What are these dark spots on my walnut kerns? Are they safe to eat?
Sometimes, when I'm eating walnuts, I'll find one with some dark spots on the kern surface, as shown in the photograph below. I normally prefer to err on the side of caution (I think I read somewhere once about them being some sort of mold) and throw it away. Just in case I'm throwing away some fine and expensive delicious walnuts, I'd like to ask if somebody know what these spots are, and if they are safe to eat or not.
Thaks for your time, and sorry if it's a silly question.
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Can you eat walnuts with black spots?
The speckles are just a blemish that won't change the taste of the walnut. The emaciation is caused by a lack of water in the last couple months of walnut development. If your purchased walnuts taste funny - like miso - I'm not sure you should be eating them.What are black spots on walnuts?
Most likely, the black walnuts have \u201canthracnose,\u201d a very common non-lethal fungal infection. It causes leaf shedding and lesions on the walnut husks as you describe. It spreads in splashing water when there is a lot of lingering rainfall in spring, like we had this year.What color should walnuts be?
Harvest black walnuts as soon as the outer husk softens, but is still green. The best quality nutmeat is light in color and milder in flavor. If you can leave a finger depression in the husk, the nut is mature. Most people wait until nuts start to drop before gathering.Are walnut skins edible?
When eating walnuts, eat the skin as well! The skin contains phenolic acids, tannins, and flavonoids, all of which are great for health. Once you've shelled your walnuts, you are ready to use them in recipes.Can Walnuts be poisonous?
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Images: Ryutaro Tsukata, Zeeshaan Shabbir, Engin Akyurt, Engin Akyurt