processing black walnuts

#21 10/03/09, 04:58 PM

We use to have a gravel diveway and we collected the nuts with husks on and throw them in the driveway and run them over for a couple of weeks and then pick up the husk free nuts and put them in old egg washing baskets and hang them up to dry. then us kids would take a block of steel and a hammer and crack the nuts.they made the best cookies and brownies I ever ate that made us forget about all the work it took.

labrat · #22 10/03/09, 08:38 PM

We, like many wanna be full time homesteaders, are employed in the outside world and have not taken that leap to self-sufficiency. However, I’ve held onto this link as well many others that someday will come in handy. Tom Clothier to my understanding was an extension professor and has since retired. He kept a database of many useful articles that has since been archived and one of the articles covers the growing and processing of black walnuts.

Try this link: http://tomclothier.hort.net/index.html

The walnut link is located at: http://tomclothier.hort.net/page21.html

Old Vet · #23 10/03/09, 08:51 PM

The easiest way to get it shelled is wait until you see a squiriel with one then when he bights the end off you shoot him that way you have squiriel and the walnut just make dumplins and a walnut cake and you have the best thing you ever sank your teeth on.

Beeman · #24 10/04/09, 07:50 AM

I forgot to mention the gravel driveway part, doesn't everyone have a gravel driveway?
I have seen some beat them with a shovel or something similar to hull them once they soften.

If you have a lot of time and walnuts you can usually bag the meats by the pound and sell them. I'm talking lots of time and patience along with strong sore fingers. Around here and many other places they will buy walnuts in the hulls. Good way to make a few buck and get rid of the walnuts. Nothing like turning your ankle or slipping and falling on a walnut in the grass.