# Hulling black walnuts



## bourbonred (Feb 27, 2008)

So how do you do it? Every other year we've watched them hit the ground and just worked around them. This year we've decided to make cracking them a winter project (all part of learning that depression era mentality :happy2 Me & 2 teens easily picked up two hundred pound feed sacks full this afternoon. What's the best way you've ever heard of hulling?


----------



## rockhound (Sep 25, 2009)

Some people put the green nuts in the gravel driveway and drive over them to remove the outer hulls. 
I like to fill a 5-gallon bucket at least half full of green nuts as they fall and cover with water. It won't hurt the nut meats at all. Let them sit a week or two and the hulls will be black and soft. Beat and stir with a stick, then strain off the liquid. Makes a great wood stain. Pour the nuts out on the ground to dry and crack as usual.


----------



## machinist (Aug 3, 2010)

I use the driveway method. Just leave them out there until they get rained on a few times and they turn black and soft by them selves. Let the sun dry the whole works and then pick up the dry nuts. You can still pick up some dry hulls to use for making stain later, and your fingers don't get stained doiing it dry.


----------



## Strange Bear (May 13, 2002)

I pile them on the driveway and pound the hulls with a sledge hammer, then peel them off. Even with gloves though I still have stained fingers.


----------



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

dump them out and drive over them with ATV and let them turn brown and dry up a bit.use gloves cause they do satin real bad.










get yourself a cracker and you can process them so mcuh faster and easier.










end result


----------



## superd02 (May 18, 2010)

a corn sheller works fairly well to get the green shells off walnuts


----------



## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

elkhound, that's a nice cracker! I've never seen the meat come out in such big peices.


----------



## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Every year neighbor's put Black Walnuts out to the curb hoping anyone will take them. Up until now I didn't have any interest in processing them. That has all changed because of elkhound. 
If I had a tool like that then I would the baddest nutcracker in the hood, lol. 
Source ?


~~ pelenaka ~~

ETA: just did a swag search & a one pound bag of shelled Black Walnuts is $13.99 I had no clue $ was dropping from the trees


----------



## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...lack+walnut+cracker&_sacat=See-All-Categories


----------



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

I was looking at one of these from presses Harbor Freight. I have used one in a shop before. It's cast iron and probaly crack any nut on the planet. AND it's on sale this month for $45.00.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-arbor-press-3552.html


----------



## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Just Cliff said:


> I was looking at one of these from presses Harbor Freight. I have used one in a shop before. It's cast iron and probaly crack any nut on the planet. AND it's on sale this month for $45.00.
> 
> http://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-arbor-press-3552.html


JC, thanks for the idea I know hubby has a vice clamp mounted on his work bench in his man cave. All I have to do is eep: ...

Now to research preserving black walnut meat. Any other methods besides freezing ?


~~ pelenaka ~~


----------



## Mike in Ohio (Oct 29, 2002)

We have a commercial huller that does 1,000 lbs an hours. Yesterday morning I collected 50 gallons of nuts and it took about 5 minutes to hull them. I left a lot on the ground for lack of time but we will get those on Saturday. Should be about 2-300 gallons easy. We already collected several hundred gallons and have them drying.

I'm toying with offering a hulling service but haven't figured out what to charge (I'd do it by the gallon rather than by the pound - easier and quicker).

We also have a cracker that does 600 lbs an hour.

Mike


----------



## beowoulf90 (Jan 13, 2004)

superd02 said:


> a corn sheller works fairly well to get the green shells off walnuts


I might have to try that method..


----------



## HeelSpur (May 7, 2011)

I took my riding mower to them this year and it sounded like a war zone. 
The squirrels appreciated it, but I bet the guy down the road who works nite shift didn't.


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I rolled mine around with my foot. A concrete slab works better than a wooden deck. No driveway space for running them over and squirrels would get them if I leave them to dry outside.


----------



## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

I have an old hand crack corn sheller, and I am using it to do walnuts this year. It works great!


----------



## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Danaus29 said:


> I rolled mine around with my foot. A concrete slab works better than a wooden deck. No driveway space for running them over and squirrels would get them if I leave them to dry outside.


Ditto!

I poured a bunch in my driveway this morning to be runned over. But as I was spreading them out, I realized I could step down hard on one and then roll it around under my foot. The green hulls would break right off easily.


----------



## oakridgewi (Dec 12, 2006)

I've been toying with the idea of using a cement mixer. Anybody ever try that? Figure they'd have to be soaked a bit to soften the hulls? Toss some stones in with them?

Just thinkin out loud , wonder if anyone's tried it?

sy


----------



## mamagoose (Nov 28, 2003)

Mike in Ohio said:


> We also have a cracker that does 600 lbs an hour.


In halves?

Any specifics as to direction of the nut between the force?

Is the force on 2 sides, or more?

mamagoose


----------



## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

We experimented with black walnuts for the first time this year as well. Not having a corn sheller, David used some thick rubber gloves and husked all that had turned black or had black on them. [He is making something .. tincture or extract (I can never remember the difference.) out of the green hulls, which has already been used to cure a ringworm.] Then he throws the husked ones into water, throws out the ones that float and lets the others soak awhile. Then he uses a very strong bristled brush and scrapes all the rest off. Then I place them on the front of an old fan we had, let them dry and then pack them in some old netting bags onions and potatoes had come in.


----------

