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Most of us don’t think of nuts as a seasonal crop, but they’re a harvested just like most other real foods. And while nuts have a long shelf life, you’ll maximize it by sourcing your nuts directly from the farmers soon after they were collected and harvested. Are you nuts for nuts? Read on to find my guide to eight different types of nuts that you might find at your fall farmers market.
Is there really a nut season?
Yes! While nuts are available year round at the grocery store, they’re actually a fall seasonal crop. Depending on the nut species, nut season ranges from September to November.
What’s the best way to store nuts?
Believe it or not, nuts can go bad! Most nuts are high in fats, and those fats and oils can go rancid.
I recommend storing nuts in the freezer. Keeping nuts in your freezer is the best way to keep them tasting fresh, and the high fat content means that they won’t take that long to thaw when you actually want to use them. In most cases, it takes five minutes or less to thaw a handful of nuts, so there’s no reason not to store them in the freezer.
Nuts can last for up to a year in the freezer, so you can enjoy nuts in any season!
Types of Nuts at the Farmers Market
Acorns
Did you know that acorns are edible? All acorns are technically edible, but some varieties need more processing than others. Look for white oak acorns, which are naturally less bitter than other varieties.
Acorns are extremely high in tannins, which causes them to be bitter and astringent when raw. In fact, they’re so high in tannins that eating raw acorns is not pleasant at all. However, after acorns are soaked in water repeatedly, the tannins are drawn out, leaving a sweet and starchy nut that tastes like a cross between
Acorns are rarely seen at the farmers market as they are usually foraged, but you might be lucky enough to see them in September and October markets. Every once in a while, I’ll see a foraged food vendor, and those will be your best bets for finding acorns if you don’t want to go foraging for them yourself!
Almonds
I know I featured almonds on my stone fruit overview post about a month ago, but they’re usually thought of as a nut. So I’m including them again here!
What we commonly refer to as just “almonds” are the nuts of the sweet almond tree. There is also a bitter almond tree, but those nuts are not edible; bitter almonds contain a high amount of amygdalin, which is toxic. Freshly harvested almonds have notes of cherry and vanilla, and pair well with other fruits.
Almonds are harvested from August to November, but you can often find flavored and roasted almonds at the farmers market year round.
Chestnuts
Do Christmas songs come to mind when you think about chestnuts? I know I do.
Chestnuts have less fat and are starchier than other nuts. Traditionally, chestnuts were roasted to make chestnut flour, which was cheaper than wheat flour. Roasted chestnuts taste like especially nutty sweet potatoes, and are unlike every other nut on this list. To add to the differences, chestnuts are not crunchy when roasted. Instead, they have an almost spongy texture due to the high starch content.
Chestnuts are harvested in September, but you’ll often see them at the farmers market up to December due to the long storage life and increased demand around the holidays. You may also find some farms sell chestnuts from their trees as well.
Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts, also known as filberts, are among the sweetest, richest nuts out there. They have earthy and buttery notes, and are just as tasty raw as they are roasted.
Common flavors paired with hazelnuts include chocolate (Nutella, anyone?), apples and pears, and many other fruits. The crunchy, buttery nature of the hazelnut makes it a favorite of mine in salads.
Look for freshly harvested hazelnuts at the farmers market between late September and October. Short season, but it’s worth it!
Peanuts
Peanuts are technically a legume, and not a true nut. But biological classifications haven’t ever stopped the culinary world, so we commonly think of peanuts as nuts. It’s in the name, after all. Unlike other legumes, peanut pods grow underground; this means that the pods are tougher and stringier than other legume pods. This also explains why peanut shells are so different from other nuts. You don’t need a tool to crack into peanuts, after all.
Peanuts are in season from July to early September. Fresh peanuts from the farmers market really shine in boils and stews. I wouldn’t bother buying fresh peanuts only to roast them myself; it’s much more cost effective to buy shelled peanuts elsewhere and just roast those. Save the farmers market peanuts for special applications where you want more of their bean/legume flavor to shine.
Pecans
Pecans are the nuts from a specific type of hickory tree that is native to the southern United States and northern Mexico. They’re so iconic in the region that Texas made them their state nut. You learn something new every day!
The papery exterior of the pecan can be bitter, but the inner nut is crumbly and buttery. They’re most commonly used in desserts and snacks.
Pecans are nuts harvested in October, but can commonly be found year round at farmers markets.
Pistachios
My favorite! It’s a good thing that I buy pistachios still in their shells, because I’d probably eat the whole bag if they were already shelled for me. I love their smooth, creamy texture and mild flavor. Pistachios are great in both savory and sweet dishes.
Look for pistachios from September to November at the farmers market. Also, one of my best farmers market purchases was a small jar of pistachio butter, which has quickly become my favorite nut butter. If you see it, scoop it up!
Walnuts
Walnuts can be bitter when raw, but their earthy, fruity, and buttery flavors come out after they’re roasted. I always recommend roasting walnuts for the best eating experience.
Freshly harvested walnuts can be found at the farmers market from late September through October. However, walnuts are probably the nut I see most often at the market, as the roasted and flavored nuts are especially popular.
Best Recipes for Nuts from the Farmers Market
Nuts add a great crunch factor in salads. Roasted walnuts add a warm crunch to my Kohlrabi Apple Salad. Kohlrabi, apples, and walnuts are all in season during the fall, so it’ll be easy to fit into your fall meal plans.
Roasted hazelnuts pair with my warm brown butter dressing in my Fennel and Kohlrabi Slaw. Hazelnuts have a real buttery flavor, so it was only natural that hazelnuts were the nut to use here.
Frangipane is a sweet tart and pie filling made from almond flour, sugar, and eggs. If you want your frangipane to have a bit rougher texture, you can make it from whole almonds instead of almond flour. Switch out the rhubarb for a fall seasonal fruit, like pears, for an in-season twist on my Rhubarb Frangipane Tart.
Acorns require a lot more work than any other nut here to make them edible. But, don’t let that stop you. Practical Self Reliance has a recipe for Acorn Ice Cream that is well worth the effort. Ashley also has an excellent guide on how to leech acorns in the same post.
The high starch content of chestnuts mean that they’re awesome for making creamy soups. Try Olive & Mango’s recipe, which really highlights the flavor of the chestnut in a silky, savory soup.
Try adding fresh boiled peanuts to Nafy Flately’s Maafé recipe, which will give the stew more texture. I was lucky enough to be at the Ferry Building Farmers Market when this recipe was demonstrated, and boy, is it delicious!
I didn’t have cake at my wedding; instead, we did a whole display of mostly individual pies. One of the favorites was the I-40, which added chocolate chips and coconut to the classic pecan pie. While I didn’t make any of the pies at my wedding, I’ll be able to recreate the I-40 using this recipe from Completely Delicious.
