About our walnuts

Walnut trees flower in October and November. The flowers are wind pollinated so we don't have to rely on the bees.  When the trees are in full leaf the leaves give a wonderful clean aroma. 

The nuts grow inside a green husk, depending on the weather in late November early December the nuts are in their immature state known as the  "green walnut" stage. This is where the growing nut can be cut through easily with a knife as the walnut shell has not yet hardened.  We harvest nuts at the green walnut stage for making Nocino (green walnut wine), pickled walnuts, greek sweets, green walnuts in honey and other cultural delicacies. Green walnuts contain polyphenols, Vitamin C and compounds of juglone. Potential benefits include:

• Antioxidant activity being rich in polyphenols and vitamin C although the amount falls as they mature
• Possible anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects (demonstrated in laboratories, not established treatments for people)

Many of our customers report a wide variety of health benefits from consuming walnuts in their green stage.  We understand there is a lot of literature on the health benefits of green walnuts but we advise our customers to do their own research and always consult their medical practitioner before changing any prescribed medication.

Walnuts left on the tree for the shell to harden are picked towards the end of March into April. The husks begin to split and dry, revealing the walnuts in their shells. It is well documented and supported by clinical trials that mature walnut kernels can modestly lower LDL cholesterol and Triglycerides because they contain fibre and unsaturated fats including plant omega-3 ALA. 

When the walnut husk cracks open to release the walnut shell, the kernel inside is white a rubbery. We refer to this as the "wet walnut". We sell nuts at this stage for customers who enjoy this delicacy. These are available only at the beginning of the picking season in late March. Nuts are picked and mailed in their husk to protect it from drying out.

We harvest the nuts by hand, washing off any remaining green husks then drying the nuts naturally in our drying sheds at room temperature on large crates. Walnuts in Shell can be sold after 2 weeks of drying and can be kept for over a year if stored in a cool dry place. 

See here the many ways that walnuts can be used - fresh, green, dried, black, activated.