A handful of nuts a day should be part of any balanced diet. Walnuts are particularly healthy because of their omega-3 fatty acids. Imported nuts are available all year round, but when are walnuts actually in season in Germany and what is the best way to store them? We’ll tell you.
Imported walnuts, eg from California, can be found in local supermarkets all year round. Since the walnut is one of the healthiest nuts and provides our body with high-quality protein and essential omega-3 fatty acids, this is a good thing for our diet. However, smaller quantities of walnuts are also harvested in Germany in autumn. So, depending on where you live, you can source climate-friendly nuts from local producers. When exactly walnuts are in season in this country and in which regions they are grown, you can find out below.
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Walnut season: The harvest time of walnuts in Germany
Walnuts mostly fall from the tree by themselves from mid-September or can be made to do so by shaking. If you collect walnuts yourself, watch out for discoloration of the shell. If the outside is dark or black, maggots may have gotten inside. Depending on the weather and location, the entire harvest time in this country extends from mid-September to the end of October . According to the Federal Center for Nutrition (BzfE) , the largest German cultivation area for walnuts is the Kaiserstuhl near Freiburg im Breisgau. Around 300 tons of walnut kernels come from commercial German cultivation every year. A tiny amount compared to the 17,000 tons of imported goods.
Interesting: For a special delicacy, green walnuts are harvested in June, pierced, watered and then boiled in syrup: the result is the delicious “Palatinate truffle”.
Storage: This keeps walnuts for a particularly long time
With proper storage, walnuts can last up to a year. Make sure that the nuts can dry well after harvesting and then store them in a cool, dry place – preferably in the shell. You can store walnuts without their shells in an airtight container in the fridge for four weeks or in the freezer for about a year. Always check the nuts for mold before eating! The aflatoxin contained in nut mold is toxic and potentially carcinogenic.
Also interesting: You can find out here >> whether soaking nuts protects you from harmful anti-nutrients
