Store walnuts properly

Walnuts are a great source of healthy fats that are good for our heart. You should eat walnuts in moderation (they contain a lot of fat you know), but if you do, you will benefit. Walnuts also support brain health, have anti-inflammatory properties, are rich in antioxidants and have an overall positive effect on gut health. Walnut harvest is at its peak around this time so, get some.

When should you harvest walnuts?

It is rather easy to know when walnuts are ripe enough. As soon as walnuts start falling from trees, you can start collecting. The tree first develops green shelves, which will crack eventually. A walnut in a green shell is not fully ripe, but you can eat it. Well, you have to peel the skin from the kernels because it is a bit bitter. If you collect walnuts in green shelves, leave them on a windowsill for a few days and they will ripen. It is much better to wait until the green shell turns brown and the nut falls from the tree.

Photo: Pixabay

Walnut picking tips

You can spread a tarp or canvas under your tree to make walnuts more visible. If you do not want to get your hands dirty (walnuts release juice which turn dark brown and you cannot wash it off for several days), put on gloves before collecting walnuts. A great idea is to pick walnuts after a strong wind. Do not collect during strong winds. Some walnuts may end up hitting you in the head…. If you do not want to wait for a wind, try shaking walnuts with a long stick. If the shelves did not separate, you need to do it yourself. Do not wait and do not let walnuts lie on the ground for too long, they will go bad.

Drying walnuts

When you done harvesting place walnuts in boxes. Make sure they can breathe. If possible, make one layer of walnuts and let them dry for several days. Only when they are dry enough you can pile them up. One week of drying is sufficient, providing that the weather is dry and sunny. If it is raining and it is cold, you need to put walnuts in a garage, basement or a dark room for about two weeks. Some people let nuts dry for a month. Just to be safe.

Storing walnuts

When walnuts are dry enough you can pour them into a breathable bag. The easiest way to store walnuts is in shelves. Store in a dark and dry place. A good idea is to hang bags with walnuts to prevent ground moisture from seeping into bags. Do not place bags on the ground! It is true that shelves protect nuts from mould and moisture for up to 3 years but the conditions must be ideal! Peeled walnuts in a fridge can last up to 3 months and up to 12 months in a freezer.

Source:

https://www.ruralsprout.com/harvesting-walnuts/

https://thisnzlife.co.nz/walnuts-101-how-to-grow-store-and-cook-walnuts/

Preview photo: Pixabay