In whatever style you decide to prepare walnuts, it's worth including the skin. Some people may not even notice that there is a walnut skin. But that whitish, sometimes waxy, sometimes flaky, outermost part of the walnut (once it has been shelled) is the skin. Researchers now know that approximately 90% of the phenols in walnuts are found in the skin, including key phenolic acids, tannins, and flavonoids. The list of health supportive compounds in these three phenol families is a large one, and it continues to grow as researchers learn more and more about this amazing tree nut. Some websites will encourage you to remove the walnut skin and will usually cite its slight bitterness as their reason for doing so. We encourage you not to remove this phenol-rich portion.
Preparing walnuts can be quite simple! Just chop and serve on your favorite salad, vegetable dish, fruit, or dessert.