Processing Black Walnuts

**Durgan** · 08-09-2010, 11:15 PM

There are millions of Black Walnuts, which are an excellent food source, that go to waste yearly in North America, since people do not know how to process or crack the nuts, due to the strength of the hull and the nut proper. . First it is necessary to remove the hull, then crack the nut to get the meat. Here is my simple method utilized to process this wonderful nut. The pictures are annotated and are self explanatory.

Black Walnut nuts are extremely tough and the meat is in the four quadrants around the shell. These nuts are very difficult to crack even for humans. I observed that the squirrels simply gnaw the four corners and remove the meat.

Complete photos with annotations can be read here...

17 October 2008 (Juglans nigra L. - black walnut) or American Walnut.

**frugalfranny** · 08-10-2010, 01:23 AM

No wonder they go to waste.........that is a lot of work.

I am 'down' on any walnuts right now since my neighborhood squirrel has planted a few in my lawn and garden. So far I have probably pulled up no less than 15 walnut trees growing!!!

**Durgan** · 08-10-2010, 04:56 AM

All about black walnuts for use at home in pictures.

17 October 2008 (Juglans nigra L. - black walnut) or American Walnut. 17 October 2008 (Juglans nigra L. – black walnut) or American Walnut.

19 October 2008 Black Walnut Nutcracker. 19 October 2008 Black Walnut Nutcracker.

25 June 2009 Black Walnut and Squirrels 25 June 2009 Black Walnut and Squirrels.

**Ali Lee** · 08-10-2010, 01:55 PM

When I was younger.........
We gathered black walnuts, put them in the driveway~cars & trucks would knock off the green shell running over them. @ x's raking them back in the driveway to be ran over again. (Lived in the country & gravel drive) Then-dried in the driveway & @ x's dried on the basement floor. We would crack them all evening long... And burnt the shells in the wood stove. I remember I had a black walnut cake & black walnut brittle recipe that was delicious. I don't remember soaking them..or worried about the green shell being poisonous or toxic....

**Dancing Lotus** · 08-10-2010, 03:23 PM

My mother in law has a black walnut tree and she won't touch them because it's too much work , however she will spend countless hours picking at hickory nuts with a needle. GO FIGURE

**Nana2two** · 08-10-2010, 04:10 PM

We have a huge walnut tree in the back yard.I have never even attempted to harvest them.The tree is has old as the house and thats around 150 years old.I do know the tree is full of ticks we have to spray.

**Josephhgoins** · 08-10-2010, 04:19 PM

I soo want a black walnut pound cake. The nuts are just too expensive in the stores though.

Can't wait to have my own tree as well as some fruit trees again.

**Ceashels** · 08-10-2010, 04:40 PM

Durgan, I could spend a working vacation helping you with your garden some year! (I don't think Greebo would go for it though.)

**Durgan** · 11-07-2010, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by AnnK

My mother in law has a black walnut tree and she won't touch them because it's too much work , however she will spend countless hours picking at hickory nuts with a needle. GO FIGURE

Processing Black Walnuts is easy if approached properly, meaning minimizing the work involved.
17 October 2008 (Juglans nigra L. - black walnut) or American Walnut. 17 October 2008 (Juglans nigra L. - black walnut) or American Walnut.
19 October 2008 Black Walnut Nutcracker. 19 October 2008 Black Walnut Nutcracker.