Newly released! Delicious fruits only available in early autumn, it would be a shame to miss them...

Recently, I am really envious of people from Shaanxi. The reason is very simple, that is - fresh walnuts, a delicacy available in limited quantities and for a limited time in early autumn, are now on the market!

If you ask me how delicious fresh walnuts are, I can write a 1,000-word essay to express my love for them. In short, they are as sweet as fruits, and more juicy than nuts. When you put them in your mouth and close your teeth, you will feel the crunchy chewing sensation. They are simply the best taste in the world.

Image source: Internet screenshot

Today we are going to talk about fresh walnuts~

Why are fresh walnuts tastier than dried ones?

There are three main reasons:

1

Higher moisture content

New walnuts have just emerged from their green skin and have not been dried yet, so their moisture content is much higher than that of ordinary dry walnuts. Some studies have shown that the moisture content of new walnuts can reach about 30% . It can be seen that the reason why new walnuts make people's mouths full of juice when eaten is closely related to their high moisture content.

2

High in soluble sugars

As walnuts continue to mature, their soluble sugar content continues to decrease. This is why new walnut kernels taste sweet. The drying process causes a significant loss of soluble sugars , which greatly reduces the flavor of dried walnut kernels.

3

High content of umami amino acids such as glutamic acid and aspartic acid

New walnuts are the fruit of the period when the walnut kernel is constantly maturing and the fat is constantly converted. During this period, the content of glutamic acid and aspartic acid in the walnut kernel is the highest. These two amino acids are found in high levels in mushrooms and can make food taste delicious.

Why can't we stop eating fresh walnut kernels? Perhaps this special sweet taste is also responsible for this.

4

Lower peroxide value

Peroxide value is usually used to measure the degree of deterioration of oil after long-term storage. The higher the peroxide value, the greater the possibility of oil deterioration. Oil deterioration often brings unpleasant "rancid smell". According to experimental tests, the peroxide value of fresh walnut kernels is lower than that of dried walnut kernels, which means that new walnut kernels are less likely to produce rancid smell like dried walnut kernels that have been stored for a long time . This is also one of the reasons why new walnut kernels have better flavor.

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In addition, the skin of fresh walnut kernels can be easily peeled off, so we can avoid eating the brown film on the outside of the walnut kernels when we eat them . And that layer of film is the key to making the dried walnut kernels bitter.

Therefore, the new walnut kernels have opened up various channels for being "delicious", and will naturally be delicious when you put them in your mouth. The deliciousness index is many times higher than that of dry walnut kernels!

Fresh walnuts are better than dried walnuts

Nutrition is also more advantageous

The reason why I recommend fresh walnuts to you is not only because they are delicious, but there is another very important reason: fresh walnuts have greater advantages than dried walnuts in terms of nutritional value.

Since new walnuts are not dried and stored, the vitamins and amino acids in them are better preserved . In particular, the content of water-soluble vitamin C varies greatly after drying.

The vitamin C content in fresh walnuts is 10mg/100g, while the vitamin C content in dried walnut kernels is 1mg/100g. Although we do not rely on walnuts as the main food source of vitamin C, in line with the principle of more is better, of course fresh walnuts are better.

Compared with dry walnuts, fresh walnuts are high in protein and low in fat . The difference in protein content between fresh walnuts and dry walnuts is only 2g/100g, but the difference in fat content is nearly 30g/100g. This also reminds us not to eat too much dry walnut kernels at one time, otherwise the fat intake will easily exceed the standard.

Fortunately, whether it is new walnuts or dried walnuts, the fat ratio is basically the same, and both are mainly unsaturated fatty acids. Appropriate intake is helpful for regulating blood lipid levels. However, it is necessary to be vigilant because unsaturated fatty acids are easy to spoil and the storage time of dried walnuts is often longer than that of new walnuts. Therefore, when eating dried walnuts, you should check carefully to avoid eating walnut kernels with rancid fat.

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Some people may say that they usually eat walnuts individually. In this case, is there any nutritional difference between fresh walnuts and dried walnuts? Since fresh walnuts have a high water content, the content of water-soluble vitamins, especially vitamin C, is also better than that of dried walnuts. In addition, the calories of fresh walnuts are 52% of those of dried walnuts . For those who need to lose fat and control their weight, the low-fat and low-calorie characteristics of fresh walnuts are obviously more friendly.

