Seeberger Walnuts – Born in the Sun, Perfected at Home

It adds a crunchy bite to salads and yogurts, gives muesli an extra push, and turns every nut cake into a flavorful celebration. Whether as a solo snack for a delicious bite in between or as the star of high-class culinary creations, our walnut is a true all-rounder. And those who know it can confirm: it’s not just a treat for the taste buds but also a reliable partner for all sorts of textures and flavors beyond the ordinary. Let us tell you why that might be – after all, it’s seen a lot before conquering kitchens and hearts here at home.

Anna Moscagiuri

08.03.2024

in #Produkt-Stories

Lesedauer: 4-5 min

The Land Between Sand Deserts and Icebergs

Chile stretches like a long ribbon along the western coast of South America. Spanning an impressive length of over 3,500 kilometers, it extends from the dry desert in the north to the icy peaks of Cape Horn near the South Pole. This country is a natural wonder in itself – shaped by Mother Nature and characterized by a diversity of landscapes that is second to none. It is in this breathtaking setting that the story of our walnut kernels begins.

Sunny Growing Regions with an Arctic Breeze

Amid the Mediterranean climate that embraces the central regions of Chile, our walnut trees find the perfect conditions to produce top-quality nuts. The entire growing area benefits from a unique climate, bathed in sunlight and refreshed by the Antarctic winds brought by the Humboldt Current. And it’s not just walnuts that thrive here; ancient trees, some over 200 years old, enrich the local biodiversity.

Plantations Full of Life

Our cultivation partners skillfully weave the principle of natural crop rotation into their work: when the walnut trees need a break to regenerate, plums, peaches, avocados, and even raisins take their place. This crop selection not only ensures a bountiful harvest but also honors the principle of biodiversity. Years later, when it’s time for the next crop rotation, the walnuts are reawakened to grow and bear fruit once again.

When It Rains Walnuts

The harvest is an event that marks the change of seasons. As the Chilean autumn begins in March and April, the plantations come alive with a rhythmic spectacle: the trees are shaken by machines, causing the walnuts – some still wrapped in their green husks – to fall from the branches. The nuts are then spread out between the rows of trees and collected from the ground using large vacuum machines. People, machines, and nature work hand in hand here.

Walnuts: Gifts from Majestic Giants

Looking up beside a walnut tree is quite awe-inspiring. These tree giants can reach 10 meters into the sky. However, they don't achieve their impressive size overnight: A walnut tree spends about seven years growing before it produces enough nuts to make processing worthwhile. From then on, there's no stopping them: The most productive trees can supply us with nuts for up to 35 years. Only then do they pass the baton to the next generation.

From Roots to Treetops

Our walnut trees are far more than just giant nut suppliers. They make an invaluable contribution to biodiversity on the plantations by providing shady retreats, feeding insects, and enriching the soil around them with life. When a tree’s life cycle finally comes to an end, it provides exquisite wood, known and sought after for its exceptionally beautiful grain. This wood becomes the foundation for fine woodwork, elegant furniture, and high-quality car veneers, all in harmony with nature.

Our appreciation for the plant goes even further. The green husks of the walnuts also find their place in our holistic plan: they are used to create nutrient-rich compost, which is then applied as fertilizer. This way, all the vital nutrients return to the soil, nourishing current and future generations of all plantation inhabitants. There’s no waste – we honor the tree's life from its very first to its very last day.

From Shell to Core

Meanwhile, the processing of the walnuts continues. An initial quality check on-site assesses the weight, size, and quality of the fresh nuts. Next comes the "hulling" process, where the remaining husk fragments and any other foreign materials are removed. In the following step, the nuts are placed in large drying rooms within 48 hours, where they are dried with hot air. This process not only preserves them but also helps maintain their bright, light color.

Now comes the most exciting part: reaching the heart of the nut – the precious walnut kernel. The hard shell must be carefully cracked to ensure the segments remain intact. What once required skilled hand labor is now handled by gently operating machines.

Our League of Extraordinary Walnuts

We adhere to clear guidelines and strict quality criteria when it comes to our walnut kernels, focusing primarily on three key aspects of the kernel:

Size
Color
Integrity

Our jury looks for large, bright kernels with an unblemished nut skin. Beyond aesthetics, the skin is important for flavor, acting as a natural shield against oxygen – when intact, it preserves and enhances the flavor notes of our walnuts. True Seeberger walnut halves are presented in pristine beauty with minimal abrasion or breakage – true A-listers among nuts.

From harvest to arrival at our headquarters in Ulm, our walnut kernels undergo a series of quality checks to ensure that only the very best make the journey to us. By the time they arrive in their oxygen-protected transport boxes – about 6-8 weeks after harvest – they are ready to give their all to win over your taste buds.

Quality Magic in Ulm

The next step in the walnut journey takes place in the hallowed halls of our headquarters, where our in-house food chemistry lab prepares the go-ahead for the final step. Here, where science meets sensuality, our walnuts undergo another crucial inspection process. From the aesthetic assessment of shape and color to the evaluation of breakage and taste, to the check of size, smell, and consistency – every aspect is scrutinized. But the final verdict still awaits: our sensory lab.

The Grand Finale: Where Quality Control is an Art

Each batch of walnuts is given the honor of being tasted by a panel of flavor-sensitive experts – a stage where only the crème de la crème of walnuts gets the spotlight. Only when every nuance, flavor, and texture is perfect does the batch receive our approval for the final step: leaving our facility, either as a packaged single product or as part of premium mixes like our famous trail mix. This marks the fitting conclusion to the grand journey each walnut undergoes with us.