Don’t have a nutcracker, but want to crack walnuts? With simple home methods, you can easily separate the shells using things you have on hand.

Walnuts are a valuable source of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, but their shells can be a challenge. Although a nutcracker is the most popular tool for cracking nuts, there are a few ways to get inside without a nutcracker. If you have this job ahead of you, don’t stress because we know how to make it easier for you.

How to crack walnuts without a nutcracker? Place on a baking sheet and heat

A proven way to make it easier to peel them is heating the nuts in the oven.

  • Preheat the oven to approx. 200°C and put the nuts on the baking sheet for a few minutes (usually 5-10 are enough). Thanks to the action of heat, the shells of the nuts are less rigid, which makes it easier to crush them by hand or with a knife.
  • After removing from the oven, let the nuts cool slightly to avoid burning yourself when opening them. The important thing is that the bitter skin peels off together with the shell.

Cracking walnuts without grandpa. Freezer and boiling water will come to the rescue

Putting the nuts in the freezer is a method that can help if the shell is particularly difficult to crack.

  • Put the nuts in the freezer for about 2-3 hours. The cold will make the shells more prone to cracking.
  • After removing from the freezer, use a knife or hammer to gently break the shells.

If you are not convinced by using the freezer, we have another solution. Boiling nuts in hot water is also an effective method to soften their hard shells.

  • Place the nuts in a pan of boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes.
  • After this time, remove the nuts and try to crack the shells gently, e.g. with a sharp object or, as demonstrated by TikTok user @makesushi1, they can also be opened by hand. The shell should be much easier to open anyway.
@makesushi1 Did you know if you BOIL WALNUTS… Discover the ultimate kitchen hack in this quick tutorial! I reveal a simple yet mind-blowing trick: boil walnuts for 10 minutes and watch how they crack open effortlessly with just one hand. 🥜✋ #food #hack #foodhack #WalnutHack #KitchenHacks #FoodTricks #EasyCooking #DIYKitchen #CookingShorts #walnuts #tiktokfood #tiktokfoodie ♬ original sound – How to make sushi 🍣

How to shell walnuts? No more bitter aftertaste

There are several methods you can use to remove the skins from walnuts.

  • One of the ways is blanching – just put the nuts in boiling water for a few minutes and then put them in cold water, which makes it easier to remove the skin.
  • An alternative is to bake the nuts for about 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 150°C. Heat makes the skin brittle and peels off easily.
  • Another option is to soak the nuts overnight in cold water, which softens the skin so that you can easily peel it with your fingers in the morning.

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