Walnuts (raw)
Walnuts are the one nut that actually tastes better raw, with a clean, slightly bitter edge that roasting softens away. These are halves and quarters, untreated with PPO.
What It Is
PPO, propylene oxide, is a fumigant used on many commercial walnuts to meet import regulations. These skip it, which means you get the nut as it actually is: a little earthy, a little tannic, with that distinctive richness that comes from a high fat content that is mostly unsaturated.
Walnuts are one of the oldest cultivated foods in the world, eaten around the Mediterranean and across Central Asia for thousands of years. The bitterness in the thin skin is real and normal. Some people love it; some blanch the nuts briefly in hot water and rub the skins off.
What To Do
Chop them and scatter over oatmeal, yogurt, or a salad. Press them onto a cheese board. Fold them into banana bread or brownies. Toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for about five minutes, stirring often, and the bitterness mellows considerably and the flavor deepens.
Walnuts go rancid faster than most nuts because of that high fat content. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three months, or freeze them for up to a year. Taste one before you cook with them. A rancid walnut announces itself immediately.
