How to wash walnuts. Preparing walnuts for children
For some reason, many people think that it is not necessary to wash nuts, however, if you take a closer look at how they are stored on store shelves, and also think about whether hygiene standards were observed during their cleaning and transportation, you can draw the only correct conclusion - nuts should be washed in without fail! But, how to wash nuts correctly?
Unpeeled walnuts should be poured with boiling water for 25-30 minutes, then removed, rinsed under running water and put on a dry towel. Only after the nuts are dry, they can be broken and used, as it is right to eat nuts clean and dried.
If a walnuts bought in a purified form, in this case they are washed in warm water (but not in boiling water!) And dried on a towel. It is important not only to properly wash the nuts, but also to remove them from the water. If the water is drained while holding the nuts with your hand, then the particles of dirt, rising from the bottom, will again stick to the clean nuts. So that the dirt does not stick to the nuts, they are pulled out with a slotted spoon or a small ladle and carefully laid out on a clean napkin.
After washing the shelled nuts, experts recommend drying them in the oven at a minimum temperature (approximately 15-20 minutes) - this will remove excess moisture and give them a pleasant taste. Other types of nuts - hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios and almonds are washed in a similar way - pour boiling water for 2-3 minutes, washed and dried. Only peanuts can be roasted - for other types of nuts, drying is enough.
Washed pine nuts different ways– it will depend on the needs. Before preparing pine nuts for shelling, they should be poured over with boiling water and lightly roasted in the oven. But cedar jam is made from unripe fruits - cones. The cones with unripe nuts are washed in boiling water, and then in running water, thrown into a colander, and then used to make jam.
Taking care of the health of the child, we always thoroughly wash the dried fruits bought in the store, on the market. Have you ever thought about the fact that nuts must be washed before eating, because they were also packaged by hand and there are no guarantees of the purity of the product. I confess honestly that until recently I did not even think about the fact that nuts need to be washed. A conversation between two of my acquaintances made me think seriously about the safety of the unwashed. walnuts. Well, how do you imagine it? It turned out that in fact everything is very simple and fast.
How to prepare walnuts for children to eat:
1. Purchased walnuts are not always eaten immediately, so they are stored in bags, jars, etc.
2. Spend a little time on the nuts and sort them out right after you buy them, looking for pieces of shells, spoiled kernels, or mold (anything can happen!).
3. Then wash the walnuts with running warm water in a deep bowl or saucepan several times.
4. Spread the nuts loosely on the baking sheet.
5. Turn on the oven at 150 degrees and as soon as it warms up, put a baking sheet with washed walnuts in it for 6-7 minutes.
6. During this time, the excess moisture that the nuts absorbed during washing will have time to evaporate, and the remaining harmful microorganisms will be destroyed by hot air.
Secrets of preventive "disinfection" of walnuts:
- it is important not to overdry (overcook) the nuts - watch them carefully and do not leave for a minute,
- as soon as the nuts are dry, immediately take them out of the oven - you can not leave them there to cool,
- if you want to achieve a slightly toasted taste of walnuts, for example, for preparing for a child’s birthday or another, let the nuts dry for just a couple more minutes - no more!
- toasted walnuts have a slightly different flavor than raw walnuts. He's pretty pleasant. If you overcook them, you get real burnt sunflower seeds to taste - in my opinion, this is not tasty at all.
- Find out about.
Nuts have been used for food since ancient times and this is justified by the fact that under the shell there is a valuable nutritious nucleolus, which has become an indispensable food product for many peoples of the world. Oil, scrubs, dyes, crafts, ropes are made from nuts and shells. Nuts are widely used in Food Industry for the preparation of bakery products, as additives and fillings in the confectionery industry, and so on.
Nuts are different - walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, peanuts, almonds, cashews and others, but they all differ from other fruits in high protein content and especially fat, and, consequently, high energy value - at least 600-700 kcal per day. 100 grams of product. This exceeds the calorie content of bread by 3-3.5 times, meat - by 4-6 times, vegetables, fruits, berries - by 10-15 times. Proteins that make up from 8 to 25% in nut kernels have. Fats - in a concentration of 40-60% contain valuable fatty acids, including linoleic and linolenic. Carbohydrates are mainly represented by simple sugars and starches. From other nutrients highest value have potassium, phosphorus, and in some nuts - calcium and magnesium. There are trace elements - cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel. Nuts are rich in vitamins A, B, in fresh - not fried, vitamin C is present. Of particular importance are the tocopherols contained in nut oils - vitamin E. Nuts are a product for improving brain function.
In addition to natural nuts, there are a huge variety of roasted salted, glazed (in chocolate, fruit glaze) nuts on sale. The nutritional value of these products is somewhat reduced due to heat treatment, and the calorie content increases significantly due to the enrichment with easily digestible carbohydrates. Fans of roasted nuts should remember that with strong roasting (processing fruits in the oven with high temperature long time - 7-15 minutes) nuts lose their beneficial features, so it’s better to just dry them, calcinate them (processing fruits at a high temperature, but for 3-5 minutes). But still, it is better to eat unprocessed and unpeeled nuts - then they have more benefits!
The insidious danger of nuts.
Most types of nuts do not need to be cooked before consumption, but there are some fruits that require exceptions. Almonds contain up to 3-5% of amygdalin glycoside, the decomposition products of which give the nut bitterness and a special almond smell characteristic of it. Almond kernels contain the enzyme emulsin. Under its influence, amygdalin is broken down with the release of hydrocyanic acid (hydrogen cyanide) - one of the strongest poisons. Therefore, eating bitter almonds in their raw form is unsafe for health. During heat treatment of nuts, the emulsin is destroyed, and unchanged amygdalin is not dangerous.
Raw cashews are not marketed because the highly caustic substance cardol is contained between the shell and the shell of the nut. Cardol causes severe chemical burns and allergic reactions on contact with the skin. Therefore, before sending the nuts to the distribution network, they are very carefully removed from the shell and shell and subjected to a special heat treatment, in which the hazardous substance is destroyed.
Despite all the attractiveness and wonderful taste of nuts, one must remember that their protein is a strong allergen that can cause allergic reactions in the form of skin rashes, coughs, sneezes, indigestion or even anaphylactic shock, especially in children and adults prone to food intolerance. Peanut protein is considered the most allergenic - more than 75% of cases of reactions.
Given this, nuts, especially peanuts, should be excluded from the diet of allergy sufferers. Remember that nuts are widely used in food production. Peanuts and peanut butter are added to baked goods, yogurt, chocolate, desserts, cereals, and more, so if your child is intolerant to nuts, read the label very carefully to avoid an unwanted reaction! If, nevertheless, the “forbidden” component got into the diet of you or your baby, and an allergy appeared, consult a doctor, in case of urticaria or Quincke's edema, call immediately ambulance for hospitalization.
And one more thing: since nuts are quite high in calories, even a small handful of nuts adds to the diet, contributing to the set excess weight. So even in the absence of allergies, it is still not worth abusing nuts.
Now separately about nuts in baby food.
1. Whole nuts are not recommended for children. early age(up to 3 years). With great care, nuts should be introduced into the diet of children over 3 years old, since nuts are highly allergenic foods. However, baby food products with nut additives for babies without allergic reactions to this species product are allowed.
2. For children with allergies, nuts, as well as eggs, chocolate, and fish, should be excluded from the diet.
4. Children over 3 years old can be offered nuts in the form of a "dessert" or as part of meals in the amount of 50 g 1-2 times a week.
5. Children over 3 years old, taking into account good tolerance, can be offered muesli with nuts and seeds.
6. It is not necessary to introduce bakery products containing seeds and nuts into the diet of a young child, since the calorie content of such products significantly exceeds age standards, in addition, they are highly allergenic products. Children over 3 years old can use such bread in the diet 2-3 times a week.
And in conclusion, a few tips for choosing and storing nuts:
1. Buy nuts whole, not chopped, ground or shelled, as nut kernels go rancid faster.
2. When choosing nuts, I split the shell, a high-quality nut opens entirely in the form of whole nucleoli, and does not turn into small crumbs.
3. Due to the high oil content of nuts, they quickly become rancid when stored for a long time in warm conditions. When buying nuts and seeds, pay attention to their color, including in the context. Old rancid fruits usually have a yellowish tint.
4. Moldy nuts are dangerous and harmful: under the influence of a mold fungus, aflatoxins are produced in the nucleoli - substances of a very insidious nature: they have neither taste nor smell, they cannot be "tasted", but nevertheless, they are able to provoke development cancer. Therefore, if, after splitting a nut, you notice a cloud of pollen above it, throw it away without regret.
5. For maximum conservation nutritional value product, it is better to store the nuts unpeeled in a cool, dark place, then for several months the fruits will be as good as new. Shelled nuts are best stored in a tightly sealed container where they can last up to a month, and in the refrigerator up to two months. In the case of improper and long-term storage, in addition to a decrease in nutritional value, especially fatty varieties of nuts and seeds become rancid (to avoid such a nuisance, all manufacturers roast the fruits and this prolongs their “life”).
Be healthy and happy!
Nuts are very popular among buyers, as they are very healthy and tasty, and you don’t always want to gruel the purchased nuts yourself for a long time, so many buyers prefer shelled nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts). Peeled nuts do not keep as well as shelled ones, so let's look at how to store peeled nuts at home so that they do not deteriorate and remain tasty and fresh for a longer time.
Can I buy shelled nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts)?
