Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600671
10/13/97

### NUTS-DRYING

        Spread  nuts thinly on trays or screens and allow  them

    to
     dry  gradually from exposure to a gentle but steady  air

    flow.
      A clean,  cool,  dry porch or attic is ideal.   Nuts

    dried
    this way will not mold.   Drying times varies with nut

    variety.
      Most varieties will need several weeks for proper

    drying.
     All nuts except chestnuts contain a large amount of

    oil
    which prevents them from drying out completely.  Because

    of
    their high water and carbohydrate content,  chestnuts dry

    in
     3 to 7 days.   Drying for longer will cause chestnuts to

    become
    hard and inedible.

        Dryness test:

        -Nutmeats of pecan,  walnuts, filberts and hickory nuts

    should
    shake freely in their shells.

        -Nutmeats  should  be light-colored and  break  with  a

    sharp
    snap when bent or bitten.

        -Taste should be light-flavored.

        -Note:  Excessive drying will cause nut shell to crack.

        Alternative drying methods:

          Small  amounts of nuts in the shell can be dried in a

    furnace
     room or even on trays on a radiator providing   the

    temperature
      do   not   exceed   100   degrees  Fahrenheit.

    Temperatures
    above 100 degrees Fahrenheit will affect flavor

    and
     shorten  storage  life.   Nuts  will be dry in 24 to 48

    hours.

        Nuts  in  the  shell  can  also  be  dried  in  a  food

    dehydrator
     if  the temperature can be adjusted low  enough.

    Follow
    manufacturer's directions.   Unshelled nuts will  dry

    in
    8 to 10 hours in a food dehydrator.

        Oven drying is not recommended for unshelled nuts as it

    is
     difficult  to  keep the temperature low enough  and  air

    circulation
    is poor.

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