How do I Harvest & Eat Black Walnuts?

Walnuts must be processed after harvesting, otherwise they will rot.

Black walnuts grow on large trees that are often found in parks, on streets or in backyards. Before eating a black walnut you must remove the husk, wash the nut and then crack open the shell to get to the meat inside. While purchasing black walnuts from a grocery store might be the fastest route to enjoying a tasty snack, you can harvest them directly from the tree with only a few simple supplies.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• 1 2X4 board, a foot long
• Bucket
• Water
• Nut cracker

Instructions

1. Put on gloves. Black walnut husks will leave stains on your skin that does not wash off for a couple of days.

2. Harvest when nuts fall from the tree. Black walnuts are ready to harvest between late September and early October. The outer husk begins to soften when the nut is ripe and ready to pick. Shake the tree branch lightly and collect the walnuts that fall from the tree.

3. Lay the black walnuts in an even layer on a concrete driveway or sidewalk after harvesting, while the husk is still soft.

4. Roll the 2X4 board over the walnuts, applying heavy pressure with your foot. This pressure will remove or loosen the husks from the black walnuts.

5. Pull any remaining husks off the walnuts and put the walnuts into a bucket of water. Wash the juice off the husked walnuts until they feel clean to the touch.

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6. Cure and dry the walnuts by laying them out in the sun after washing. If this step is skipped before storing the black walnuts, the meat of the nut will rot.

7. Use a nut cracker to crack the outer shell of the black walnut to get to the meat.

References

• University of Illinois: Preparing Black Walnuts for Eating
• Chowhound: Walnuts Off the Tree

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish