How to Quickly De-Shell Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts, which are high in monounsaturated fatty acid (also known as "good" fat) and packed with minerals and protein, are considered a delicacy around the world. Unfortunately, all that delicious healthiness comes wrapped up in the hardest shell in the entire nut family. You could spend hours trying to de-shell macadamia nuts the old-fashioned way --- with a hammer and a rock to break them against --- and end up with dozens of smashed nuts to show for it. The quickest way to get the nuts out of their shells, though, is to crack them open with a nutcracker designed specifically for macadamias. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Prep the nuts for de-shelling. Reducing the moisture content of the nuts makes it easier to crack them. You can do this by boiling the nuts for several minutes, freezing them or roasting them.
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Locate the "white dot" on the macadamia nut. First find the stem point --- the place where the nut was once attached to the tree --- and then find the area on the nut exactly opposite from the stem point, which should contain a small white dot.
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Place the nut in the cracker with the white dot facing upward. Turn the handle just enough to secure the nut in place.
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Cover the opening in the nutcracker with one hand and twist the handle until you hear the nut crack.
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Take the nut out of the cracker and remove the shell halves.
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Tips & Warnings
Your first few nuts may not de-shell perfectly. The more you crack, the more successful you'll be and the more whole nuts you'll get.
If the nut doesn't crack on the first try, reposition it so that the small ridge between the stem point and the white dot is facing upward and try again.
Be sure to use a nutcracker designed for macadamia nuts. Other nut crackers are more likely to break than crack your macadamia nut.
References
- Photo Credit Macadamia Nuts and Shell image by MrGreenBug from Fotolia.com
