How to Hull Unripe English Walnuts

Many people believe that English Walnuts are easier to pick when they are not yet ripe and their hulls are still green; in comparison a ripe English Walnut has a black, soggy hull which leaves a more permanent stain and is somewhat more smelly. There are a number of interesting unripe English Walnuts recipes that can be found on the internet. But if you wish to hull your unripe English walnuts instead of cooking them, it will be messy, it will be difficult but it can be done.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Garden Gloves
• Heavy Duty Plastic Table Cloths
• Feed Sacks
• Old Clothes
• A Car or Truck

1. Put on old clothes and garden gloves to protect yourself from walnut stains. Place the heavy duty table cloths on the street in front of your house if possible to protect your property from walnuts stains. Spread the walnuts onto the table cloths.

2. Get in your car or truck and carefully drive over the walnuts. This will remove the hulls without cracking the hard walnut shells.

3. Your walnuts can now be gathered and placed in feed bags. The walnuts must be dried before they can be stored and eaten. If you wish to dry your walnuts in the feed bags they must be kept in a well ventilated area.

Tips & Warnings

• This technique is best for hulling small amounts of walnuts.
• Make sure that everyone is a safe distance from the vehicle when this technique is being tried.

[brandy1123]

on 9/24/2008 this is how my granmother hulled hers also

[arwen1964]

on 8/10/2008 Very creative thinking! I used to have a recipe for pickled English Walnuts. I'll have to check the Christmas Organizing group to see if it is still available. It's run by Krisann Blair and there is a web page with tons of great recipes for old fashioned home made food gifts as well as lots of other great ideas.

[thebeaddoodler]

on 8/9/2008 Great way to eliminate the stains caused by walnuts. I like Lung's suggestion of putting the sheet on top. that way the outer hulls will be clean and can be used for medicinal purposes.

[bfreethree]

on 8/13/2007 Thanks Lung I think you are right! The technique is so messy that it might be easier just to buy ripe walnuts in the first place. Great idea.

[Lung]

on 8/13/2007 If you do this, you might also want to put a sheet on top of the walnuts as well.