Pickin' up walnuts

[Dan-MO]

We have a bumper crop of walnuts this year and I have several trees on my property. Isabel, Ben, and myself spent a good part of the day picking some up.It was a first for the kids and they had a great time. After I get them hulled and dried they look forward to cracking them and picking out the kernels. It was great to be outside with them today and great to get them away from the TV and video games. The walnuts will sure taste good in the Christmas cookies and candy this year! Isabel and Ben are 2 of my 4 grandchildren and pictured is the first of several loads harvested today

 

[Wayne in BC]

will you get the stain off the hands? I have been stained up for a week now from hulling Walnuts, gloves don't work for me and i was too dumb to put vaseline on my paws
You probably know that if you run over them with the quad it opens the hulls real good. Better than stomping them one at a time or trashing hands and fingernails.
I put my grinder with the wire wheel on slow to clean them up if they are too green.

 

[Ron J]

n/t

 

[Dan-MO]

But still get my hands stained. Most of these are spread out in the drive....after I run over them a few times it will knock the hulls off.I ran about a bushel through a antique hand cranked corn sheller.....does a good job on them but I got tired on turning the crank.

 

[Wayne in BC]

i should not let the husks get black and slimy on the nuts as that would penetrate and make them more bitter.
Ever heard that? Last year mine were not bitter other than the normal Walnut taste but this years seem more bitter even after i husked and washed them.
Probably way too much i don't know about them, feel free to educate me.

 

[Royal]

we would gather them and lay them on the highway to let the cars hull them. Did a fine job! When I got older I made a hole in a board and hammered them through, knocking the hull off.

I was always stained up but the nuts were great!

 

[Micheal_R]

Now hazelnuts... done hundreds of those. We have a good crop this year.. if only we can beat the squirrels to them. :

Looks to be a good crop and the kids are cheerful. It does not get much better than that.

calm seas

Mikie

 

[Royal]

cut a hole in it bigger than the nuts, just a quarter inch or so, most are about the same size. At least ours were I would just lay this board across a couple blocks and set the whole walnut on it and take a hammer, I think a rubber mallet and hammer them through one at a time. Hose the suckers off for a first cleaning and then order the wife to finish them.

That wife thing didn't work for me either but maybe Alice is more obedient

 

[Dan-MO]

But it is important to let them dry very well even after they are hulled.....the kernels dry some on the inside of the nut during this process. If the kernel is green...this might make them a bit bitter. We crack and pick out the kernels a little at a time and store them in the freezer in heavy zip lock bags.This keeps them fresh for a long time. With a little practice you will learn to crack them in a way you can get most of the kernels in 2 halves instead of tiny pieces.

 

[Dan-MO]

But it is hard to beat the squirrels and chipmonks to them. I have picked many of them and also butternuts and hickory nuts. Hickory nuts are my favorites especially the thin shelled scaly barks. We also have a few pecan trees.....we are on the northern edge of their range....lots more down Arkie Johns way.

 

[Dan-MO]

n/t

 

[WillyP]

n/t

 

[Sunny]

outside and finding something to do with them. Mine love to come hang out, and on some of my good days that's what we do. If we just take a walk out to the pond, they think its a great adventure. And they loved the tire swing Scott built for them! thanks for sharing the photo!

 

[Royal]

your wife is to put them in your washing machine with a bunch of rocks. It would not take long to knock those bad boys clean and then just run them through a wash cycle. What the heck, the dryer is right there too

I hate to take all the credit so tell her that OJ gave you the idea