Is it necessary to dry walnuts and how to do it right. How to roast pine nuts at home

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 digested in the best possible way, 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 it. 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 nuts - 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!

In the fall, it's time to focus on preparations for the future, and fill all the jars and knapsacks with useful products that you will need in the winter. A very valuable skill, namely, how you can fry hazelnuts in a pan so that it is tasty, stores vitamins and does not deteriorate, we will dedicate today's post. Knowing the wisdom of proper preparation for long-term storage of valuable hazelnuts, it will be possible to avoid the loss of precious kernels rich in vitamin E.

A few words about the benefits of hazelnut

Even a schoolboy knows that hazelnuts (hazelnuts), scientifically called hazelnuts, have a lot of protein. But it is not the main useful component of delicious nuts, but organic acids and vitamins of group E. There is a lot of magnesium, zinc, and sodium in it.

This product is very high-calorie: 100 g of hazelnut kernels contain about 700 kcal.

Hazelnuts are very fond of nursing mothers, and for good reason, because it stimulates lactation and adds fat to the baby's first food.

How to choose hazel

Since this product is quite expensive, you need to choose it even more carefully than other nuts. In our country, you can buy two types of hazelnuts - cultivated, delivered from Georgia or Azerbaijan (distinguished by the round shape of the nucleoli) or local, forest (it is slightly flattened). This crop gives a harvest in the fall, which means that the freshest product can be purchased during this period.

Freshly picked nuts are whitish, the longer they are stored raw, the more yellow they become. Of course, fresh nut kernels are the most useful.

It is better to buy them in a store where there are no outdated products, or from a trusted seller. There are always plenty of those who want to get hold of the gifts of the forest, but not every hazelnut is safe. Incorrectly grown and stored products can be contaminated with molds. Such nuts cease to be useful and turn into a very dangerous product that is best thrown away.

In order not to "run into" hazel with toxins, it is best to buy it in the shell and dry it at home. Knowing how to properly fry hazelnuts in a pan at home, we get a truly useful and completely safe product that is not scary to give even to kids.

Before placing an order with the seller, you need to ask the seller to smell the nuts - even the subtle smell of mold indicates its low quality.

It is best to opt for raw unpeeled hazel - more likely to purchase a high-quality product. In addition, it will be perfectly stored in the refrigerator for at least six months, and in the freezer - twice as long.

How to fry hazelnuts in a pan at home

1. As is the case with walnut kernels, the brown skin that covers the whitish hazelnut kernels gives them a noticeable bitterness, which is not to everyone's taste. Getting rid of it is not difficult - you just need to pour a portion of the nut into boiling water and hold it in it for 10 minutes without cooking.
2. Next, remove the water through a colander, and dry the nucleoli themselves on a clean towel. The brown film peels off by itself. Pour the dried kernels into a dry, well-heated frying pan.
3. It is advisable to stir the hazel constantly so that it does not burn and lose its taste. 3-5 minutes after the start of drying the product in the pan, the fire must be made stronger and the nuts kept on it, without ceasing to stir them, for another 10 minutes. As a result, the white kernels should be lightly browned. An unsurpassed nutty aroma is evidence of the readiness of the kernels.

• It is better to take a vessel with a thicker bottom - on it the nuts will evenly warm up and dry.
• The main frying period should take place on medium heat.
• To turn valuable kernels, it is better to arm yourself with a wooden spatula.
• They are best calcined when there are few of them in the pan - just one layer.

The nucleoli dried in this way do not last long, and there are much fewer vitamins in them. Therefore, you need to cook so a small amount of nuts - enough to eat or use at a time.

How to fry hazelnuts in shell in a pan

If there is no time to remove the thin shell in boiling water and pre-dry the nuts, you can sort through the peeled nucleoli and immediately send them to a well-heated pan. Then we do everything like this, so in the first case, until they are browned. After that, we pour them out on a kitchen towel, cover with another part of it and lightly rub against each other - the thin shell will peel off by itself.

