As you know, walnuts are a unique food product containing a huge amount of substances useful for our body. These nuts contain a huge amount of vitamins, protein, trace elements and fats. It must be said right away that this product is quite high-calorie, so its use should be limited to those people who are on diets, actively engage in sports or, on the contrary, lead a sedentary lifestyle.
To clean or not to clean?
Of course, we all know what a walnut is for a product , how to crack it is sometimes difficult, how long does it take. Why not buy peeled nuts right away? Many, of course, do so. But doctors and specialists in the field of cooking agree on one thing: it is better not to buy peeled nuts, since it is not known what quality they are, how long they are stored in warehouses in a store, how long they lie on its shelf, whether all conditions for their storage and transportation were observed.
In this case, if you do not trust the shops, we advise you to buy unpeeled walnuts. How to correctly chop a walnut so as not to damage the inner nucleolus, we will tell you today. Also, by the way, the option of homemade peeling of nuts is also suitable for those who grow them on their own plot. What kind of purchased nuts are there, and even peeled, when at home in the kitchen there is always a plate of hand-grown goodies.
With a knife
The most, perhaps, the most common method of peeling walnuts - using a conventional kitchen knife. How to chop a walnut without damaging the kernel with a knife? We take a nut, we find a hole in its shell (more often it is called a “tail”). We insert the tip of the knife there and turn a little. The fruit is quickly and easily divided into two parts, the inner part is not damaged.
Pliers
This option is suitable for those who need ground walnuts, for example, for decorating a cake or for pickling meat. How easy it is to chop a walnut with pliers, but how messy it is! Of course, you can very carefully bite off the shell in parts, but certainly not such a long method will suit everyone.
Baking sheet
A fairly common method is to heat a walnut. How to chop it with a baking sheet? No way. An oven and a heated baking sheet simply help to make the shell a little softer. Hold the nuts in the oven for about ten minutes, remove from the oven, cool a little and use any of the methods suggested above (knife or pliers).
Under the influence of high temperature, the constriction that binds the nutshell will be so soft and supple that the process will take you a minimum of time.
Boiling water
This is also a “temperature” option. In the Caucasus, they clean nuts in this way. So, the walnut. How to chop with boiling water? They take a large saucepan, put nuts there and pour boiling water over it. Leave for twenty to thirty minutes. They take out the nuts and easily peel them with a knife.
Unusual ways to peel nuts
Among the popular and proven options that help peel walnuts, there are methods from the Kulibins. They can be called funny, unusual, original or stupid, but true: people use them. We will share it with you, tell you how to quickly crack walnuts using non-standard methods.
The first method is a champagne bottle. Here you will need accuracy, accuracy and skill. The main thing is that, as they say, the hand does not flinch. So, take a walnut, put it on the table. As you know, in many sparkling bottles there is a small recess in the base. It is with this very notch that you will need to hit a nut when you strike. Moreover, the "eyewitnesses" claim that this is far from the first time, and this method is quite "bloody", because the shell and the nut itself are scattered throughout the room.
Doorjamb. You thought that with the door handle you can only remove teeth? But no. You can also chop walnuts using the front door. The method has been tested by many, but, again, is quite "dirty." After you put the nut between the door and the jamb, pull it well for it, you will have to collect the nut on the floor.
Advice
So, we talked about what kind of product is a walnut, how to chop it in various ways. Now it remains only to share a couple of tips that will help you choose the right quality and obviously delicious nuts.
First, always try to give preference to nuts that have a darkish shell color. Green nuts (forest or wild) also taste good, but peeling them will be very, very problematic. The shells and partitions inside such nuts are so strong and dense that neither the oven nor boiling water will help here.
Secondly, remember that the most delicious nuts are large. Try to buy just such. If it is possible to choose from a handful lying on the counter, then be sure to do it, and do not pour everything in a bag.
Thirdly, never buy wet and cold nuts. It doesn’t matter if they are in the shell or already cleaned at the factory.
Fourth, the shell must be clean. That is, it should have wrinkles characteristic of her “grandmother's”, but there should be no white deposits, spots, defects and damages.
And the last: check the nuts by sound. Are you laughing? But in vain! Ripe and tasty nuts with a large and juicy kernel will always sing. Hit one nut on the other. If you hear a dull incomprehensible sound, then it is better not to take such a nut. And if the nuts answer you loudly, then they are tasty, fresh and of high quality.