Walnuts are cracked using our walnut cracking machine. The cracked walnut kernels (or flesh) are then hand-sorted into larger and smaller pieces. The large halves and smaller pieces are vacuum packed for sale. Finer pieces are vacuum packed for walnut oil making, for walnut meal, or for sale to bakeries and for baking.
All the walnuts cracked each day are vacuum packed on the same day. The vacuum-packing machine extracts about 98% of the air from around the walnut kernels and seals the bag. Consequently, the walnuts keep fresh for a long time—particularly if the bags are stored in a cool, dry, and dark place, which is exactly what we do until they are sold. They should be eaten before the “best before” date clearly shown on the package.
Once a vacuum bag is opened, any unused walnut kernels should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Harvesting and Drying
We only use walnuts grown and harvested on our farm. All processing takes place in our clean room facility, ensuring there is no contamination from other nut varieties.
When the walnuts are brought in from the orchard, any remaining husks are removed. The walnuts are then placed in silos where they are air-dried until their moisture content reaches about 9%. This is one of the most critical parts of the process -
- Over-drying spoils the taste
- Under-drying invites rancidity
This careful balance guarantees the best quality organic walnuts for our customers.