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Virginia climate right for nuts--the snacking kind

November 28, 2008 12:36 am

DO YOU FEEL like a nut? Do you have a favorite kind of nut? Just to be clear, we're talking about tree nuts here. Nuts are popular, healthy and locally available during the holidays.

I don't know the history of tree nut consumption, but there are many references to the importance of acorns and chestnuts to American Indians and, later, European settlers. Given that nuts are fairly easily gathered, have a high nutritional value and can be stored for some time, it's no surprise such trees and their fruit were highly regarded by our ancestors.

While there are some who are allergic to tree nuts (and others who are allergic to peanuts--technically a legume in the pea family, not a nut), recent dietary research highlights the value of nuts as part of a balanced diet. (See The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 138, Issue 9, September 2008.) In 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the following package-label "qualified" health claim for nuts: "Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."

This is believed to be true for the lower-fat tree nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts, walnuts and peanuts. Though nuts are a higher-fat food, it is mostly heart-healthy unsaturated fat and may help lower LDL, or "bad," cholesterol (see lancaster.unl.edu/food/ft mar04.htm).

LOCALLY GROWN

Nuts have a niche in the current local-foods movement. This part of the country can grow walnuts, Asian chestnuts (and the soon-to-return American chestnut), American filberts (also known as hazelnuts), hickory nuts and others.

Tony Bratsch, a former extension specialist with Virginia Tech, feels there is good opportunity for small-scale nut production and niche marking in many areas of Virginia--an opportunity to consider if you have a few acres and a few years (six or more) to get a small plantation established. Check out ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/commhort/pulledarticles/march04-1.html for a brief introduction to nut production.

The best-known nut tree in these parts is the oak, producer of the famous acorn. While few people consider this a source of food today, American Indians used acorns to make flour and "coffee." Oak tannins make the nuts taste bitter, but they are edible. White-oak acorns not only are preferred by squirrels and other critters, but also are the sweetest to human palates. Tannin levels can be reduced by repeatedly soaking or boiling the nuts until the water stays clear.

In addition to acorns, some nuts are freely available to anyone with permission to gather fallen nuts when the time is right. Black walnuts (Juglans nigra) are the most common native/wild nut tree generally regarded as edible in Virginia. While there are named black-walnut varieties for nut production, almost any walnut tree over 10 years old will produce a reliable crop of nuts each year. The trick is to pick them off the ground as soon as possible. The longer they lie, the darker and stronger the meat becomes.

The challenge is getting to the meat. Removing the outside husk is messy work and is sure to stain clothing, skin and anything else coming into contact with the yellow/brown/black juice of the husk. The most common "homeowner" method for removing the outer husks involves dumping the gathered nuts on the driveway and driving over them. This splits the outer husks but does nothing to the inner shells. This method can be dangerous, with ballistic nuts shooting out from the weight of a vehicle.

A safer method involves vigorously stirring nuts in a mixture of water and gravel to remove the husks abrasively. Next is to wash the shells clean of the husk juice and let them dry. After storage in a dark, cool, well-ventilated place for a couple of weeks, they are ready for shelling. Black-walnut shells are tough and aren't likely to "crack" at the sight of your average nutcracker. There are many methods not only for removing the husk but also for cracking the shell to remove the meat.

The following Web sites outline two different approaches:

extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h404blkwal.html

tomclothier.hort.net/page21.html

Growing or gathering your own nuts is a sure path to greater appreciation of this special crop. I would encourage everyone to at least try your hand at cracking your in-shell nuts this holiday season. Then you can appreciate the premium for already-shelled nuts. However, even if you never crack a nut, enjoy them and the rest of the agricultural products on your Thanksgiving table, and be thankful for the farmers who made them possible.