Many are primarily interested in whether it is possible to buy already peeled nuts in the store and on the market? Answer to this question depends on how many nuts you are going to buy, whether you will eat them right away or whether you need to store them for a long time (buy for future use), and whether you are confident in the product you are buying (already bought nuts at this outlet and you liked the quality of the purchased nuts ).
It is always better to buy peeled nuts in small quantities in order to eat them right away or use them in the preparation of certain dishes, since having lost their protective shell, the shelf life of all types of nuts decreases several times (the requirements for storage conditions for peeled nuts also change). Also, when buying shelled nuts, it is important to choose a quality product, because it is not known under what conditions the seller stored these nuts and for how long (relevant when buying shelled nuts by weight, when there is no way to know the expiration date, unlike nuts packaged by the manufacturer).
With the right choice, unshelled nuts will be a good buy and save you the hassle of cleaning them at home, while if you buy nuts in reserve, you can save them at home using the tips below.
Where is the best place to store shelled nuts?
Shelled nuts, regardless of their type, are best stored in a cool, ventilated, dark place, such as a pantry, a dry cellar, a lockable cabinet in the kitchen, a refrigerator, and even a freezer. The choice of storage location directly depends on how long you are going to store the peeled nuts. To store nuts, you can use fabric bags (made of natural material), as well as various closable metal and glass containers with a lid.
Peeled nuts can be stored at room temperature for a week, but to keep them longer than a month, it is better to place them in a refrigerator or a cool, dry cellar.
Each type of nuts has its own storage characteristics, so below we will consider separately how to store peeled walnuts and pine nuts, as well as shelled hazelnuts.
How to store peeled nuts at home?
Storage of shelled walnuts
- For storage for 1-2 weeks, peeled walnuts can be placed in a glass jar or a special metal container with a lid and put away in a dark pantry or locker in the kitchen.
- For storage for up to 6 months, shelled walnuts can be placed in a glass jar, closed with a lid and left in the refrigerator on a shelf.
- For longer storage, unshelled walnuts can be placed in a plastic bag, and then put in the freezer, while it is better to break the nuts into portions in advance, if there are a lot of them, so as not to re-freeze them later.
On a note: during long-term storage in a peeled form, walnuts partially lose their taste, can dry out and deteriorate, so it is better to store them for a long time in the shell or buy peeled in small quantities to use immediately. Also, when storing peeled nuts in the freezer, you must immediately understand that they will lose some of their beneficial properties due to deep freezing.
Storage of shelled pine nuts
Due to the high content of oils, pine nuts are not stored for a long time, especially in a purified form, and very quickly lose their useful properties and taste.
It is better not to store peeled pine nuts for a long time at all, but to eat them immediately, but if they need to be stored, then we put them in a resealable glass jar and put them in the refrigerator on a shelf (they can be stored in this form for no more than 2-3 weeks).
Storage of shelled hazelnuts (hazelnut)
Peeled hazelnut kernels are best stored in a resealable glass container in a refrigerator on a shelf, but not more than 3 months.
For longer storage of peeled hazelnuts, freezing in the freezer is required. To do this, we sort the nuts into portions into special plastic bags for products with a fastener and place them in the freezer (store in the freezer for no more than six months).
How long can shelled nuts be stored (shelf life of shelled nuts) at home?
- Up to 2 weeks (14 days) when stored at room temperature (relevant for walnuts and hazelnuts, cedar will not be stored for a long time at room temperature);
- Up to 6 months when stored in a refrigerator or dry cool cellar (relevant for walnuts, it is better to store hazelnuts for no more than 3 months, and pine nuts - no more than 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator);
- Up to 1 year when stored in the freezer (deep-freeze shelled walnuts). You can freeze shelled hazelnuts and pine nuts for a period not exceeding 6 months.
How to process shelled nuts before eating
Do shelled nuts need to be washed before eating and why? This is a fairly common question, as many understand that nuts sold without shells in outlets may not be completely clean, and bacteria can appear and develop on them, so it is always better to at least wash them before use.
First of all, this applies to walnuts bought by weight, which, after purchase, it is advisable to rinse thoroughly with warm water, and then dry them on a baking sheet in the oven (at a low temperature and not for long), or in a pan over low heat, while constantly stirring thoroughly until until all the water has evaporated from their surface. After this treatment, you will be able to wash off dust, small debris, and most of the bacteria from purchased shelled nuts.
In conclusion to the article, it can be noted that knowledge of how to store peeled nuts at home will be useful to everyone, while you should always remember that peeled nuts are not stored for a long time and quickly lose their useful properties and taste (they start to taste bitter, lose their saturation of taste). ), so it’s better to buy them at a time and eat them right away, and if you need to buy them for the future, then give preference to nuts in the shell (not peeled). We leave our tips and feedback on how to keep peeled nuts at home in the comments to the article and share it in social networks if it was helpful to you.