Eating Walnuts
The most familiar way to eat walnuts is as shelled nut kernels or as in-shell
walnuts that has long been a tradition of the Christmas season in Western
European cultures.
However, this is not the only way large quantities of walnuts are consumed.
- Salted pickled walnuts
Immature green walnuts (still inside the green husks) are picked prior to
the shell hardening. Nuts are pickled in brine. To serve, slice thinly and
serve with some good, stronger tasting cheese. This goes well with a good port, etc. There a few local producers of this delicacy but imported
versions are available from speciality food stores.
- Sugar pickled walnuts
Similar to salted pickled walnuts but cured in sugar syrup. These are eaten
as a sweet with cream or ice cream. Produced in Romania but not generally
available. Please let us know if you know of a source of this speciality.
- Fresh walnuts (not dried)
There is a major market for these in Europe. Nuts are sold immediately after
they fall from the tree. In this form, the walnuts need to be treated like
fresh fruit and are kept in cold storage. They only last a few weeks. While
popular in Europe, these are not generally available in Australia except
directly from a few growers. If you would like to make contact with growers
able to sell in form, please let us know so that we can attempt to put you
in contact with an appropriate supplier.
- Walnut oil
Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (much richer than any other of the
table nuts (see "Nutritional
Info." link). The oil from walnuts is a concentrated source of such
beneficial fats as well as being a delicious addition to your salad
dressing.
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Just a note on storing walnut oils: For best shelf life, buy walnut
oils in tins or keep the oil in a cupboard away from the light. This is true
for any unsaturated oil, not just walnut oil. While attractively shaped
bottles can help sell the product, something in an ugly tin will keep
fresher for longer.
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- In-shell (dried) walnuts - the way Australians are used to buying them
The moisture content of fresh walnuts as they fall from the tree varies
according to climatic conditions from 10-30%. The freshly harvested nuts are
dried to 8% total moisture content. In this form the nuts in-shell can be
kept for up to 2 years if stored correctly*.
- Walnut kernels (shelled walnuts)
Walnuts that have discoloured shells, etc, that cannot be sold are typically
shelled and sold as kernels. In addition, there is a large market for walnut
kernels for use in manufacturing in cakes and confectionary. Any sort of
strong or bitter taste indicates nuts that are too old and have gone rancid*.
(* Nuts that have been kept too long have a stronger
bitter taste (rancidity) and have put generations (particularly in the UK) off
walnuts for life. See also the comments re age of some in-shell and kernel walnuts under
"Major Producers".)
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Home
Opening Walnuts
Fresh Walnuts
Nutritional Info.
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