Pickled Walnuts: Make the Healthy Snack in 7 Steps

You should definitely add pickled walnuts to your snack list — they're extra healthy and well-preserved this way. Learn how to make them at home in seven easy steps.

One of the best ways to help preserve foods like fruits, vegetables, and even nuts, requires you to take part in an age-old tradition of pickling them. This process not only makes your food last longer, but also adds additional vitamins and helps aid digestion. Keep reading to learn how to make pickled walnuts. 

How to Make Pickled Walnuts

Walnuts are a healthy, protein-rich food that can add to your diet. Compared to other nuts, they are more sustainable and can be locally sourced, as the US produces approximately one third of the global supply. You can easily find them in grocery stores, bulk stores, and local health stores. 

You can use walnuts in a variety of ways, including walnut milk, a vegan roast using walnuts and lentils, or candied walnuts for a sweet snack. But did you know you can also eat pickled walnuts? To utilize walnuts to their full potential, learn how to pickle them with the following recipe. 

Supplies

• Protective rubber gloves
• Large bowl
• Baking trays
• Fork
• Pan
• Sterilized canning jars

Ingredients

• ½ cup salt
• ½ gallon water
• 50–60 unripe walnuts
• 2 quarts vinegar
• Optional flavors: cinnamon, allspice, cloves, ginger

Instructions

1. Prepare a brine solution by combining water and salt in a large bowl. Mix until the salt is dissolved.
2. Next, put on the rubber gloves and prick each walnut with a fork a few times before placing them in the brine.
3. Leave the walnuts in the brine solution at room temperature for approximately 8 days. 
4. Drain the walnuts and lay out on the baking sheets in a single layer. Place outside in the sun until the nuts are black.
5. Once the nuts are black, prepare the vinegar in a pan and let it heat slowly. Once it is boiling, place the walnuts in the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, adding any additional spices if desired. 
6. Remove from heat and spoon the walnuts inside your canning jars, and allow to cool. 
7. Once cool, cover the walnuts with the vinegar until the mixture reaches almost the top of the jar. Close and store in a cool dry place (temperature should be below 70 degrees Fahrenheit).

If made correctly, pickled walnuts can be stored in this way for more than a year. 

Health Benefits of Pickled Walnuts

Walnuts have many health benefits, as they have a lot of healthy, polyunsaturated fats, which are good for your heart and can help keep cholesterol down, as they also contain omega-3.

They are a good source of fiber and magnesium, as well as vitamin E. Pickling walnuts will ensure that you receive all of these health benefits no matter what time of year, along with probiotics which are great for gut health. 

Looking to add more natural probiotics to your diet? We recommend learning how to ferment vegetables — this can make your veggies last longer, as well.

Read on:

• Fermented Black Garlic: The Trend, Uses, and Health Benefits
• Do Nuts Go Bad? Tips and Tricks for Proper Storage 
• How to Toast Slivered Almonds: Step-by-Step 

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Tags: Cooking Guide recipe Vegan