Just like almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios, walnuts are nuts. From walnut
, it is full of vitamins, proteins and minerals. Beneficial for health, the nut is to be integrated into your diet. Walnut, originally found in mountainous regions on the Eurasian continent, is now widely grown around the world. You can easily find nuts in forests or along the roads, near your home. Although the nut is delicious to bite into, France Bleu suggests that you incorporate it into your sweet recipes as well as your drinks, to add a very tasty touch.
Video – The walnuts of Grenoble, in Têche in Isère, it is the know-how of four generations
When to harvest walnuts and how to store them?
The nuts are harvested from September until November. A little advice for picking them up: put on gloves because the husk (the natural dye extracted from the bark of the nut) blackens the hands. The nuts mature when the husk naturally bursts and the shells fall to the ground. The harvest period is quite short but the nuts have a much longer shelf life. This will allow you to nibble them or cook them throughout the seasons. There are several ways to store them:
- At room temperature (and protected from rodents!): the nuts will keep for six months to a year, provided you keep the shells (without them, the nuts will keep their freshness for only one month).
For example, you can put the nuts inside a net suspended in a dry room.
- In the refrigerator: the nuts will keep their sweet and fruity flavors for only 48 hours.
- By freezing: with or without the shell, they will preserve their unique taste for at least one year. This is the most efficient method.
Some good reasons to eat nuts
1. They have health benefits
The omega-3s contained in walnuts would be beneficial for memory, concentration and speed of comprehension. In addition, their high protein and fatty acid content make walnuts an energy food, perfect for fighting stress.
2. They promote transit
Nuts are recommended for digestion as they are high in dietary fiber and naturally treat constipation. For maximum effectiveness, it is advisable to eat fresh nuts and increase your consumption little by little, to avoid bloating.
3. They naturally suppress hunger
Their high fiber content helps send a signal to your body that you’ve eaten enough and are full. Although nuts are high in lipids (the fats or fats of everyday life), they will not make you fat if your consumption is reasonable (ie a handful or so a day).