Preparation

In a conventional oven

• Heat the oven to 300ºF. Heat all the ingredients except the nuts in a small saucepan over medium heat to release the flavors and dissolve the salt. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add the nuts. Toss and stir the nuts to coat them thoroughly. Spread them in a single layer on a foil-lined jellyroll pan. Bake for 30 min., stirring well every 10 min., until the nuts are deeply browned. Slide the foil out of the pan onto a cooling rack and let the nuts cool completely.

In a microwave

• Put all the ingredients except the nuts in the largest shallow dish that fits in your microwave. Heat on high for 1 min. to release the flavors and melt the butter. Stir to combine. Add the nuts, tossing and stirring to thoroughly coat them. Toast the nuts on high for 6 min., stirring well at 2-min. intervals to redistribute the seasonings. Rotate the dish occasionally if your microwave doesn’t have a carousel. Spread the nuts on a length of foil to cool.

For either method

• Store in airtight containers or plastic freezer bags.