The best product is self-cooked, taking into account your own taste preferences. Having learned how to properly fry hazelnuts in a regular homemade frying pan, now we will always follow the recommendations. Thanks to this, our sauces and cakes with hazel will become even more fragrant and tasty, and most importantly - as healthy as possible.

Buying nuts in a store, the buyer cannot be sure of the high quality of the products. The best option is to harvest fresh nuts from the tree in the fall. You can store the product in different ways, subjecting it to pre-treatment. One of the simple types of processing is drying pine nuts and walnuts in the oven. But in order not to overdry the kernels, you need to know the basic rules for drying this tasty and nutritious product.

Highlights

For drying it is necessary to select healthy, ripe fruits. If you choose unripe nuts, during the drying process, the kernels will lose most of the moisture and become tasteless. Therefore, it is important to choose ripe fruits. Nuts should be split, fruits should be selected according to size and degree of maturity. Wash the kernels thoroughly, dry on a napkin.

We spread walnuts of the same size on a clean, dry baking sheet, and send them to the oven at a temperature of 45 degrees. You should not significantly raise the temperature, as the kernels will dry out and lose their taste.

How long to dry nuts in the oven? It is optimal to dry the kernels for 2-3 hours. In order for moisture to evaporate faster from the product, it is recommended to slightly open the cabinet door. 10-15 minutes before the end of the recommended drying time, you can increase the temperature to 70 degrees. To make sure the product is ready, you need to try one of the nucleoli. It should break easily and crumble slightly.

Before sending the product for storage, remove the nuts from the oven and leave in a baking sheet at room temperature. It is not recommended to send hot walnuts for storage. High temperature will give walnut oil an unpleasant bitter aftertaste. It is necessary to dry walnuts in the oven in small portions in order to maintain the high quality of the kernels.

Drying pine nuts

To dry pine nuts, they must first be removed from the shell. For drying, you can choose one of the following methods:

• Electrodryer.
• In the oven.
• On a frying pan.
• Spread out on a clean cloth and placed in the sun.
• In the attic.

A convenient and quick way is to use an electric dryer. Having decomposed the kernels extracted from the shell on specialized trays, you just need to select the appropriate mode and start the device. However, not every housewife has an electric dryer at her disposal. Therefore, you can choose another suitable method.

Pine nuts can be dried in the same way as walnuts in a pan or in the oven. At what temperature to dry nuts in the oven? The optimum temperature is 120 degrees. Given that pine nuts are small in size, they should be dried for no longer than half an hour. Also, as in the case of walnuts, after drying in the oven, pine kernels must be removed from the oven and cooled at room temperature.

If it is not possible to dry the kernels in the oven, you can lay them out in the sun, after laying a clean cloth. For citizens, it is recommended to use a balcony or loggia, which receives a sufficient amount of sunlight. When using this method, do not forget about the variability of weather conditions. In case of rain, the nuts should be removed into the room, avoiding getting them wet.

Summing up

One of the convenient ways to store walnut kernels is to dry them. The most suitable option is drying in the oven. In order to qualitatively dry the kernels of a walnut or pine nut, it is necessary to peel them from the shell. Then rinse them under running water, dry them on a napkin and put them on a baking sheet in small portions.

The optimum temperature for drying is 200 degrees for walnuts and 120 for cedar kernels.

Roasted walnuts are fatter and richer in flavor than raw walnuts. Although roasted shelled nuts are preferred over roasted shelled nuts because the shells are difficult to remove, roasted shelled walnuts often retain a more natural nutty flavor.

Steps

Roasted nuts in the oven (peeled)

Preheat oven to 190°C. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Non-stick spray will also work.

Take the walnuts out of the shell. Ideally, the shelled walnuts will be cut into halves or quarters. Whole walnuts will not roast evenly, while pieces smaller than quarters may over-roast and burn as a result. Spread the walnuts in a single layer to cook evenly.

Roast the walnuts until brown. At this temperature, walnuts only need to be roasted for 5-10 minutes, especially if they are small pieces. Check the walnuts after the first 5 minutes to make sure they haven't started to burn. You can even toss them with a heat-resistant spatula to ensure the nuts roast evenly.

