Useful hack to crack open walnuts with your bare hands

Nuts, especially almonds and walnuts, offer heart-healthy fats and can positively impact cholesterol. So, what is the best way to easily crack open a whole walnut?

Here's how to crack open walnuts (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

It is the winter season and most people love to pop a handful of nuts to snack on. As such, one of the few nuts that needs a little bit more effort is whole walnuts that need to be cracked open. While you may have tried all hacks including using a hammer, here are some prompt hacks to crack them without using a hammer. According to Instagram influencer Deepti Kapoor, all it takes is to boil walnuts for a few minutes in water.

But before we dive into the hack, here’s why walnuts are good for you.

Nuts, especially almonds and walnuts, offer heart-healthy fats and can positively impact cholesterol, said Payal Sharma, senior dietician, Dharamshila Narayana Suprspecialty Hospital.
They have a low glycemic index which indicates that they lead to slow rise in blood sugar levels.

Here is Kapoor’s hack

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*Boil whole walnuts in water for 10 minutes.
*Dry them completely
*Press them and they will pop out

– Make sure you dry the walnut completely after boiling, Kapoor stressed.

Here’s why nuts are good for you (Source: Freepik)

What is the right way to break open whole walnuts?

We spoke to clinical dietitian Garima Goyal, who shared the following ways

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– Nutcracker – You can use a nutcracker to break open whole walnuts. Place the walnut in the cracker and apply gentle pressure until it cracks open. If you don’t have a nutcracker, you can also use a vise or a sturdy pair of pliers.
– Using hands – Opening walnuts with your hands can be challenging, but you can try this method: place the walnut between the palms of your hands, then press and roll it on a hard surface. Applying firm, even pressure may help crack the shell open.
– Using heat – Boiling a walnut before attempting to open it by hand might make it slightly easier. “The heat can sometimes loosen the shell, but it’s not a guaranteed method,” Goyal said.

After boiling for a few minutes, use a towel or gloves to protect your hands and try to crack it open. “Exercise caution, as the nut may still be hot, and the shell might not always break easily. Attempt to crack the shell by applying pressure between your palms or using your fingers,” said Goyal.

Also Read | Between raw and roasted nuts, find out which you should pick (and why)

Previously too, Kapoor shared two hacks to keep flies away from fruits.

1) Keep a wine cork on the plate of uncut fruits.
2) Dip a cotton in vinegar and lightly dab it around the edges of the fruit plate. It helps keep away the flies, Kapoor shared.

Have you ever tried these hacks?