All About Walnuts

By: Amy Sprague

Happy National Walnut Day! (5/17) We are celebrating walnuts, which don’t get as much recognition as other tree nuts… *cough* almonds *cough, cough*

At Sohnrey Family Foods we sell a lot of almonds at our store, and online. We however also grow and sell walnuts!

Walnuts are one of the oldest tree food known, they can be traced back to 7,000 B.C. Walnuts are commonly known as English Walnuts but originated from Persia. Through time walnuts were traded overseas, becoming popular all around the world. Today, California grows the majority of walnuts in the United States and the Central Valley is where most of the farms are located (Where we are!). 

Growing walnuts takes time and patience. When a farmer plants a walnut sapling they have to wait 5-7 years for the tree to mature before they can harvest that tree. Walnut harvest begins in August which overlaps with almond harvest. Walnuts get shaken off their tree similarly to almonds and are also encased in a hull, protecting the nut inside. 

A walnut has two layers protecting the nut. The first layer is the outer shell, called the hull shell and then when removed there is a hard shell underneath. The hard shell of a walnut has been compared to a hard human skull protecting the brain. Ancient Greeks referred to walnut shells as karyon which meant “head.” 

At Sohnrey Family Foods we grow and sell classic English Walnuts but we also carry Bertagna Red Walnuts. Red walnuts are a high quality walnut that has creamier texture and a less bitter bite than other walnuts. 

Interesting Facts About Walnuts: 

1. Walnut Marketing Board created National Walnut Day in 1949 to promote walnuts, and almost ten years later President Eisenhower made it a public holiday.
2. Walnuts contain Omega-3 fatty acid which is good for your brain and heart. 
3. Walnuts were reserved for royalty in ancient Persia. 
4. Walnuts grown in California account for 99% of the supply in the United States.