How to roast pine nuts at home. How long to roast walnuts

In order for the nuts to be stored longer, they should be dried well. And you can do this in several different ways. Find out all the options and learn the features of the process.

Why dry nuts?

Why dry nuts at all? After harvesting, they contain a certain percentage of moisture and a fairly large amount of oils. High humidity is an excellent breeding ground for pathogenic microorganisms, including mold-forming fungi. And oils, when stored for a long time and exposed to oxygen, can oxidize and become less useful (in some cases even harmful), as well as unpleasant in taste and bitter. Drying will preserve all the useful properties of the product and its taste, extend its shelf life.

Drying methods

How to dry nuts properly? There are several ways, and each is worth considering separately:

1. The most obvious, but far from always accessible, way is natural drying in the fresh air. But the weather must be sunny or at least dry, since high humidity, firstly, will slow down the process, and secondly, it will increase the risk of mold formation. The duration of drying will depend on climatic conditions: in hot summer it can be five to seven days, and in autumn the process will stretch for two to three weeks. To carry out the preparation, spread all the nuts in one even layer on a dense cloth or tarpaulin, cover with gauze on top to protect against insects. And to dry the kernels evenly, periodically mix and turn them over.
2. A simpler and faster option is drying in the oven, especially since everyone has such a device. Warm it up to about 40 or 45 degrees. Lay the nuts on a baking sheet so that they lie in one layer, and there is free space between them. The drying process in this way will take about three hours, and it is advisable to keep the oven door ajar so that the air circulates and the moisture evaporates immediately. Then the temperature rises to 65-70 degrees, and the nuts are dried for about half an hour. During the entire procedure, you can stir and turn the products several times so that they dry evenly.
3. If you have a special dryer, then use it. Set the temperature to the appropriate temperature (about 60-70 degrees), spread the nuts on trays in a single layer (do not stack them too tightly) and dry for about five or six hours.
4. Try using the microwave. A flat container with nuts laid out on it is placed in it for about seven minutes, if the power of the device is about 700-750 watts. But the process will be greatly stretched, since it is necessary to carry out drying in portions, and the volume of the microwave is small. In addition, the method is very expensive, given the power consumption.

A few tips to achieve the best results and improve the quality of the finished product:

• Before drying, be sure to sort through the nuts to select the highest quality and best. If the shell is damaged, pathogenic microorganisms can penetrate through it, so it is better to eat such specimens immediately and not store them. And if there are spots on the surface, then this signals a pest attack that could well get to the kernel (and when dried, they will move to other nuts, spoiling most of the crop).
• It is better to dry ripe nuts, but they should not be on the ground for a long time, since high humidity is undesirable. Walnuts become fully ripe when the green shell covering the shell cracks on its own. If it is intact, then the process has not yet been completed.
• It is best to store dried nuts in boxes, cardboard boxes or canvas bags for six months to a year. In any case, the container must pass air. And if it is located in a non-residential area, then it is advisable to choose a closed one that provides protection from rodents.
• Almonds and other nuts can be dried not only in the shell, but also without it. But remember that this method reduces the shelf life to two or three months, since the kernels lose their natural protection.
• You should not raise the temperature when processing in a dryer or oven: in this case, the nuts will not dry out, but will almost fry and lose some of their useful properties.
• To find out if the nuts are dry enough, split one of them and try to break the kernel: if this can be done without effort, the process is complete. If the structure is dense, then the process should be continued.

By drying nuts properly, you can not only extend their shelf life, but also get the most out of them, as well as enjoy the taste.

Walnuts are a very healthy and appetizing product. Without them, the preparation of many delicious and savory dishes is not complete. Salads, pâtés, desserts, soups, pies, appetizers and cakes are just a few of the foods that use nutritious nuts. They can also be used as an independent product, as a light and satisfying snack. Roasted walnuts are used in almost all dishes. How to fry walnuts in a pan correctly at home - read further in the article. But you can use this recipe in the oven or microwave. It is not only tasty, but also incredibly beneficial for the body.

How to fry walnuts in a pan: a recipe at home

To achieve the desired taste, texture and aroma of hearty kernels, you can cook them using an electric oven or a frying pan. The first case is more suitable for frying whole kernels (of the same size), while the second option is fashionable for frying small pieces. So you can constantly monitor the preparation of nuts.

Fried kernels can be used to make chicken, vegetable saute, sweet baklava, vegetarian dolma, or lean baked goods. So you can enrich your daily diet with useful and necessary elements to maintain your health.

Ingredients

How to cook walnuts in a pan

Cooking:
We spread the prepared kernels of nuts in a frying pan or stewpan with a thick bottom. Carefully distribute the workpiece around the entire perimeter of the form.

We cook the kernels (at medium temperature) from 8 to 20 minutes (depending on their size and quality). We constantly monitor the workpiece and mix the product every few seconds.

If some pieces become darker than the rest, remove them from the saucepan and leave to cool. After the kernels become creamy, the nuts are ready.

Pour the kernels onto a dish. In no case do not leave the product in the saucepan, as it may burn.

We clean the nuts from thin husks. We use roasted walnuts for their intended purpose.

In this article I will tell you a few things that are useful to know about nuts. The information given here applies to absolutely any nuts, since they all have one thing in common: they are difficult to digest and take a long time. Therefore, before use, they must be processed in one way or another: fry, germinate, or at least soak. And in general, before eating, they, at a minimum, must be washed with water, even packaged. There are also limits on how many nuts you can eat per day. And finally, you also need to eat them directly and at a certain time.

Only under all these conditions will the nuts be best digested, bring us the maximum benefit and cause the least worry.

And if you love cashews as much as I do :), then I recommend reading mine - it’s hard to find such ones in Russia and they will cost a lot. They are cheaper on iherb. Well, I recommend to look into, if you are breathing unevenly to this nut, there is also about pasta (urbechi), flour and petals from it. In both reviews you will find links for an inexpensive purchase.

Do I need to wash nuts before eating?

Secondly, so that the nuts are stored longer, and also so that they are not eaten by food moths and other pests, of course, they can be chemically processed somehow.

Therefore, be sure to wash the nuts. And even those that are sold packaged in the store are better, and not just sold by weight from the market. Salted fried in oil, of course, should not be washed, as well as the production of some foreign or our premium brands, perhaps, too. But all the rest, which are cheaper, need to be washed - judging by their appearance, these are the same nuts that are sold by weight on the market, simply distributed in packages.

How to wash nuts before eating: peeled and in shell

Nuts in the shell were hardly sprayed with any chemicals (except for walnuts, I heard, they are sometimes bleached with something), so I think it’s enough just to rinse them thoroughly with water from dust so that it doesn’t get on the kernels after splitting. If there are not many of them, then hold them in a colander under a stream of water, and at the same time I still stir them. If there is more, then you can pour it into a saucepan, pour water over it, and stir it well there. Then drain the water, pour fresh, stir again, drain, then wipe the nuts from moisture or let them dry on their own.

If the shell is not just dust, but traces of dirt are visible (this happens sometimes on walnuts, for example), then I use a dishwashing sponge - I go over each nut with the abrasive side.

I wash the peeled nuts in the following way: I pour them into a colander, rinse under a stream of tap water, and then rinse them with drinking water. This is if the nuts are from a pack from a reliable manufacturer. And if bought on the market, then it’s better to pour boiling water over them, or hold them in it for at least 5-10 seconds - this is to kill microbes.

And if the nuts have a chemical aftertaste (this often happens with cashews, peeled pine nuts, and just washing does not help), then hold them for half an hour or an hour in water at room temperature or 10 minutes in hot water - the surface of the nuclei will soften and the chemicals will go away. After that, drain the water, rinse the nuts again with drinking water - and you can eat. The chemical taste disappears.

After washing, the nuts, of course, lose some of their crunchiness, which many people love about them. Therefore, after washing, you can dry them in the oven or in a dehydrator.

Roast nuts or soak?

In any case, before eating them, nuts must be either roasted, or germinated, or soaked. It is best not to eat them raw. Why? It's about two main things:

1. Raw nut kernels contain inhibitors - these are special substances that prevent them from germinating. Once in the human body, inhibitors inhibit digestion by blocking the production.
2. Nuts, in principle, create a large load on the liver, and especially raw ones.

As a result, they are difficult to digest and poorly absorbed. Therefore, they must be processed in order to use them with benefit. Both soaking and heat treatment contribute to the destruction of inhibitors. What is more effective in this regard - I do not know. By far the most efficient is sprout nuts, but it’s difficult to achieve this, the process itself is long and, perhaps, only nuts in the shell are suitable for it, since only they are unlikely to have been heated and therefore capable of germination.

In general, of the simpler methods of getting rid of inhibitors (perhaps not completely, but at least some), there remain heat treatment and soaking. In the process of frying in nuts, as in any other product, the amount of nutrients decreases. But at the same time, how well are the nutrients released during soaking? There are different opinions on the Internet about this, so, as usual, I recommend trying and focusing on your own feelings.

I eat both roasted and soaked nuts. I feel soaked as softer for the body, but fried is tastier. 🙂 I'll start with frying.

