Harvesting and Drying

We only use walnuts that are grown and harvested by us at Wellwood.

When the walnuts are brought in from the orchard any remaining husks are removed and the walnuts are placed in silos where they are air-dried so that their moisture content is about 9%. This is one of the most critical part of the process as over-drying spoils the taste and under-drying invites rancidity.

Walnuts in Shell

Walnuts in shell keep reasonably well for three to six months after harvesting. They keep much better than walnut kernels (flesh) that has not been vacuum packed.

We set aside a limited quantity of our walnuts to be sold in shell from about mid-year to December. They are available (until sold out) from this web site and Farm Gate. We do not wish to sell walnuts in shell more than six months after they have been harvested.

walnuts on plate

Walnuts in shell that have been over-dried keep very well for much longer than six months but do not taste as good as a walnut should. Some people do not like walnuts because the only ones they have tasted have been over-dried and kept too long.

However, a fresh organically grown walnut that you have just cracked yourself is hard to beat!

crockodile cracker