Walnut shell, yay or nay?

farmerfischer

Well-Known Member
Has anyone ever harvested black walnuts? It's a whole process, but they are worth it. My family has been doing it my entire life. My son is a cracking machine and can get most of the nut out without breaking it. It's impressive.
Yes its a messy process when done by hand.. i use to pick up bucket loads for my grandpa years ago when i was a kid.. my hands and clothes would get stained black from the rhine covering the nut shell..
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
Has anyone ever harvested black walnuts? It's a whole process, but they are worth it. My family has been doing it my entire life. My son is a cracking machine and can get most of the nut out without breaking it. It's impressive.
We always had a bowl of in shell English walnuts sitting around when I was growing up. I was thinking of getting some the other day as they had the in-shell mixed nuts at the store but I looked at the price and changed my mind. I think they were $8.99 lb or something.

I buy the raw blanched peanuts at the asian market and roast them myself. Sometimes they have the raw in-shell peanuts. Back in the 80's I worked at a place called Hoody's peanuts. Used to walk by the end of the oil roaster when the cashews were coming off and eat handfuls. The roaster I ran would do 40,000 lbs of in-shell peanuts a shift. They came in 100 lb bags and I had to lift every one of them to dump the nuts in a hopper. Brutal work in the summer when it would be close to 130° working on that huge oven. I drank lots of water.
 
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rijkmus1

Well-Known Member
I have 3 walnut trees in close proximity to my yard. I don't mind cleaning up the tree litter and nuts. But I hate the squirrels breaking the nuts and eating them on my decks and porches. My wife declared that I am in a no kill zone. Those squirrels don't know how lucky they are.
 

farmerfischer

Well-Known Member
We always had a bowl of in shell English walnuts sitting around when I was growing up. I was thinking of getting some the other day as they had the in-shell mixed nuts at the store but I looked at the price and changed my mind. I think they were $8.99 lb or something.

I buy the raw blanched peanuts at the asian market and roast them myself. Sometimes they have the raw in-shell peanuts. Back in the 80's I worked at a place called Hoody's peanuts. Used to walk by the end of the oil roaster when the cashews were coming off and eat handfuls. The roaster I ran would do 40,000 lbs of in-shell peanuts a shift. They came in 100 lb bags and I had to lift everyone of them to dump the nuts in a hopper. Brutal work in the summer when it would be close to 130° working on that huge oven. I drank lots of water.
Yeah they are pricey.. so are brazil nuts
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
Yeah they are pricey.. so are brazil nuts
I like them but I'm not paying $8.99 lb when half of that is shell. Raw in-shell peanuts though are around $2 a lb and have a higher nut to shell ratio. They're delicious fresh roasted out of the oven. I've brined them in a salt solution and then dried them in a food dehydrator before roasting them as well but that's more work than I normally want to put in and it's unnecessary salt added to the diet.
 

Herb & Suds

Well-Known Member
I have 3 walnut trees in close proximity to my yard. I don't mind cleaning up the tree litter and nuts. But I hate the squirrels breaking the nuts and eating them on my decks and porches. My wife declared that I am in a no kill zone. Those squirrels don't know how lucky they are.
You wuss
You haven't lived till you walk out on your deck with a fresh cup of coffee and step barefoot on too a half eaten hickory nut :mrgreen:
 

MissinThe90’sStrains

Well-Known Member
I collected black walnuts from our trees for the first time last year. I found a video online on processing them in a bucket of water with a large paint mixing bit, and a hammer drill. Broke the paint mixing bit in the end, and nearly broke my wrist when I foolishly tried to do it one handed, but god damn did it work. Still got some nuts too. I crack them open with the back of an axe and pick at em when I sit in front of my smoker. As for the squirrels - I recommend a good air rifle and scope. It’s quiet enough for the suburbs.
 

rijkmus1

Well-Known Member
I collected black walnuts from our trees for the first time last year. I found a video online on processing them in a bucket of water with a large paint mixing bit, and a hammer drill. Broke the paint mixing bit in the end, and nearly broke my wrist when I foolishly tried to do it one handed, but god damn did it work. Still got some nuts too. I crack them open with the back of an axe and pick at em when I sit in front of my smoker. As for the squirrels - I recommend a good air rifle and scope. It’s quiet enough for the suburbs.
I have a RWS 22 cal model 34 with a 6.6 x 20 Centerpoint scope.
I got busted by my wife taking out a rabbit. I shot it outside my fence and then she let the dog out who pointed it out to her. She is retired now so it's not worth it to hear her yapping.
 
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2cent

Well-Known Member
Walnuts are allopathic look under the tree there all dead everything is it stops shit growing underneath it

it’s how it keeps only what it needs
But I use plants like that as weed killers
You take allopathic plants boil em up or cold press em

spray the allotment and just about every plant dies for around 4 weeks no seed germs
I spray it in my seating area and along my fence to keep the weeds off

so I don’t think it be good to add to soil could be wrong

[
walnut tree produces allelopathic chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants. The black walnut that grows in much of New Mexico is the most prolific producer of this chemical, but the English walnut and Carpathian walnut that grow as far north as central New Mexico produce the chemical in lesser amounts. The walnut tree and other plants produce allelopathic chemicals to discourage other plants competing for water and nutrients.
As an example of "turnabout is fair play" in the plant world, some grasses that cannot compete with trees for light will produce chemicals to inhibit root growth in trees. This explains why some trees planted into a lawn are slow to establish and begin growth.
All plants are not equally affected by juglone, the chemical produced by the walnut tree. Perhaps the most well known plant sensitive to the toxicity of the walnut tree is the tomato plant, but many others are also affected. Relatives of the tomato plant, such as eggplants, chiles, potatoes and petunias, are sensitive. In addition, some ornamental plants are also sensitive. These include potentillas, lilacs, columbines, lilies, peonies, mugo pines, and various privet shrubs. Blackberries, cabbage, and rhubarb should also be kept at least 50 feet from the dripline of a black walnut (may perhaps be grown closer to other walnuts).
Many plants can be grown under a walnut tree. Those that are not sensitive are various beans, corn, beets, onions, and raspberries. Ornamentals tolerant of walnut trees include forsythia, hawthorn, oaks, wild rose, daylilies, iris, phlox, Shasta daisy, and Virginia creeper]
 
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