Walnuts
Walnuts are the fruit of the tree Juglas regia, belonging to the Juglandaceae family.
In a botanical sense, walnuts are drupes; these are oily seeds (edible portion) wrapped in a woody endocarp (the shell), in turn covered by a fleshy portion (called husk, mesocarp and epicarp).
As regards the nutritional aspect, being seeds of fleshy fruits, walnuts are NOT mentioned in the classification of the VII fundamental groups of foods. The reason why walnuts are not included in the above classification is to be found in the relative content. nutritional. In fact, they essentially provide lipids and fibers, with a few grams of protein. For this reason, they cannot be compared to other seeds (cereals and legumes, which instead contain mainly complex carbohydrates) or even to fruits (which have mesocarp as an edible portion, not the seed, and which mainly provide water and fructose). Walnuts are therefore quite different from other drupes used "commonly" in human nutrition, one of these is the olive, which has an edible portion characterized by the mesocarp and the epicarp (the opposite of walnuts).
Walnuts can be eaten fresh, after simple extraction of the seed from the coatings, or even dried. An oil and a flour can also be extracted from the nuts, which obviously has completely different characteristics from those of cereal and legume flours. As for the husk, as already mentioned, although edible it is mainly used in the production of nocino; some work it by means of candying.
Walnut flour
Walnut flour is a product that is obtained from the processing of ripe seeds, extracted from the fruit, then shelled and finally dried. These are peeled and squeezed for the extraction of oil (a fairly valuable product), while the fibrous residue forms the basis for the walnut flour.
The gastronomic use of walnut flour is mainly the basic or ingredient for dough. Mixed with wheat flour (however never in considerable percentages, personally I would not exceed 10%) it gives rise to an alternative, extremely pleasant bread; Modo is applicable in the formulation of fresh pasta (up to 15%), even if in this case it is advisable to associate it with whole eggs or egg whites (egg pasta), which allow to maintain a good resistance of the dough when cooked ( since the amount of gluten is relatively compromised). In the production of cakes, walnut flour makes it possible to obtain leavened cakes with chemical yeast (e.g. the walnut cake, which is GLUTEN FREE)! There is no shortage of recipes for various spoon desserts (parfaits, Bavarians, ice creams, etc.), while the addition of walnut flour in the crepes' appearance is also interesting, as well as the structuring of various types of sweet or savory sauces (also with honey, walnut, berries, chestnuts, etc.).
Walnut flour is then marketed as such and sold prepackaged. However, what needs to be taken into account is that this product is a low-quality substitute for homemade walnut flour. The latter, strictly whole, contains a lipid dose that reaches 68%, while commercial walnut flour is around 19% (since it is obtained from the residue of oil extraction).
NB. To produce wholemeal walnut flour at home it is necessary to respect the same recommendations mentioned for hazelnut flour.
Containing good fatty acids (mainly polyunsaturated omega 6, but there is no lack of omega 3), walnuts are consumed for their considerable lipid content, which seems to boast a beneficial effect for the body (cholesterol reduction). Logically, for its part. , commercial flour brings greater portions of fiber (despite the seeds being deprived of the surface film) and proteins (having a low biological value); we remind you that walnut flour is frequently used in the structuring of vegan recipes, with the " objective of completing the biological value of proteins deriving from cereals and legumes, or as a source of vitamin E, essential fatty acids (omega 6 and omega 3), arginine (amino acid), antioxidants, phytosterols, tannins, etc.
We remind you that walnut flour is a potentially allergenic food and that its consumption is to be avoided in early childhood nutrition. Furthermore, although it contains vitamin E, it is an easily perishable food, which undergoes a lot of oxidation of the chains. polyunsaturated. This translates into two negative aspects: the first is a poor shelf life and the very rapid deterioration of the organoleptic-gustatory characteristics; the second is the reduction of nutritional properties by reducing the amount of vit. And antioxidant and polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. It is therefore advisable to keep the walnut flour in the fridge (or freezer), preferably vacuum-packed and in containers that obstruct the passage of light.
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