How to Roast Nuts

I do not recommend frying nuts in a pan. Then the roasting is likely to be uneven, even if they are constantly stirred. It would be better to use the oven. In addition, if roasting in the oven, you can control the temperature and not let it go beyond the nut, otherwise it will begin to turn into a harmful form. And this is generally one of the advantages of self-roasting nuts, and not buying them already roasted.

How and how long to roast nuts in the oven

I find the optimum oven temperature to be 150 degrees because the smoke points of nut oil start at 160 Celsius. At this temperature, cashews and almonds, for example, reach the degree of roast that suits me in 8-10 minutes.

The nuts should be spread evenly on the baking sheet, in one layer. If space permits, it is better to distribute them so that they do not adjoin each other - they will be fried more evenly.

I have not tried roasting nuts in the microwave, because I simply do not have one. Different things are said on the Internet about microwave ovens, about their harmful effects on food. It is not clear what to believe, but some points are alarming. I decided that I can live normally without this device. And it does work! 🙂

How to soak nuts

For those who do not like or do not like frying, there is soak. You need to soak the nuts, of course, in clean drinking water, in the ratio: two parts of water for one part of the nuts. But further opinions differ.

Someone writes that you just need to soak nuts in water. Someone writes that salt must be added - I met such a recommendation: on 250 ml glass of nuts a teaspoon of salt (of course, natural unrefined - better than sea, pink Himalayan or, for example). And at the same time pour hot water so that the salt dissolves better. But you can, of course, use it not hot, especially for raw foodists.

In the program "About the most important", dedicated to lentils, smart uncle said that alkali contributes to a more effective release from inhibitors. That is, add water soda. Exactly how much was not specified, but 250 ml cup of water I pour about a third of a teaspoon, but in general I often do it by eye.

The speech in the program, of course, was about lentils, but I don’t see why this should not be applied to nuts. Moreover, salt also alkalizes water, only less actively than soda. Well, in both substances, the base is the same - sodium.

I tried a couple of times and soak with salt. After soaking with soda, according to the sensations, the nuts were better perceived by the body. However, I recommend that you try both options.

Now for the soak time. All nuts are different. Almonds, Brazilian recommend soaking 10-12 hours, and even the whole day - I usually get 12-20 hours. Hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios - 8-10 hours. Apricot kernels, too, probably somewhere the same. Cashew - 2-3 hours, a maximum of 6, otherwise they will completely lose their taste (which is why I prefer to fry them rather than soak them). About cedar somewhere I saw info about 8 hour soaking and elsewhere that's enough 15-30 minutes, otherwise, they say, they will become tasteless.

The skin (skin), if any, should be removed from the nuts before eating, since it contains the highest concentration of inhibitors of digestive enzymes. It comes off quite easily after soaking.

It is better to soak the nuts for one meal or for one day of their use - just so that they do not start to spoil. They write that, in principle, soaked nuts can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days, or dried in the oven, and then they will generally last 2 weeks in the refrigerator in an airtight container. But I'm a fan of freshness.

How many nuts can you eat per day

The first information I received on this subject some time ago was that you can eat no more than 100 grams of nuts per day because they are very high in calories. I am not inclined to be overweight, so the calorie content did not frighten me, and sometimes I overate on nuts, not counting how many of them entered me.

However, later I heard about an even smaller figure - 40-50 grams, and not to eat so many nuts at one meal, but for the whole day. The explanations for this were already more relevant for me: that they are difficult to digest and create a large load on the liver. It is not yet in perfect condition for me, and digestion is still not stable, so I decided to eat nuts within this amount. And indeed the liver has become noticeably calmer. In addition, very quickly and in principle, I stopped wanting to eat a lot of nuts - now I sometimes can’t even eat 50 grams. In general, I began to use them less often, now I don’t eat every day - I just don’t feel like it.

When is the best time to eat nuts?

Definitely do not eat nuts in the evening. They have a stimulating effect on the body and brain - perhaps due to the high content, perhaps due to the fact that they are poorly digested and the body is forced to activate, perhaps for some other reason. I do not remember exactly what explanations I found for this. In general, problems with falling asleep and sleeping can be. And yes, I have noticed this effect myself. So it is best to eat them in the morning or afternoon.

How to eat nuts and how to chop them

Nuts are not only poorly digested due to inhibitors and maybe something else, but because of their dense structure, they are generally difficult to digest by the digestive system. You know, they say that food should be chewed thoroughly before swallowing. So, the nuts must be chewed even more carefully, rubbed with your teeth literally into powder. 🙂 Well, or use a blender.

