Walnut Storage and Selection
Avoid rubbery or shriveled shelled nuts as this is an indication of age. Shelled nuts should be brittle and snap easily. Those nuts which grow on the sunnier side of the tree will have a darker skin and a richer flavor.Due to their high oil content, nuts can quickly turn rancid if not stored properly. For long-term storage, it is best to buy unshelled nuts and store them in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months or freeze up to 1 year.
Shelled, bagged nuts are commercially available, but you might think twice about using them after hearing how they are processed. Commercially-packaged nuts are often treated with ethylene gas, fumigated with methyl bromide, dipped in hot lye or a solution of glycerine and sodium carbonate to loosen their skins, and then rinsed in citric acid.
Shelled walnuts should be kept refrigerated in an airtight container, and may be frozen up to a year. One pound of walnuts will yield about 2 cups of nutmeat.
Walnut oil is an excellent, albeit expensive, choice for salad dressings, but not for high heat uses.
More about Walnuts and Walnut Recipes:
• Walnut Selection and Storage• Walnut Varieties
• Walnuts and Health
• Walnut History
• Walnut Lore and Legend
• Walnut Recipes
Walnuts Photo © 2009 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
