Walnuts Add more of this popular protein source to salads and more
Best to buy
Walnuts are available year-round and harvested beginning in August.
Cut & clean
Walnuts are sold in the shell and shelled. Once shelled, walnuts can be chopped to the desired size and used raw or cooked.
Go nuts
Walnuts are a well-known addition to many desserts, but they also enhance savory dishes like grains, stuffing, salads, and stir-fries.
Fresh is best
Shelled and chopped walnuts can become rancid quickly and should be used within a week or be refrigerated for up to six months or frozen for up to one year. For long-term storage, it’s best to buy unshelled nuts.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Shelled walnuts can be used straight out of the package. Chopped walnuts are used extensively in baking, especially in foods, such as brownies and cookies, where they are added at the last stage of mixing. Walnuts are also a good addition to savory dishes, such as grains, stuffing, salads, and stir-fries.
Buying and storing tips
Walnuts are available year-round. Two-thirds of world’s commercial walnuts are produced in California. Walnuts are harvested in California beginning in August.
Walnuts are sold in-shell and shelled. Like most nuts and seeds, walnuts can be stored in a cool, dark place for several months. Shelled and chopped walnuts can become rancid quickly and should be used within a week or should be refrigerated for up to six months or frozen for up to one year. For long-term storage, it’s best to buy unshelled nuts.
Varieties
There are about 15 edible varieties of walnuts, foremost among them is the Persian or English variety. This flavorful and popular variety originated in the Middle East and does not grow in England. They were called “English” because it was the English merchants who transported the nuts to the colonies. Today, this variety is produced mostly in California. English walnuts have a thin shell that is easily cracked, and the curly nutmeat halves have a sweet flavor with a touch of the bitterness and astringency of the golden to dark-brown edible skin. Other varieties include the black or American walnut, Chinese walnut, Japanese walnut, and the butternut or white walnut. Black walnuts were a Native American staple, with a sweet flavor and a hard, sticky shell that protects dark-skinned white nutmeats.
Nutrition Highlights
Walnuts (English), 14 halves
Calories: 185
Protein: 4g
Carbohydrate: 4g
Total Fat: 18g
Fiber: 2g
*Excellent source of: Copper (0.45mg), and Manganese (0.97mg)
*Good source of: Magnesium (44.79mg), and Phosphorus (98.09mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2009.