A blender is a must turbo mode so that you can grind nuts right into that very powder. Moreover, the smaller the volume of the chopper, also sometimes called a chopper, the better. However, the turbo mode is different. You don’t need one that just spins knives faster (like, for example, a very cheap Vitek VT-3411), but such that these knives also pulsate up and down at the same time - then grinding will be of better quality.

But I'm talking about ordinary inexpensive blenders. And then there are super-powerful, expensive ones, operating at supersonic speed, or even not the speed of light. They, of course, will turn anything into dust. But let's leave them aside. Of the inexpensive options, a blender is good Brown.

The small chopper of this blender is just right - on 350 ml, the knives on the turbo mode up and down twitch. One drawback is that the plastic base of the knife is rather flimsy, so with frequent work in turbo mode, a crack may appear on it at first, and then one day the knife will simply get stuck in the chopper pin, so much so that you can’t even pull it out. I changed 3 knives, after which I switched to a chopper with a volume 500 ml- it has a different system for attaching a knife to a pin, much more reliable, but due to the larger volume of the bowl, it grinds a little worse, but also not bad. And yes, it practically does not pulsate, unfortunately.

I have an outdated blender model: Braun Multiquick MR 6550, which is no longer for sale. Now there are new ones in any electronics store, including online stores. You can check with the seller, or with the Brown company itself, which modern model has the same type of turbo mode. Remarkably, the choppers for blenders are still produced the same.

Grind dry nuts right here into “flour” or into a paste in my Braun blender, if possible, it will take a very long time to carry. However, if moisture is added, then cashews, for example, can be quickly turned into a cream, well, or into yogurt (if cooled), and denser almonds and hazelnuts into cottage cheese. 🙂

Here's how I do it: first I turn some fruits or berries into a puree with a blender. And then I pour nuts there and figachu on turbo mode until I get the degree of grinding I want. At the same time, it is necessary to adjust the ratio of nuts and fruits / berries so that all this mass is crushed, and does not stick to the walls of the chopper, or, on the contrary, does not turn out to be too liquid.

Then I can sweeten it with something, if the fruits or berries are sour, add something else. Then I put it in the freezer for cooling, after 15-20 minutes I take it out - the nut yogurt or cottage cheese is ready! Suitable for vegans. 🙂

The best flavors I've found for one of my favorite types of nuts can be found in my .

I have everything for today. Eat nuts, but only do it for your own benefit!

Roasting hazelnuts dries out the nut, making it crispier and giving natural fats a nutty brownish color. Roasted hazelnuts taste good, but overcooking will make the nuts bitter. Roasted nuts can be used in recipes or eaten just like that.

How to roast hazelnuts in the oven

2. Preheat oven to 180 ºC.

3. When the oven is hot, place the baking sheet with the nuts on the rack in the middle of the oven.

4. Roast the nuts for 12 minutes, then check for doneness. If a nutty smell comes from them and they turn slightly brown, then the hazelnuts are ready.

5. Check the nuts carefully so you don't overcook them. If you want to roast the hazelnuts longer, preheat the oven to 125ºC and roast for 15-20 minutes.

How to fry hazelnuts in a pan

1. Place hazelnuts in a heavy bottomed pan in a single layer.

2. Place the skillet on the stove over medium heat.

3. Stir the hazelnuts every minute.

4. Keep an eye on the hazelnuts as they begin to turn brown and give off a nutty smell. Hazelnuts are very easy to overcook.

5. Cook the hazelnuts for 5-10 minutes until the nuts are brittle and brown.

6. When the nuts turn brown, immediately remove the hazelnuts from the stove so as not to overcook.

How to roast hazelnuts over an open fire

1. Place the peeled hazelnuts in an ovenproof dish or skillet and place the nuts carefully over the hot coals.

2. Shake the nuts regularly every 2-3 minutes, depending on the heat, until they are brown, toasted and brittle.

How to remove the thin husk from hazelnuts

1. Carefully transfer the hot toasted nuts to a clean kitchen towel.

2. Wrap the nuts in a towel and lightly rub them together.

3. So you will remove the already almost fallen off, paper-like husk, which has a bitter taste.

4. Serve. Many people like to eat hazelnuts just for fun, others add nuts to salads, meat dishes and many other recipes.

Adviсe

2. Remove roasted nuts from skillet or ovenproof dish as soon as they are cooked to avoid overcooking them.

Warning

Any part of it is rich in useful substances for human health.

Its leaves, bark, fruit peel, nut shells - everything is used for the preparation of healing and vitamin remedies.

