How to Harvest Black Walnuts

The harvest time for black walnuts is early fall. Their flavor lends a gourmet touch to baked goods. Often expensive and difficult to find, discovering an available crop of black walnuts is a special treat. The harvesting process does involve some work, but many people find it's well worth the effort.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 

   Black walnuts typically grow as scattered individual trees or in small groups throughout the central and eastern United States. They grow best in the Appalachians and the Midwest. In forested areas they develop a tall trunk. The black walnut tree's bark is grey-black and furrowed. Its leaves are alternate, odd-pinnate leaflets, with the largest leaflets in the center. The walnut fruits look like small green balls.

2. 

   Allow the nuts time to ripen on the tree. It's best to wait for them to fall before gathering. Nuts will mature over a 4-6 week period. Their hulls soften and change from a solid green to a yellowish color. Press on the skin of the walnut with your thumb. Ripe nuts will show an indentation. Nut crops vary from year to year. A tree that produced bushels last year may have few nuts this year.

3. 
   a recently dehulled black walnut

   Once you've collected a harvest, you'll need to hull and cure the nuts. This is done by removing the outer skin (the hull, or husk) and allowing the nuts to dry. Black walnut juice (also used to make natural dyes) leaves a dark stain, so make sure to wear gloves. Removing the hulls can be tricky. I find that a a butter knife works best. Nuts occasionally fail to fill or have small, shrunken kernels. So place the walnuts in a bowl of water after hulling them. Unfilled nuts will float and should be discarded.

4. 

   When cleaning up after hulling black walnuts, it is best not to place the debris into the compost. Juglone, a naturally occurring chemical released by all parts of black walnut trees, can have a toxic effect on many vegetables and landscape plants.

5. 

   After the husks have been removed, the nuts must be cured. Curing prepares the walnuts for storage and allows the flavor to develop. Stack the clean hulled nuts in shallow layers and place them in a cool, well-ventilated area, out of direct sunlight, for 2-3 weeks. Some people leave them for much longer. An excellent way to dry nuts is on a wire screen. When they are dry enough to store, their kernels will break crisply. The dryer the nut, the easier it will be to remove the meat. If cured improperly, they will mold.

6. 

   After curing, nuts can be eaten or stored. The black walnut has one of the toughest shells to crack. The hammer and nutcracker are most commonly used. Soaking black walnuts in water for several hours will make them softer and easier to crack.

7. 

   After curing, store the unshelled nuts in a well-ventilated area, at 60°F or less. Cloth bags or wicker baskets will allow adequate air circulation and discourage mold. Finally, make sure that the humidity is adequate. Nut shells will crack when stored in too dry an area.

[SueJ]

on 10/12/2009 Excellent information, and very well explained. We have a large walnut in back and every year I aim to harvest them, but never do. This article really makes me want to do it! Thanks -- 5*

[UncleDud]

on 10/11/2009 What a well written well thought out article!