Walnut Picking in the Netherlands: A Nutty Day Out

From late September to October, several farms across the Netherlands open their orchards (or even their lone, magnificent trees) for you to grab a basket and go full-on squirrel.

The hunt is half the fun. Forget neat rows of strawberries. Walnuts are nature’s hide-and-seek champs. You’ll be peering up into a massive, leafy canopy, then scanning the grass for nuts that have dropped on their own. A ripe walnut has a husk that has turned yellowish-brown to black and is splitting open, with a hard brown shell inside. Collect the fallen nuts rather than pulling them from the branches, which can damage the tree, and leave the green, unsplit ones to ripen. Skip any with a mouldy or rotten husk.

The Great De-Husking (Party Time)

This is where your friends and family become a very useful, slightly messy task force. Putting on old gloves is smart (the husks stain everything like an over-enthusiastic watercolorist). Gather around a bucket and pop the nuts out of their jackets. It’s oddly satisfying—and there’s the beautifully grooved shell inside. Without gloves, your hands will stay stained for a few days.

Home Sweet Home: What to do with your stash

Once you’re home, you have a choice:

1. Fresh (The Rare Treat)
Fresh walnuts (before they dry out) are a completely different beast: the kernel is creamy, mild, and almost sweet. Just crack one open, peel off the pale skin, and eat it with a soft cheese.

2. The Great Drying Project
For the classic, crunchy nut, you need to dry them. Spread them in a single layer in a warm, airy spot (a garage, a mudroom, or a spare room). Give them two to four weeks, shaking them around occasionally. You’ll know they’re ready when the kernel inside is brittle, not leathery. Store them in their shells in a cool, dry, dark place, where they keep for 6–12 months; shelled walnuts go rancid faster, so keep those in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Now, let’s get down to business with your haul.

Recipe 1: Walnut & Mushroom Ragu (The Slow Simmer)

This is a hearty, meaty (but meatless) sauce that will make your kitchen smell like a Tuscan villa.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 250g mixed mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake), chopped
  • 1 cup shelled walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp dried thyme & rosemary
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • Salt, pepper, olive oil
  • Pasta of your choice (pappardelle is king here)
  • Parmesan (or a vegan alternative) for serving

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add garlic for another minute.
  2. Add the mushrooms and walnuts. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the mushrooms release their liquid and start to brown and the walnuts toast a little.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, herbs, and broth. Bring to a simmer and let it bubble away for 15-20 minutes, until thickened.
  5. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve over hot pasta with a mountain of Parmesan.

Recipe 2: Maple Walnut & Blue Cheese Tart (The Impress-Your-Guests)

Sweet, salty, crispy, and creamy. This is an appetizer that gets demolished in seconds.

Ingredients:

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry (thawed)
  • 1 cup shelled walnuts
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt (like Maldon)
  • 150g soft blue cheese (like gorgonzola or roquefort)
  • 100g crème fraîche
  • 1 egg (for wash)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Place walnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup and salt, toss, and roast for another 3 minutes. Set aside.
  2. Roll out pastry onto a lined baking sheet. Score a 1-inch border around the edge (don’t cut all the way through).
  3. Mix the crème fraîche and crumble in half the blue cheese. Spread this mixture inside the scored border.
  4. Top with the maple walnuts and the remaining blue cheese chunks.
  5. Brush the outer pastry border with the beaten egg.
  6. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.