# Harvesting/Processing Walnuts



## sleuth (Aug 31, 2013)

I just discovered I have a buddy that has 4 or 5 walnut trees on his property and he said I could have at them. I've also heard that walnuts are difficult to process for the DIY'er in any great amount.

Anyone have any tips?


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

I've only harvested Black Walnuts - not sure if that's the kind you mean. Yes, they are very hard, and therefore difficult to shell, and it is well worth investing in a good nutcracker if you will have more than a handful. 

My friend got me this one: http://lawn-gardening-tools.com/Ite...lnut-Cracker?gclid=CIaKiZq11bkCFc-e4Aod1w0AVw

It's ok but still requires a fair bit of work. I'd love one of these, but they are $200! (But, if you were actually considering harvesting enough nuts to sell them, might be worth it!) 

http://blackwalnutcracker.com/Item/huntsblackwalnutcracker


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I still use a ball peen hammer and a little catch basin (actually the dome top with a hole in the top that came off a potted plant) to crack my walnuts. It's a good way to work off some frustration at the end of a rough day. Shells go into the wood burner and the nut meats go into my belly or a canning jar.


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

I use a bench vice. Just crack a while and throw shells and meat into a basin, pan, tub, or whatever. Then I can pick the meat out while watching a movie.


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## Reboopie (Sep 12, 2013)

I use. C-clamp in a small vice. It works great.
View attachment 16483



Sent from my iPhone using Homesteading Today


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Your pix is of english walnuts, not black walnuts. Totally different animal! It won't be so easy to crack the real thing.
O.K. so you already know that!(I just saw your other post).I would want more leverage for the harder black walnut. I like the big shop vice with a long handle.,But my favorite way is to Adjust the table up on my drill press and just hang a 5 gal buck under it to catch everything.It takes no time at all to crack a bucket full this way.Wade


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

I've got 30 gallons of fresh black walnuts husked, washed, and drying. That's from one tree which is roughly 40 years old. Still have over 2 bushels left from past two years but refuse to share with the squirrels. To crack them, I've a 15" wide by 24" long round from a maple tree as an anvil. Just use a hammer to crack them. I can do that for hours before left thumb and forefinger get numb. Only last about an hour with hickory nuts.

Martin


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

We have about 200# (unprocessed) right now, and another 200-250 waiting for us (out tree was bare, but a neighbor has a ton of them, and considers them to be a pain). of black walnuts.

I made a cracker out of a bent C-clamp from work (it was getting tossed, and I asked if I could have it  ). Cut the clamp in half, welded it perpendicularly to a flat base and put a Â¼" high, 3" ring around the place where the nut is.

My 10 y/o daughter can crack them easily! :bouncy:


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Can someone take / show photos of the whole process....like from when you pick the big ugly thing off the ground, to the end product?


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

My friend wrote this after we found some:

http://www.cwapdotcwap.com/2013/10/foraging-black-walnuts.html

I don't think it includes cracking them though....


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I just finished picking mine up. Squirrels were already getting them, found a pile of empty shells. Like Martin I still have some from a couple years ago but am too stingy to share with the fuzzy tailed rats. 

When I was a kid we used to lay the nuts in the driveway and smash the hulls off with the car. When I tried that here the shells broke and the squirrels from 20 miles around were stealing the nuts almost as soon as I turned the car off.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

You ever try eating squirrel? Problem solved!!
Wade


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Oh squirrel is quite good. Got a couple in the freezer now. Unfortunately no time for hunting and cleaning the carcass right now.


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