Go Nuts!

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I have a walnut tree in my back garden, not by choice; it was there when I moved in.  Walnuts have never been top of my list of things to eat as I have honestly never really liked them.  Having seen my dogs get stuck into them every year, I thought it would be an idea to gather them and utilise them.  After all they are free!  However I was not prepared for the amount of work that would go into this process.

I searched the Internet for the best ways to collect and store the walnuts, all of which offered a different way.  Trial and error lead me to the final solution.   It is recommended that you allow the nuts to fall when they are ready and then collect them from the floor.  This turned out to be a race between me and the dogs to see who could get them first.  After collecting them I would clean off the mud and scum and then need to dry them out.  This was the first challenge.  It is said that the nuts should be left in the sun for a couple of days to dry out.  This is all very well however I have dogs and I live in the UK?  October (when the nuts are generally ready for harvest) is not the height of summer so finding a sunny day between the rains is rare.

Trial one – dry them in the oven.  This is fine although I had to use a very low heat so as not to roast the nuts.  My oven isn’t the biggest so this was a very timely process.

Trial two – Lay them on a towel to dry.  This started well, although the towel will remain damp and therefore risk the growth of mould.

Trial three – Clear the spare room.  This turned out to be the solution that worked best for me.  I placed a large piece of card over the spare bed and covered that with newspaper.  I then spread the walnuts over the card and left them to dry.  To ensure that the room was ventilated and would not again cause mould, I set up a fan to circulate the air and assist to speed up the drying time.  Every day I would go in to check on them.  This involved stirring them so that they were properly aired.  Talking to them is optional but I found it makes the process more personal.

Three weeks later and the nuts are ready and over 3000 walnuts have been collected!  A decision was made to sell them and donate the proceeds to charity. 

So why go to so much effort?  Well here is some info about walnuts.

Walnuts are healthy nuts that can be very good for your heart.  Research has proved that walnuts contain cholesterol lowering properties which have also been noted to reduce the risk of heart disease and inflammation.  Walnuts are high in omega 3 fatty acids which play a part in reducing triglycerides levels which helps to prevent the clogging of arteries by increasing HDL levels (high density lipoproteins) which are good cholesterol, this helps to reduce LDL levels (low density lipoproteins) also known as bad cholesterol.  As well as having healthy heart ingredients, walnuts also contain vitamin E, B vitamins, fibre and various minerals.  A handful of nuts each day will be sufficient enough for a person to receive the cholesterol lowering benefits.

Walnuts are also said to contain sleep inducing properties?  If you find you are having difficulty nodding off, have a few nuts before going to bed.  This has not been proven although shouldn’t do you any harm.  Unless of course you are allergic to nuts; if this is the case I recommend that you do not eat them.