How to choose fresh walnuts?

When eating dried walnuts, we are most afraid of eating those with a "bad taste" and we are also worried about eating those that are "hollow and without flesh". When choosing new walnuts, although the possibility of "bad taste" is very small, the fullness and taste of the flesh will still be different.

Here are some tips to consider when choosing:

1

Choose high-quality walnut products

It makes sense that ordinary people pay attention to buying "authentic ingredients". Local water and soil nurture local customs and local customs. For example , the walnuts produced in Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Xinjiang and other places are indeed relatively higher quality.

Moreover, the main producing areas of a certain crop are usually more willing to invest more manpower and financial resources in cultivating the crop, which also has positive significance for the continuous improvement of crop quality.

2

Choose a big "press hand"

If you have experience eating new walnuts, you will find that larger walnuts mean that it is relatively easier to peel off the outer skin (seed coat). Walnuts that feel heavier to hold tend to have fuller and juicier flesh , and it is not easy to pick hollow and shriveled ones.

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3

Ask the merchant about the type of walnuts

For those who don't know much about walnut varieties, you can ask the merchant whether the walnut is sweet or oily. Usually, new walnuts that are sweeter have more moisture and are easier to peel off. Walnuts that are oily have a smoother taste, slightly lower moisture, and more complex grooves in the flesh, making them more difficult to peel . You can ask the merchant for guidance on choosing according to your own taste.

4

There are pros and cons to having green skin or not

Walnuts with green skins tend to retain more moisture and are fresher. It is a complete experience to take them home and peel, shell, and peel the seed coat. However, the juice from the green skin of walnuts is extremely difficult to clean. If you are not careful and it sticks to your fingers, you will have black fingers for ten days or half a month. For those who love beauty, you can buy walnuts without the green skin.

Image source: Internet screenshot

How to peel fresh walnuts elegantly?

After buying new walnuts, many people worry about how to quickly and elegantly peel off the outer layer of the walnut skin. In fact, there are three key points to quickly peel walnuts: speed, moisture, and tools.

Fast means that the whole process should be done in one go without stopping for too long in the middle. Once the speed is too slow, the walnut skin just peeled will become dry and brittle, and it will be difficult to peel off this layer of seed coat completely.

Wet means keeping the walnut seed coat moist . You can put a basin of clean water at hand, and soak it in water when you encounter a place that is difficult to peel, so that the seed coat maintains a certain humidity, which will make it easier to peel.

Tools: A pair of handy tweezers is the best tool for peeling walnuts, and bent tweezers are even better. They can help you get into the gaps that your fingers can't get into, ensuring that we peel out a lovely tender walnut kernel.

A magical tool for eating walnuts. Image source: Screenshot from the Internet

How to Eat Fresh Walnuts

Are there any other ways to eat peeled fresh walnut kernels besides eating them plain? Of course there are!

1. The most common way to eat walnut kernels is to cook them . Celery and peach kernels, peach kernels with black fungus, and diced chicken with peach kernels all use fresh and tender walnut kernels. The presence of walnut kernels brings a special fragrance and oiliness to the dishes, which complements the light-flavored ingredients.

2. A more convenient way to eat is to blend it. Not only can you blend it with beans, milk, fruits, etc., but you can also choose more ingredients according to your taste and digestive condition. For example, if your digestive function is weak, you can put less beans and choose rice and fruits to blend it together.

3. It is also delicious when stewed . New walnuts have a high content of flavor amino acids and are not strong in taste, so they are very suitable for stewing soup and can add a touch of freshness. Friends who love to make soup can try fresh walnut, Chinese yam and pork bone soup, fresh walnut, red dates, lotus seeds and native chicken soup, fresh walnut pigeon soup and so on.

Some delicacies don’t wait for you, so don’t wait to drool over them! Take advantage of these few days and try the “first bite of walnuts in autumn”!

Planning and production

Author: Wang Lu, registered nutritionist in China

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning｜Yang Yaping

Editor: Yang Yaping

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin

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