Another of our Fall favorites are Black Walnuts. These Fall Superfoods look like little brains and their delectable taste makes the several days of hulling (removing the green hulls which will stain your hands black) and several weeks of drying them well worth it. They are native to Appalachia and much of the eastern United States.
For those of you who have not yet tried them, you should! When compared to their English Walnut counterparts they have a harder shell and are less sweet, but they have a distinct flavor—kind of a bitter-sweet taste with a deep-smoky tinge. And, like their English cousins, they are loaded with healthful Omega-3 fats and balanced proteins. Black Walnuts contain a little less fat though and a lot more protein (almost twice!) than their cousins. They both help to support healthful blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and given their Omega-3 content they are good for combating inflammation which is the root of much of the diseases of civilization.
As if that isn't enough, the hulls and leaves have amazing astringent and antiparasitic properties. This protects them from all the stuff that wants to gnaw away at em in the woods—and it provides an awesome plant medicine when utilized correctly.
Anyone else out there enjoy them as much as we do? Any favorite recipes? We like them dried and raw from the shell.
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