Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

[Durgan]

12 October 2011 Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) 12 October 2011 Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

About 3000 Black Walnut(Juglans nigra)were picked from three trees along country roads. Few people utilize these wonderful tasting, nutritious nuts due to the effort in processing. There are many black walnut trees in my area. There is 500 to a 1000 nuts on each tree depending upon the age of the tree. The nuts fall off the tree when ripe. It is simple matter of picking them off he ground. It takes several weeks before they start to deteriorate.

Removing the hull is almost effortless with one smack from a rubber hammer on a block of wood. The nuts are then power washed to remove any remnants of the hulls.The liquid has a chemical called juglone, which stains and immediately kills earthworms and inhibits the growth of many plants, and should not be disposed of in the garden area. I put all liquid down the storm sewer.

Cracking fresh un-dried nuts is almost impossible using typical means. Hand compression tools take too much strength and simply crush the meat, when and if the nut breaks. Un-dried nuts are very tasty and the effort to crack is probably worthwhile.

My method is to utilize two pulleys with a heavy hammer, to limit bouncing, which is relatively successful. However this method works very well with nuts that have been dried in the Sun for about 4 days. I have in the past extracted whole segments. The nut is the most difficult one can encounter.

The meat is held in place with an internal structure in four quadrants around the nut. Seldom is the meat extracted whole. There is some babble on the internet about using a vice, but it is a failure along with being almost impracticable. Squirrels do not crack the nut. They gnaw each quadrant and dig out the meat, and leave the nut essentially intact.

The meat is wholesome, very pleasant tasting, and about 20 make an adequate meal. I consider the processing to be worthwhile.

[Uniwolf]

I haven't had Black walnuts since I was a child. My grandmother use to have several trees on her farm. I can remember gathering them as a child. They are awesome

[Darlene]

They sure look like a tough cookie to get into. I remember a neighbor having a black walnut tree that overhung their cement driveway, oh how they complained about how they stained it and what a bother the tree was. If memory serves, I liked the smell of them. With all the effort you put into getting to the meat they should taste mighty good!

[Durgan]

They sure look like a tough cookie to get into. I remember a neighbor having a black walnut tree that overhung their cement driveway, oh how they complained about how they stained it and what a bother the tree was. If memory serves, I liked the smell of them. With all the effort you put into getting to the meat they should taste mighty good!

The odour of the husks is most pleasant. Juglans nigra are amongst my favourite nuts for flavour and nourishing food. If the Sun ever returns I can dry them and removing the meat from the shell will be a little easier.

The dark look alike sometimes sold in supermarkets is a different nut. Juglans nigra are never sold commercially, due to the misery of cracking.

[annymoll]

I love black walnuts Durgan! We have scads of them also, along with hickory nuts. One of my earliest jobs as a child was picking up black walnuts to sell. We would roast hotdogs and make s'mores and spend the day doing it, also alot of weekends!I usually put them in salads and my oatmeal . We spread them in the basement and use bricks to crack them with the grandkids. Primitive method.I want to try to grow the English Walnut. Let me know if you have had any luck with it!!

[Durgan]

I love black walnuts Durgan! We have scads of them also, along with hickory nuts. One of my earliest jobs as a child was picking up black walnuts to sell. We would roast hotdogs and make s'mores and spend the day doing it, also alot of weekends!I usually put them in salads and my oatmeal . We spread them in the basement and use bricks to crack them with the grandkids. Primitive method.I want to try to grow the English Walnut. Let me know if you have had any luck with it!!

The Black Walnut(Juglans nigra) is native to to NA. There is an easier to crack type, which is called locally black walnut. It would be almost impossible to crack the Black Walnut(Juglans nigra) with a brick. The Black Walnut(Juglans nigra) grows all through my immediate area and nobody picks the nut. They dislike processing them. The wood is considered amongst the best available, and was once extensively timbered. I could pick many loads along the rural roads and even in some backyards if I knew where to find them. I have no Black Walnut(Juglans nigra) tree in my yard.

[annymoll]

The Black Walnut(Juglans nigra) is native to to NA. There is an easier to crack type, which is called locally black walnut. It would be almost impossible to crack the Black Walnut(Juglans nigra) with a brick. The Black Walnut(Juglans nigra) grows all through my immediate area and nobody picks the nut. They dislike processing them. The wood is considered amongst the best available, and was once extensively timbered. I could pick many loads along the rural roads and even in some backyards if I knew where to find them. I have no Black Walnut(Juglans nigra) tree in my yard.

I must have the local kind. If ours dry out, you can crack them.I will post a pic soon!

[peppermint66]

Durgan, shame you dont live closer by. We have a few Black Walnut trees in our yard.The squirrels have a feast every fall! We also have a couple of Hickory nut trees as well. Since we do not use these nuts, the wildlife does.

[Durgan]

14 October 2011 Drying Wlanuts.Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) 14 October 2011 Drying Black Walnuts (Juglans nigra)

The processed walnuts are being dried in the greenhouse. Squirrels are constant threat to the stock. When and if the Sun comes out the racks will be placed outdoors, along with the dog, Ginny. Total time including picking about 20 hours labor.

[bent]

my mom has two trees in her back yard, and she can't give them away. the woman who use to get them passed a few yrs ago so the kids and I get a few buckets then let the squirrels take the rest. how we 'crack' them- we put an old bedsheet out on her drive way, lay out the BW single layer, then she has visitors drive over them.... I bring them home and sit watching tv picking her nuts (gracious that just doesn't read or sound right at all but it's what happens lol) black walnuts make the best banana bread.

[sue s]

We always gather the nuts in a pile and wait for the husks to darken, then roll them around with your foot to free the nut. This is then left to dry inside until the shell turns a lighter coler, then cracked and the meat placed in a canning jar.

[Durgan]

24 October 2011 Cracking Black Walnuts (Juglans nigra) 24 October 2011 Cracking Black Walnuts(Juglans nigra)

The Black Walnuts(Juglans nigra)is avoided by most people due to the effort required to crack, and obtain the meat. The meat is enveloped in a structure, with small ribs or folds over the meat. Even when the meat is exposed, the ribs hold the meat, unless this is broken. The meat is in four quadrants around the longitudinal axes of the nut.

Presented is tool combination, that successfully cracks the nut almost completely, and exposed the meat, which is readily collected.

A heavy wooden block, smaller inner pulley which supports the shoulder, sharp or pointed end down,of the nut. The outer pulley limits travel of the hammer, and prevents crushing of the meat. A heavy hammer is necessary to prevent bouncing when smacking the nut. The nut rib structure is broken and the meat separates from the four quadrants of the nut. Collection is almost complete, simply by picking up the meat pieces.

The nuts must be slightly dry. The one in this demonstration have been dried for five days. Happy nutting.