Walnuts from your own tree are simply delicious. To keep them from spoiling, you need to store them properly. Otherwise there is a risk of mould.
It is something special to be able to call your own walnut tree in your garden. From mid-September, walnut fans will get their money's worth. The ripe nuts fall to the ground and can then be collected and eaten. However, you should absolutely refrain from knocking the nuts off the tree in order to make faster progress with the harvest. On the one hand you damage the walnut tree and on the other hand you may harvest walnuts that are not yet ripe. Ripe walnuts can be recognized by their shriveled, black outer shell.
Every gardener is happy about a rich harvest. But if it turns out to be so big that you can't eat as fast as the nuts fall from the tree, then you have to worry. To keep the walnuts fresh for as long as possible, you need to store them properly. In the worst case, they start to mold and your harvest is gone. Wouldn't that be annoying?
3 tips for storing walnuts properly
Storing walnuts properly is not difficult, nor is it particularly time-consuming. There are just a few important things to note.
» Tip 1: Brush off the skin carefully
Remains of the green shell are still stuck to some walnuts. You should brush them off carefully. Under no circumstances should you wash it off, as this will soften the skin and make it moldy faster.
» Tip 2: Let the walnuts dry
After removing the remains of the shell, the walnuts must be dried at a temperature of around 25 degrees. The temperature in the room must not exceed 30 degrees, otherwise the nuts will go rancid very quickly. Also keep an eye on the humidity in the room. This must not be too high, since mold growth is also to be expected here.
» Note: As soon as mold appears on the nut or pit, stop eating! This so-called nut mold contains powerful toxins.
For the drying process, which can sometimes take up to 6 weeks, spread out the nuts over a large area and in a single layer. There has to be air everywhere.
» Tip 3: Store walnuts
If the walnuts are dry, you can put them in sacks or other netting or containers and keep them cool. A basement, for example, is ideal here.
When stored in the best possible way, walnuts can be kept for several months. I ate last year's walnuts this late summer and they didn't lose any of their delicious taste.
Storage of Shelled Nuts
If you have already cracked a large number of your nuts, they will only keep for about four weeks. But only if they were kept airtight, cool and dry in a closed container.
» My tip: Walnuts can also be frozen. This way you can enjoy your walnuts for much longer and you don't have to stuff the chopped walnuts into yourself, come hell or high water. To do this, place the kernels on a baking sheet, let them dry and then pack them airtight and place them in the cooler. They will keep for up to 12 months.