Walnut kernels have extraordinary nutritional value and a high content of potassium, magnesium, necessary elements to improve cardiac activity and the brain. Their use in food is recommended for the restoration of the body after operations, severe injuries and various diseases.

Interest in growing this crop is growing among summer residents and gardeners. The cultivation area is also expanding due to the emergence of new high-yielding varieties with frost-resistant characteristics. But growing nuts is not an easy task, it is much more difficult to maintain a crop for a long time. And today Dachny will tell you about how to dry walnuts correctly and in different ways.

Harvesting of walnuts lasts from September to October.

Early-ripening varieties of walnuts begin to ripen already at the end of August, mid-ripening varieties in September, and the maturation of late varieties falls on October. At this time, the dense green peel (pericarp) begins to turn yellow, loosen and crack.

Harvesting is started when most of the nuts have cracked the pericarp and some of them begin to fall to the ground.

Harvesting takes some time. The reason is the earlier ripening of fruits on the lower tiers of the tree.

Only fully ripened nuts have the highest content of a complex of vitamins and nutrients. The moisture content during this period is minimal, which speeds up the drying of the fruit.

Drying walnuts

Raw, freshly harvested fruits contain up to 40% moisture. Without pre-drying, storage is impossible - mold may form. The kernels will become bitter and unusable.

The collected nuts must be cleaned of the pericarp and dried well. Summer residents and gardeners dry nuts in different ways.

The simplest and most effective - in a natural way

In the open air, on terraces, attics, in summer kitchens, in specially adapted rooms, they are laid out in a thin layer and waiting for the result.

The most impatient ones use accelerated drying methods (ovens, heat guns, fans).

Drying naturally

Dried walnuts in the open air under the sun. This is the best option for the southern regions, where dry warm weather is at this time.

For drying, choose an open ventilated area. They spread a tarpaulin, plastic wrap or other material and unload the nuts from the container, evenly distributing them over the entire surface.

To improve the quality of drying, daily stirring is necessary. The process takes about a week.

After this time, the fruits change color to light brown, and the kernels become brittle and taste good. The harvest is completely dried and ready for further processing or storage.

In places where autumn can be cool and precipitation is expected, drying is carried out, periodically airing the rooms. Nuts are placed on racks, mesh shields or on the floor.

In this way, the humidity is reduced to a level of 12-14%. The product is ready for processing, but not stored for a long time. It is required to dry it near heat sources (heating radiators, stoves).

Fast Tracks
Using the oven

Those who do not have time to wait for the fruits to shrink naturally can use the oven. This is the case if the yield is small. Otherwise, the process will be too time-consuming and energy-intensive. How to dry walnuts in the oven?

Before drying, the nuts are sorted, removing all damaged ones. Lay out on baking sheets and place in the oven.

Drying is carried out in two stages. First, moisture is removed at a temperature of 40˚C for 2-3 hours, and then for another half an hour at a temperature of 70˚C. If you immediately start with a high temperature, then the kernels in the shell will simply boil.

Readiness is checked by splitting the nut after drying. If the core is plastic and does not break, then the process needs to be extended.

With a heat gun

For drying a good stable crop, a special room is equipped with lattice or mesh racks and a heat gun is used. The device is periodically turned on, maintaining the temperature at about 40-45˚С.

The fruits located on lattices evenly and quickly dry up. After 3-4 days of exposure, the nuts can be tested for doneness by splitting 1-2 nuts. If the kernel is fragile and the membranes are thin, drying is complete.

The product's readiness time can be slightly reduced if, after two days, the temperature is raised to 60-65 ° C and dried for another day.

Drying in the microwave

A very modest crop can also be dried in the microwave. Before placing the nuts in the oven, a small hole is made at the base of each nut with a knife or other sharp object.

Then they are laid out on the oven tray, placing them at a short distance from each other, making sure that the incision is on top. Drying is carried out at full power in several steps, every minute. The nuts roast well.

How to dry without shell

If it is planned to leave the nut kernels without shells for storage, then they must first be dried to remove excess moisture.

The kernels, peeled from the shell, are dried in the air or in the oven. Only pre-dried nuts will do.

The kernel must dry first in the shell. If you take it out of a raw nut, then after drying, only a withered shell will remain.

Dry nuts are cracked and the kernels are carefully removed. Then they are laid out on baking sheets and left to dry in the air or placed in the oven. This procedure takes approximately two days. In the oven, half an hour at a temperature of 35-40 ° C will be enough.

Dry nuts prepared in one of these ways can be stored until the next harvest at a temperature of + 10˚C. They can be placed in cardboard boxes, bags and other containers and kept in a dry place.