Kristina’s tips for collecting and storing walnuts

• The first lot of nuts to fall will still have vestiges of their casings attached and are often diseased or just no good. Wait until they are coming down completely free of their green or blackened shell.

• Get the nuts off the ground as quickly as possible. Dry them by spreading them out in the sun for 2-3 days (on a deck or in a trailer are two good options).

• Once dry, hang them in onion sacks in a shed or garage which gets warm on sunny days. Hang them high so rats can’t get at them.

• If you have too many to crack all at once, and have the space, keep them in the freezer in their shells.

• Raw walnuts are way too acidic for my taste. Paul and I crack our walnuts throughout the winter and roast them in an oven set at 100°C for 20 minutes. They seem to stay fresh and crisp for months when treated in this way, kept in an airtight jar.