Picking, Storing, and Preparing Walnuts

We have a large English Walnut tree at the GRUB Cooperative. This tree shades our outdoor kitchen and the CSA area during the summer. It also provides us with a generous source of nuts. This article discusses how we pick, store and prepare our walnuts.

Picking Walnuts

The tree's walnuts naturally fall to the ground in late fall and early winter. A big wind storm will often knock a lot of nuts off the tree. They can sit on the ground for a while. But it's best to crack a few before collecting a bunch to make sure that the majority of the nuts are edible. When they get too moist or sit on the ground for too long they will fall victim to molds and bugs.

Storage

We store our nuts in cardboard boxes in a dry and cool location. They last for quite a while.

Cracking

We use a hand cranked adjustable nut cracker. You can tell when it is the right size when it is just small enough to crack the majority of nuts in half.

Sprouting

Soak nuts in lots of water for 1.5 days. Change water on mornings and evenings.

Water should be clear after soaking.

Seasoning

Drain nuts. Place them into a bowl and, when still wet, add seasoning. You will want to add a lot of seasoning.

Stephanie's Garlic Mustard Seasoning

• Mustard Seed
• Garlic Powder
• Nutritional Yeast

Sammey's Curry Seasoning

Eileen's Cinnamon Sugar Seasoning

Dehydrating

Dehydrate nuts until slightly crunchy. It took us 12 hours for the last batch.