Harvesting Ginkgo Nuts
On a cool, crisp day in November, I discovered a Ginkgo tree while walking through my neighborhood. Ginkgo trees are easily identified by their beautiful fan-shaped leaves. During autumn, you might also notice them by their offensive smell; an odor similar to a pungent cheese. If you are lucky enough to find one of these trees producing fruit, you can harvest Gingko nuts on your own; however, after trying this, you might decide it is worth purchasing a can for around $7.00.
Personally, I enjoy harvesting the nuts and getting inquisitive looks from passersby. Usually, I only use one Ginkgo nut per dish, so opening an entire can is wasted when preparing only one meal. Harvesting your own allows for freezing any unused nuts.
According to several online sources, there are precautions to take when harvesting Ginkgo nuts due to side effects from the chemical found in the flesh of the fruit. Contact with Ginkgo fruit flesh has been known to result in peeling of the skin and rashes with some people. Gloves should be worn when collecting the fruits, extracting the seeds, and while wiping off and rinsing the remaining flesh from the nuts prior to boiling or roasting them.
Once cooked, they are a delicious snack or great addition to Japanese dishes such as chawanmushi. While Ginkgo nuts have been rumored to have medicinal benefits, I have read that eating too many at one time can cause similar side effects to those described when touching the raw flesh of the fruit. I have not personally experienced side effects from touching or eating Ginkgo nuts, but I have also taken precautions when harvesting, preparing, and consuming them.
Because of the strong odor, I discard the fruit where I collect them. Once ripe, Ginkgo nuts are easily extracted from the fruit. I squeeze the fruit slightly until the nut slides out, and I collect them in a plastic bag. Upon arriving home, I wipe them off with paper towels and rinse them in a strainer under warm water.
I then leave them setting in the sun for two or three days until dry. Next, I boil them for about twenty-five minutes. Once boiled, I peel the outer shell, remove the paper thin, brown membrane covering on the inside, and slice one side of the nut to the center to remove the bitter embryo inside each nut. They are then ready to eat or freeze.
You can also prepare them by pan frying, baking, or microwaving them in a paper bag. The paper bag method takes only 1-2 minutes. If you pan fry them, you need to cover the pan with a lid because they will pop open, potentially causing harm to someone standing nearby.
