collecting the almonds immediately, the equipment sweeps them away from the bases of the trees and into long, narrow rows down the center of the orchard aisle. These piles are known as windrows.
Creating an organized windrow makes it possible for pickup equipment to collect the crop when moving through the orchard.
Stage 4: Picking Up and Loading the Almonds
The final orchard stage involves collecting those windrows.
Pickup machines travel over the rows of almonds, lifting them from the orchard floor while helping separate out loose dirt, leaves, and small pieces of orchard debris.
From there, the almonds are transferred into equipment that carries them to waiting trailers. Once loaded, they are ready to leave the orchard and move on to the next stage of their journey.
What Happens After Almonds Leave the Orchard?
We've answered how are almonds harvested from the trees, but the almonds still look very different from what you see on a grocery store shelf.
After leaving the orchard, harvested almonds are transported to a huller and sheller.
The almond itself is protected by several layers. The outer hull surrounds a hard shell, and inside that shell is the almond we eat.
At the huller and sheller, specialized equipment removes those outer layers and separates the almond kernels from the hulls and shells. The almonds can then be cleaned, sorted, and prepared for the next steps in processing.
From there, the journey depends on what the almonds will eventually become.
Some may be prepared as raw almonds. Others may be roasted and seasoned, covered in chocolate, chopped for other products, or ground into almond butter.
For Maisie Jane's, this next stage is where generations of farming knowledge meet more than 30 years of creating almond products.
From Harvested Almonds to Maisie Jane's Products
After harvest, the almonds are hulled, shelled, cleaned, and prepared for their next step. From there, Maisie Jane's transforms California almonds into many of the products our customers know and love, from whole almonds and flavored snacks to creamy almond butter.
For our roasted almond products, the process starts with dry roasting. Maisie Jane's dry roasts almonds without added roasting oils using traditional barrel-style fire roasters. This time-honored method develops a light, satisfying crunch and brings out the almonds' naturally rich, roasted flavor without coating them in additional oils.
Those dry roasted almonds can then become a variety of Maisie Jane's favorites. Some are seasoned to create flavorful almond snacks, while others are ground into our smooth and crunchy almond butters. Our 1-Ingredient Almond Butter keeps things especially simple, allowing the roasted flavor of the almonds to take center stage without added oils or unnecessary ingredients.
Other almonds are kept raw, providing another simple way to enjoy the crop after harvest.
From whole almonds to almond butter, harvesting almonds is only the beginning of their journey. The care that starts in the orchard continues through processing, roasting, and packaging until the finished Maisie Jane's product is ready to make its way to your pantry.
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Four Generations of Knowing Almonds
Machines play an important role in harvesting almonds, but experience remains one of a farmer's most valuable tools.
Maisie Jane's family has been farming almonds in Northern California for four generations. Over that time, the family has watched farming equipment evolve, orchard practices improve, and new knowledge change how almonds are grown.
But some parts of farming still come down to knowing your crop.
Farmers learn to recognize how varieties behave, what the trees are communicating, when changing weather requires a new plan, and when the almonds have reached the right stage to begin harvest.
That knowledge is especially valuable because every growing season is different. Farmers can plan extensively, but nature ultimately makes the schedule.
Each almond variety has characteristics that make it unique, much like different varieties of wine grapes. Understanding those differences helps farmers make better decisions in the orchard and helps us select almonds for the products we make after harvest.
How Are Almonds Harvested? From Our Orchard to Your Pantry
The next time you hold an almond in your hand, it may be hard to imagine everything that happened before it reached you.
So, how are almonds harvested? With specialized equipment, careful timing, California sunshine, and farmers who understand that every decision made during those busy weeks can influence the quality of the final crop.
For the Maisie Jane's family, harvest is also a connection between generations. The almonds coming out of Northern California orchards today continue a farming tradition that began many years ago, becoming products that can be shared at tables across the country.
Shop Maisie Jane's California almonds and taste what starts right here in the orchard.
