Physical and chemical characteristics of walnut (Juglans regia L.) kernels with different skin lightness

Walnuts undergo rigorous grading before being sold to customers. There are multiple parameters used for the grading, including skin lightness. Walnuts with light skin receive superior grades while walnuts with dark skin are given poor grades or even rejected. However, information on the quality and physicochemical properties of walnuts with varying skin lightness levels is minimal. Therefore, we studied the quality of kernels of varying skin lightness from three common cultivars grown in California, USA (Chandler, Howard, and Tulare). The samples were subjected to size and weight, fat content, free fatty acid, peroxide value, oxidative stability, volatiles, tocopherols, fatty acid profile, and phenol measurements. The dark kernels had significantly lower weight and fat content, higher oxidative stability, and more volatiles than their light counterparts. The dark kernels had higher concentrations of some phenolics but low procyanidin B1 and non-existent epicatechin gallate, compared to the light kernels, indicating that these two phenolics were likely involved in an antioxidant mechanism. Oxidation and depletion of epicatechin gallate likely contributed to the darkening of walnut color.