Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Put the measured walnut halves and pieces in a roomy glass bowl. Add the sea salt and enough warm filtered water to cover. Mix so the salt disperses through the water.
- Leave in a warm place for at least seven hours or overnight.
- Drain in a stainless steel colander. Spread on stainless steel baking pans so the nuts can dry evenly; use another pan rather than leaving a deep pile.
- Dry in an oven no hotter than 150°F, about 65°C, for twelve to twenty-four hours. Turn occasionally and continue until completely dry and crisp.
- Cool a piece enough to handle, break it and check the center. If still damp or soft inside, continue the low-temperature drying. Cool the finished batch completely.
- Put the cool walnuts in an airtight container and refrigerate. Chop and measure the finished walnuts when another recipe calls for them.
Notes
Yield: About four cups of finished walnuts. Start with four cups halves and pieces, not finely chopped nuts or flour. Measure the prepared nuts again for the finished dish.
Minimum timing: The card uses the minimum seven-hour soak and twelve-hour drying time, about nineteen hours combined. Drying can take twelve to twenty-four hours, making about nineteen to thirty-one hours with a seven-hour soak. Longer soaking, measuring, draining and cooling take additional time. These are elapsed times, not active preparation.
Temperature: Keep oven drying at or below 150°F, about 65°C. Check the actual low temperature and use the fully dry, crisp center as the endpoint.
Preparation: This is a plain salt-water soak and drying method for walnut pieces. It is not a fermented flour preparation for GAPS baking. No dairy starter, honey, oil or spice coating is added.
GAPS: Full GAPS once nuts have been introduced. Contains walnuts; no dairy or egg ingredient. Not an Intro, nut-free or No-Plant preparation.
Doubling: Use eight cups walnuts and four teaspoons salt, with enough water to cover. Use more bowl and pan space and spread the nuts out. Keep the same soaking and dryness checks rather than piling the doubled amount on one pan.
Storage: Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Label the preparation date and keep the walnuts refrigerated.