Name: 8lb In Shell Walnuts | Fresh 2024 Crop | Unbleached | Field/Huller/Drier Run| Freshly Harvested 10-25-24
SKU: 00010
Price: 34.99 USD
Availability: InStock

8lb In Shell Walnuts | Fresh 2024 Crop | Unbleached | Field/Huller/Drier Run| Freshly Harvested 10-25-24

$34.99

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NOTE: If you want "pretty" shells, buy the bleached/polished ones from retailers. These are NOT bleached or polished or Sized. They are field run nuts. Not air legged on the dry end either. Dried at 110, standard huller drier line. You get the freshness and lack of chemicals, but the shells don't look so pretty and there will be a few bad nuts in the mix. That's field run for you! Also, note that these are dried and huller drier run. They aren't hand harvested. We may have a few of those for sale soon, but these are NOT ambient air dried.

These are absolutely the freshest walnuts you can buy, straight from the walnut orchard on my family farm. They are the premium Chandler variety, known for light meats and mild walnut flavor. They are harvested, hulled, dried and sent to you. We don't size/bleach/polish them, so they have a natural appearance. There may be traces of dirt on the nuts from the field, and if you're used to buying bleached nuts, the shells will appear a bit darker; however the meats inside will typically be lighter than what you can get elsewhere. Depending on the year and how well the huller/drier is pulling empty nuts there are typically 10-20% that will be defective ("blanks," bad shrivel, darkened nuts). This comes with the territory of in shell nuts. The size and color on the nuts is typically outstanding with 70+% being jumbo nuts, 70+% lights. These nuts should be stored cool and dry if you want to ensure that they last well (Refrigerator is the ideal temp, if not that, somewhere that stays below 60 degrees is best). Short term a month or two at room temp is not a big deal, but for anything longer than that you may notice a decrease in freshness, especially if you let them get really warm.

Please note that we don't use insecticides, fungicides, or ripeners on the tree canopy or walnuts (most other commercial growers use multiple sprays each year), but we are not certified organic. We do not use a certified organic huller/drier (they would have to pay to be certified), and within the last 3 years a non-OMRI listed herbicide has been used by my uncle around tree trunks and sprinkler heads during the summer where it is not possible to get the flail mower-- in a walnut orchard grass must be kept low during summer/fall to avoid clogging harvester equipment. The herbicide is a contact herbicide, it is applied personally by my Uncle, a certified CA PCA (certified expert in use of any sprays) with 40 years of experience who uses as little as possible, times application carefully (vs the 4-6 often used in commercial orchards), selects the safest materials we can afford, and follows all specs carefully. None is absorbed by the trees (based on all the available info I can find and his expert opinion) and the application is during the summer months before walnuts are harvested so none touches the walnuts even when they are in the hull. Still this application would be a barrier to being certified organic (all materials put into the field must be on the OMRI list for 3 years to certify) and I like to be sure people know that is the place we are not within current organic standards, although we do hope to eliminate herbicide entirely with better mowing equipment or using multiple OMRI listed material applications as we have the capital to do so (both are significantly more costly weed management methods). We do hope to obtain that certification in the future, but there are definitely some cost and logistical barriers to doing that as a small family farm with minimal capital to invest and we feel that we are offering a product that offers the same level of "clean" and safe food as a certified product. Of course, our prices do reflect a significant discount compared to any other available certified organic walnut products that I'm aware of and I do like folks to understand that many certified organic products will have many more sprays used than we do but they will be OMRI listed, which is a good barometer of safety but not always. As always, if you're in the area, you are welcome to come over to the farm, see the orchard, and talk to me or my uncle about our growing practices and the food you buy from us.

We have fresh 2024 crop IN SHELL walnuts! However, due to a fluke mistake my Uncle's walnuts were mistakenly sold to a wholesale buyer at the processor that shells our walnuts. That means I will not have any 2024 crop light halves and pieces to sell this year. We have a little cold stored 2023 crop available, which still tastes fresher than what is typically available in the grocery stores this time of year. We have enough to supply our existing stores and customers through the holiday rush, but will likely sell out online and do our last shelf stocking around late January. Lord willing we plan to have 2025 shelled crop late November/Early December 2025. Thank you so much to those of you who have supported the business, and we hope to continue earning your business.