Take out the walnuts and let them cool. As soon as the nuts smell of fried, it's time to get them - they are ready. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a heatproof bowl while they are still warm. Enjoy them warm or at room temperature, but wait until the nuts are cool and not hot to the touch.

Roasted nuts on the stove (peeled)

1. Heat up a large skillet. Place the skillet on the stove and heat it over medium heat. Use only dry heat, as there is enough fat and oil in the walnuts to fry them. Therefore, there is no need to use non-stick spray, vegetable oil or butter.

   Pour the walnuts into the skillet. Shelled walnuts will roast best when cut into halves or quarters, but since the roasting process is easier to control on the stovetop, you can use smaller pieces if desired. Try to keep the nuts in one layer so they toast evenly.

   Stir often. If you stir frequently, the nuts will roast for an equal amount of time, resulting in evenly toasted nuts with either no or very little burnt. You can take short breaks between stirring - most importantly, make sure that the nuts do not burn during this time.

   Cook until brown. The process will only take about 5 minutes, but if you have small pieces, they will cook even faster. After that, the walnuts will be dark brown in color and smell like roasted.

   Remove from fire. When the nuts are ready, immediately remove them from the pan. Otherwise, they will continue to fry on the hot metal. Transfer them to a heat-resistant bowl or dish and let them cool until they reach your desired serving temperature.

   Microwave roasted nuts (peeled)

   1. Place the nuts in a glass bowl made specifically for the microwave. A microwaveable dish works well, but you can use any other bowl that is labeled microwave safe. Just add enough walnuts to cover the bottom of the dish in one layer. To roast nuts better, use halves or quarters.

      Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Check the walnuts to make sure none are burned. Stir them around with a heat-resistant spatula to make sure each nut cooks evenly. If your microwave does not have a turntable, turn the dish 180 degrees before continuing to fry.

      Cook the walnuts for another minute on high power. Smell them to see if they're cooked. If the nuts are microwaved, they won't be brown, but they will still smell of roast.

      Microwave in 20 second intervals as needed. After the first 2 minutes of cooking, this is no longer necessary, but may be useful if the halves are particularly large.

      Let the walnuts cool slightly before serving. You don't want to burn yourself or any of your guests in the mouth.

   Preparation of nuts (in shell)

   Oven roasted nuts (in shell)

   Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with non-stick aluminum foil or parchment paper.

   Arrange the walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. In order for the walnuts to roast evenly, you should arrange them in a single layer, not in a bunch. It will be better if the nuts do not touch a friend, but in this case they will still roast well. For best results, arrange the nuts so that the "x" mark on the shell is on top. The sign must not be upright and must not be covered by a baking sheet or other nuts.

   Roast the walnuts for 10 minutes. The nuts should continue to be roasted until they are fragrant and darker in color. The shell must also be slightly turned over to the “x” mark. You may have to cook the nuts for up to 15 minutes, but they tend to roast a little faster in the shell - often 10 minutes is enough.

   Stir nuts halfway through cooking. This is not necessary, but it will cook them evenly and cook thoroughly. Use a spatula as the nuts and baking sheet will be too hot to touch with your hand. Make sure the "x" mark on each shell is still visible and uncovered.

   Roasted nuts on the stove (in shell)

   Heat a large, dry skillet. The pan should be heated over medium heat. Let it warm up for about five minutes to make sure it warms up thoroughly. Do not use vegetable oil or non-stick spray, as the nuts themselves contain enough oil to cook through. However, it would be nice to use a non-stick pan.

   Put the walnuts into the skillet. Arrange the nuts in a single layer - we do not recommend frying a large batch that forms a multi-layered pile. It's generally a good idea to start cooking the nuts in a position where the "x" is facing up on as many nuts as possible, but this isn't that important as the walnuts don't stay in the same position for long.

   Stir nuts frequently. After the first minute or two, start stirring the nuts. You can take 30 seconds or so between stirring, but for the most part, the nuts should be stirred continuously to ensure even and thorough toasting. Use a heat resistant spatula.

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.

Advice

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

A warning