Candied Walnuts Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

FAQs

Why are my candied walnuts soft? ›

Candied Walnuts Recipe FAQs

These last for up to 1 week at room temperature, 2 weeks in the refrigerator, and 2 months in the freezer. Why are my candied walnuts soft? If they are soft you likely did not bake them long enough.

One trick is to work very fast once the sugar starts melting. Once you mix in the walnuts, the candy syrup cools quickly and the walnuts will stick together. You have 30 seconds or so to separate them before they are forever bonded by glassy, cooked sugar. The other trick is to not burn the walnuts when you toast them.

Pecans too sticky: If your nuts are still sticky after cooling, heat your oven to 325° F and bake for 5 to 10 minutes to help harden the candy coating.

Oven (Preferred Method)

Spread walnuts on a large baking sheet—the size doesn't matter as long as they are spread out without overlapping. Bake until the nuts are deeply golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir the walnuts with a spatula about halfway through baking. Keep a close eye on them, since they can easily burn.

Directions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange walnuts on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, checking frequently.

Astringent, mouth-puckering taste…

By soaking and dehydrating them, this will be greatly reduced. This is because when soaking walnuts, the tannins are rinsed away, leaving behind a softer, more buttery nut. The soak water from nuts and seeds should always be discarded and never used as water in a recipe.

As a general guideline, most nuts should be soaked for at least 4-8 hours. Some harder nuts, like almonds and hazelnuts, may benefit from soaking overnight or for up to 12 hours. Softer nuts, like cashews, may only need to be soaked for a few hours.

Yes, candied nuts can go bad. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month for best results.

Shruti Bharadwaj, Senior Clinical Dietician, Narayana Hrudayalaya says soaking walnuts helps improve their digestibility and also remove phytic acid and tannin. "Soaking can also help prevent indigestion as it helps reduce gas forming compounds. It also reduces polyphenols and increase nutrient availability.

Making this recipe with egg whites will always result in crispy crunchy nuts and they won't become soggy and soft after a few days either. Why are my candied nuts wet and sticky? They were not baked long enough or they were not baked at the correct heat temperature.

What to do when walnuts go rancid? ›

If a nut is only slightly stale, says Kanney, it can usually still be toasted to revive some of its previous glory and (crunch). However, Kanney says, “If a nut has spoiled or gone rancid, recognizable by a sour or bitter flavor, the nut is no longer good and should be thrown away.”

Tips for making Candied Pecans

If your nuts don't harden fully, that means the sugar wasn't cooked long enough and didn't caramelize. Cook the nuts longer next time!

If your candied coating isn't hardening, the candying mixture did not reach a high enough temperature. Allow your candying mixture to cook until it bubbles, thickens, and turns a rich golden color, sort of like caramel. Then, quickly turn off the heat so it doesn't burn.

Storage Instructions: Candied nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for several weeks. Freezing Instructions: They freeze well in an air-tight container for up to two months. Nuts: use any kind of nuts with this recipe, like walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews, or pistachios.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts to the hot, dry pan, only toasting as many walnuts as fit in the pan in a single layer. Cook, watching constantly and stirring frequently until the walnuts start to brown and they smell toasted—about 5 minutes.

Walnuts have a mild, buttery flavor that makes them perfect for baking into cookies and cakes. They have a high oil content, so they tend to toast much faster than other varieties. Because of this, it's best to use raw walnuts to prevent them from burning during the baking process.

For a crunchier texture, soak nuts before roasting

Many nuts contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors.

Both raw and roasted nuts can be a healthy addition to most diets. Both types are a good source of beneficial nutrients such as Vitamin E, manganese, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids.