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Walnut surplus! What do I do with it?

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Springchicken

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Aug 29, 2005
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Northants.
For reasons best known to itself, the walnut tree in my garden has produced a titanic quantity of nuts this year. I have gathered a log basket full, several containers in which I'd normally place apples and pears, as well as all the colanders I possess; there remains even more to come.

Obviously, this is rather more than a modest basketful for Christmas but I don't quite know what to do with this glut.

Any suggestions warmly welcomed!
 
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Springchicken said:
For reasons best known to itself, the walnut tree in my garden has produced a titanic quantity of nuts this year. I have gathered a log basket full, several containers in which I'd normally place apples and pears, as well as all the colanders I possess; there remains even more to come.

Obviously, this is rather more than a modest basketful for Christmas but I don't quite know what to do with this glut.

Any suggestions warmly welcomed!
Click to expand...

When was the last time it produced a bumper crop?

Jealous - a Nut tree that actually produces. And its Walnut - double jealous.

These.... 1758283315081.png
 
If you dry & store them correctly, they will last until next years' crop. If you really have more than you will need & they are of good quality, offering small bags of walnuts to members of the family are always welcome.
There are bumber crops this year because the polinisation period was near perfect even in the UK, no spring frosts & a mild, dryish april/may. The dry summer helped too. They haven't really started to fall yet, only a few here & there, down here but there are plenty up in the trees.
 
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If one candied them ( slight sugar syrup ) and kept them in an air tight container would that prolong their edibility? Just thinking how one could make them more of a preserve by providing a sugar film against the air? Would limit them turning rancid over time?
 
I've added a feed sack full to the collection. I think I might try making some walnut butter; at least it might use up a few! I suppose roasting them then blitzing them with a little oil and some salt might do the job...

Pickling is also a possibility. A friend suggested dipping them in chocolate and giving them as presents. Only trouble is her ladyship will probably guzzle the chocolate before I've got out the bain marie!

It's a lovely position to be in but the sheer quantity this year is making me furrow my brow!
 
When shelled, walnuts and pecans can be stored well in a deep freezer. We used to bring huge bags back from the US in the 90s when the only ones you could get here tasted rancid by comparison. Dad used the pecans in pies in November and the walnuts in various cake-like loaves (date and walnut or zucchini usually).


I have a good recipe for candied nuts suitable for Christmas. We use a mix of walnuts, pecans, almonds and hazelnuts, orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice, and sugar. Very more-ish.
 
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C_Claycomb said:
When shelled, walnuts and pecans can be stored well in a deep freezer. We used to bring huge bags back from the US in the 90s when the only ones you could get here tasted rancid by comparison. Dad used the pecans in pies in November and the walnuts in various cake-like loaves (date and walnut or zucchini usually).


I have a good recipe for candied nuts suitable for Christmas. We use a mix of walnuts, pecans, almonds and hazelnuts, orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice, and sugar. Very more-ish.
Click to expand...
Freezing sounds like a way forward. We're the walnuts dried out a bit? Currently, my harvest are soft(-ish) but wonderfully creamy-tasting; they might/will need drying, I think.

Would you mind sharing your candied nut recipe? It sound delicious!
 
Springchicken said:
Freezing sounds like a way forward. We're the walnuts dried out a bit? Currently, my harvest are soft(-ish) but wonderfully creamy-tasting; they might/will need drying, I think.

Would you mind sharing your candied nut recipe? It sound delicious!
Click to expand...
Christmas candied nuts, done by volume. I absolutely advise experimenting with ratio of water to sugar.

  • Large pan, baking trays or baking parchment plus a surface that you can spare for a couple of days
  • 4.5 cups nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews (not my favourites), hazelnuts
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 t-spoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 t-spoon nutmeg
  • zest from 2 oranges, cut into strips. I use a potato peeler, minimise the amount of white on the peel, and then cut the wide potato-peelings into 3mm strips. This means, I think, that you don't need to pre-boil the peel to remove bitterness.

  • Heat water and sugar together, bring to boil, do not allow to burn.
  • Add cinnamon and nutmeg and mix. Add orange zest, simmer for a few minutes, you want some of the orange oil to leech into the mix, and for the peel to soften and take up some sugar.
  • Add nuts. Stir to coat. Transfer to trays or parchment.
  • Leave to cool, leave to DRY. It can take a couple of days to dry. Obviously, more sugar to less water will dry faster, but will tend also to make a thicker coating, I have used more and less, didn't notice less being less sweet.

I do NOT be recommend adding the juice of the oranges to the water/sugar mix. I did and it took a week to dry, I think something in the juice just didn't want to dry out.
When dry, break up the knobby composite slab.
 
I went walnut foraging today at a site I visit annually. I had no such luck. I found 3 and as I've not cracked them yet so it may well turn out to be none x
 
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