For the past 7 years I have been watching with great interest the two walnut trees that our closest neighbour managed to grow from seed. In fact we have been watching them together. For 7 years every time I saw her outside we seemed to discuss the current state of the trees and whether they will ever in fact produce any nuts (as I am from "foreign parts" she of course thought I was an expert...). And then this year they finally produced their first nuts! We were so excited - spending hours talking underneath the trees, examining the very first flowers and then the other day she gave me all but about 10 of the walnuts that had fallen to the ground. It turns out that she just wanted the challenge of growing them and has no real use for the nuts so lucky me I got basically all of them. At least I thought I was very lucky until I tried to crack them open. They are small. There is not a lot of nut inside and by the time I get the nut part out they are completely stuffed! I figure that perhaps letting them dry for a month or so may make it more practical to get the flesh out..... I guess time will tell! I would love to hear from anyone with any hints or special walnut cracking abilities!
For the past 7 years I have been watching with great interest the two walnut trees that our closest neighbour managed to grow from seed. In fact we have been watching them together. For 7 years every time I saw her outside we seemed to discuss the current state of the trees and whether they will ever in fact produce any nuts (as I am from "foreign parts" she of course thought I was an expert...). And then this year they finally produced their first nuts! We were so excited - spending hours talking underneath the trees, examining the very first flowers and then the other day she gave me all but about 10 of the walnuts that had fallen to the ground. It turns out that she just wanted the challenge of growing them and has no real use for the nuts so lucky me I got basically all of them. At least I thought I was very lucky until I tried to crack them open. They are small. There is not a lot of nut inside and by the time I get the nut part out they are completely stuffed! I figure that perhaps letting them dry for a month or so may make it more practical to get the flesh out..... I guess time will tell! I would love to hear from anyone with any hints or special walnut cracking abilities!
wow, look at that! isn't that cool! i have no advice on walnuts, my only experience is the walnut tree that was in the 'garden' of the law office my mom worked at for a few years. we never got any of the nuts...
ReplyDeleteInteresting-fresh walnuts and in only 7 years. Tempted to give that ago!! I am going to watch to see what advice your given!!!
ReplyDeleteKevin from Bastish.net just blogged about his walnut haul and he still has some from 2 years ago so he must have storage down pat, too! I get the wild walnuts from the mountain behind us but yup, absolutely tiny amount of edible nut and they seem to be a worm magnet, too. We played at eating them but gave up on anything exciting. Hope you get better advice than that!
ReplyDeleteI reckon Granny K's head is pretty strong. You could bring a basket over here and we could try cracking them over that!
ReplyDeleteI never knew walnuts grew or came from pod-like-shells... but suddenly walnuts reminds me of a dish I love.. spicy, chili, chicken in cream sauce... OH MY GOSH...
ReplyDeleteI posted my secret walnut cracking technique here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bastish.net/2009/10/how_to_crack_a_wild_walnut.html
You gotta roast them first. It opens a little crack along the seam which you can use to easily crack it open. And yes, little flesh, but plenty for baking walnut bread, or adding to mochi or rice.
As far as storing them, I just dry them in the sun for a few days, and them put them in a jar with a lid to keep the mice away. (don7t roast them until you are ready to crack them)