The 2023 California walnut crop is one of the best in memory of growers who’ve been in business for 40 years. 

Robert Verloop, CEO, of the California Walnut Commission shares this great news with FreshFruitPortal.com from the commission’s booth on Oct. 21 at the Global Produce & Floral Show in Anaheim. 

California walnuts are harvested from late August or early September through November, so the produce show happened to be in the middle of the harvest season.

Those veterans are “saying they've never seen it this good. Our quality is exceptional. The color, which is really important for walnuts, is what we call ‘very light to light.’ We have very little discoloration.” This is especially great news after the 2022 crop “was affected by the heat wave where a lot of our colors were much darker, and so it didn't have the same appeal for the international markets.” Verloop adds, “We're coming off two years that were similar in volume but our quality this this year so much better. So, we're seeing a firming up with the prices. We think we’re going to have very stable pricing and this product has got incredible shelf life. So, we're very optimistic at the moment.”

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California walnuts are shipped year-round. “There’s a lot of new storage technology that's coming out that helps preserve that that freshness that we want on a year-round basis.” This can include “vacuum sealing or nitrogen flushing and then there's some new controlled atmosphere out there that is helping expand that taste life so that walnut flavor is unique all the way through the cycle.” The key to preserving their unique woodsy, creamy, buttery flavor is to ship and store walnuts below 60 degrees F. 

Verloop says “about 65% of California’s walnuts are now exported to offshore markets. The largest of these are Germany, Turkey, India, the UK, Spain, Japan, and Korea. For a very long-time international trade tariffs have created walnut exporting challenges. The recent removal of the 20% retaliatory tariff by India will help boost sales as consumers get the benefit of lower mark ups. Unfortunately, Turkey announced last week a higher tariff structure that will impact direct sales into Turkey, we are hopeful that this is a temporary issue.  With a permanent crop such as walnuts, there is a long-term investment on the production side but also with the trade and consumers.  We plant our trees in anticipation that key markets remain open to fair and free trade and build trust and confidence by providing premium quality walnuts that are healthy and taste great.”

On the commercial front, the commission helps retailers and foodservice operators, and food manufacturers and ingredient buyers boost consumption by developing consumer focused sales promotions, with an increased presence in the produce department (#WalnutsAreProduceToo), on restaurant menus and in new product innovations.

Verloop continues, “We're also in the process, whether it's internationally or domestically, of getting people to understand that walnuts are much more than just for baking.” Use as a fresh snack is being promoted by different package sizes. 

He notes that 20 years ago, 75% of California’s walnuts were sold in-shell. “Today, it's the opposite. Twenty-five percent, or less, is now sold in-shell.” Still, he says in-shell is important with good demand from October through December. Then the shift is to kernels, or shelled, product. Consumers have responded to promotional campaigns focused on health, versatility and new products and packaging options that make it easier to enjoy walnuts on the go and all year around.