Drying and storing walnuts is an important point in further preserving the quality of the kernel, which affects the future commodity price of the product. In this article we will find out how to dry the inshell walnuts in a variety of ways and at home, and also consider all the nuances of storing the prepared raw materials.
When is it best to collect
As soon as the harvest on the walnut tree is nearing maturation, squirrels and various birds begin to hunt after it. In order to prevent the loss of nuts, and at the same time preserve in them all the useful and nutritional properties, you should pay attention to the signs by which you can determine the right ripening phase:
- cracked green shell;
- woody foliage began to turn yellow;
- a fully mature fruit has a hard, light brown shell, and the core, located in it, should be moist and noticeable by weight.
Important! First of all, the shell begins to crack on the fruits, which are located lower to the ground. This is due to the special temperature regime.
How to dry walnuts
In fact, dry walnuts in the shell, in the usual household conditions, it is not hard at all, just need to follow some simple rules. How to carry out this process in a variety of proven ways, including in the oven and in the electric dryer, read on.
Did you know? In fact, walnut has no relation to Greece proper, its present homeland is Asia Minor and Central Asia. And as its name appeared, nobody still knows.
In the open air
Drying nuts in the open air involves the gradual implementation of such steps:
In sunny weather:
- Spread any waterproof fabric, such as a tarp, on a free piece of land.
- Further, the fruits selected and peeled from the green film are evenly laid out on the layered fabric, necessarily in one layer.
- Now you need to leave the nuts for a few days to dry in the open sun. With favorable weather, drying will take only 3-5 days.
This is the way agronomists used for many years, until more modern methods appeared in the world. Its main disadvantage is the possibility of unforeseen precipitation and a sharp decrease in air temperature.
Learn how to dry cherries, strawberries, plums, blueberries, apples, pears, currants, cranberries, dogrose, dogwood, greens (dill, parsley, green onions, sorrel, cilantro, spinach), tomatoes, peppers, onions, oyster mushrooms, broccoli.
In room:
Walnut fruit can also be dried indoors without fear of adverse weather conditions. For this, as a rule, usually choose the attic:
- Harvested peeled pericarp.
- Each nut is sorted by size and washed in cool water.
- Then the raw material is laid out on racks with a grille, on which fresh air must necessarily fall.
If the harvest of nuts is small, the entire harvest can be dried in the apartment, pre-spread on the floor of the newspaper. Fresh air in this case also should not be forgotten.Learn the recipe for making unusual nut jam.
In the oven
Details on how to dry and thoroughly calcined walnuts in the oven, looks like that:
- Peeled previously from the green peel of the fruit must be sorted by size, washed and blot from excess moisture with a clean towel.
- Without forgetting about the temperature at which nuts should be dried (it is 40-45 ° C), we select fruits of the same size, arrange them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven.
- Drying should last no more than 3 hours, and the oven door should be slightly ajar.
- After the appointed time, the temperature should be raised to 70 ° C and keep the nuts in the oven for about half an hour.
- At the end of the process, hot food should be removed from the oven and left in the air until it cools completely.
Important! The oven can be heated much more than 45 ° C, but at higher temperatures the product may become overcooked, oily and tasteless.
In the electric dryer
If there is a special appliance in the house - electric dryers, the process of drying nuts is greatly simplified. But even here it is necessary to follow the instructions attached to the device and constantly pay attention to the degree of readiness of the products.
The procedure itself takes, as a rule, only 5 hours, but the number of fruits should be minimal, otherwise they will have to be dried in several approaches.
We advise you to read about the beneficial properties and use of nuts: hazelnut, cashew, pistachio, pecan, almond, peanut, hazelnut, nutmeg, Brazilian, black, gray.
How to check readiness
To test the readiness of dried walnuts, chop the shell of at least two fruits and check their kernels. If they are "rubber" and wet - the remaining nuts will need to be further dried. Otherwise, even under the right storage conditions, they can rot and mold. If the nucleoli become fragile and have a thin skin - they are completely dry and ready for use or sale.
Did you know? High-quality activated carbon is made from burned-through walnut shells.
Storage of walnuts at home
In the future, it is important to preserve the prepared foods so that they do not lose all their beneficial components and nutrients in the process. To do this, dry fruits are placed in baskets or mesh bags and stored dark in a fairly cool place (for example, in the cellar). You can also freeze them. With properly executed conditions, the products will retain their freshness for at least two years. 
How to dry and store walnut kernels
Walnut kernels can be dried in a simple and proven way. First, they must be removed from the shell, thoroughly cleaned of films and dirt. Do not rinse! Then the resulting solid products should dry on trays for two or three days. You can also use the oven and dry the kernel at reduced temperature to the required degree of readiness.
Important! If in the process of cooking the fruit kernels have changed their color, become unpleasant to smell or have acquired a bitter taste, they should be discarded. Such products are spoiled, and eating them can be dangerous to health.
Store dried kernels must be in tight sealed cans or canvas bags, in a dry, cool place. Shelf life should not exceed 12 weeks. Once a month, it is desirable to sort out the products and re-dry - this will permanently prevent the appearance of moldy on them.
As you can see, there are many ways to make walnut. You just need to choose the most suitable for them, and as a result get a high-quality and truly competitive product.
