Here are a few tips to get you started!
- Find a tree or several trees with Black Walnuts.
- Gather the nuts soon after they fall and while the hulls are mostly green.
- Put collected nuts in bags or a truck bed for hauling.
- Take the nuts to the nearest Hammons hulling location within a couple of days of collecting.
What is the easiest way to pick black walnuts?
Collect nuts as soon as possible to avoid mold. Hulls soften naturally over time, allowing easy access to the nut. If the hull feels firm and is difficult to remove, set the nut aside for a few days. The best way to de-hull a small amount of walnuts is by hand, with a chisel and hammer to knock the hull away.
Should you pick walnuts or let them fall?
The nuts ripen in mid-autumn and should fall naturally from the tree, harvesting is as simple as picking them up from the ground. Shaking branches or beating the tree will encourage the most obstinate nuts to fall. Beware of hungry squirrels who’ll happily gobble up your crop before you have a chance to harvest.
How do you know when walnuts are ready to pick?
Once the outer green hull of the walnut begins to dry and split (as pictured), the nuts are ready for harvest.
Can you eat black walnuts from the ground?
Black walnuts can be enjoyed raw and have an interestingly sweet and earthy taste to them that goes great on top of desserts, such as ice cream or cupcakes. They can also be dipped in a sugar syrup and enjoyed as a candy or ground to a meal and made into a flour.
How long do black walnuts need to dry before cracking?
two to three weeks
Drying and Curing
Give the black walnuts two to three weeks to dry and cure before you store or crack them. This will ensure that you don’t lose your harvest to mold.
Will a lawn sweeper pick up walnuts?
Most lawn sweepers won’t pick up larger nuts like walnuts. Unfortunately, walnuts are too large and heavy for the brushes to collect.
How long do black walnuts last in the shell?
Black Walnuts will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 1 year, and in the freezer, you can expect freshness to maintain for over a year. This simple method for storing Black Walnuts will ensure you have the highest quality flavor in your recipes.
What are black walnuts worth?
A mature stand of trees can produce 1,500 to 2,000 pounds per acre. Selling to a buying station may only earn 50 cents a pound, but selling retail at market can bring up to $12 a pound.
What do you do with walnuts after you pick them?
Once you have harvested the walnuts, hull the nuts using a pocket knife. Wash the hulled nuts and then dry them in a single layer on a smooth, flat, shaded area. Stir the nuts around on a daily basis to promote drying. If drying outdoors, cover the nuts with plastic netting to deter birds.
How do you know if black walnut is ripe?
Black walnuts are best left to ripen on the tree and after the outside husk turns to a yellowish green. When ripe, an indentation will remain when pressed with your thumb. Black walnuts leave a dark stain so use gloves!
How long does it take for a walnut to dry out?
After washing and sorting, allow the nuts to dry for two or three weeks. An excellent way to dry nuts is on a wire screen. Spread the nuts in shallow layers (no more than three nuts deep)and dry them in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. A shed or garage is usually a good place to dry walnuts.
Do deer eat black walnuts?
Deer-resistant black walnuts
Deer do not usually eat black walnuts because their nuts are too hard to crack. Black walnuts also make a great cover scent against deer and other mammals. Deer do not like that pungent smell that their shells give off. Deer will also eat tiny small walnut seedlings and sprouts from stumps.
How much is a pound of black walnuts worth?
$82.40 / 5lb bag ($16.48/lb)
Do squirrels eat black walnuts?
Squirrels love black walnuts and have strong teeth that can break open the hard green hull surrounding the prize. Inside the hull is a dark nut that was eaten by Native Americans. The hull, dark green at first, turns to black, which stains the squirrels; chins as well as human fingers who touch it.
How do you process black walnuts?
Instructions
- Gather black walnuts from beneath the trees.
- Remove the outer husk.
- Wash the hulled black walnuts in clean water.
- Spread the washed black walnuts out in a single layer, and let the nuts cure in a cool, dry area, out of sunlight, for at least two or three weeks.
Do black walnuts produce every year?
Walnut trees will bear fruit once per year. However, the amount will vary each year. Occasionally, walnuts will not produce any fruits during the growing season because of stressors such as drought, pests, or lack of nutrients.
What can I do with black walnut shells?
THE MANY USES OF BLACK WALNUT SHELLS
It is an excellent soft grit abrasive media used for blast cleaning and tumbling. The shell is used by the oil industry as lost circulation material and as a filter media cleaning produced water.
Can you dry black walnuts in the shell in the oven?
Preheat oven to 150 degrees. Drain nuts and spread in one layer on a baking pan. Dry nuts in oven for 12 – 24 hours stirring occasionally, until very dry and crisp. A dehydrator may be used instead of an oven.
Can you mow over black walnuts?
In many cases, No Mow will grow under Black Walnut trees. However, the leaves and nuts must be removed in fall to prevent damage by high levels of the plant toxin produced by walnuts called Juglone.
Is there a tool to pick up walnuts?
This durable and easy-to-use rolling tool picks up nuts and more, saving your time and body at a very affordable cost! PICK UP A VARIETY OF NUTS AND OBJECTS – the large nut gatherer pick up objects 1 ½“ to 3” in size such as walnuts, Sweet gum balls, Magnolia seed/flower heads and even small fruits.