At our place...these days....life centers around black walnut harvesting. I've had inquiries about the process i use...so here's a bit of explanation.
We have several trees at the farm and at the studio and it takes a couple weeks for them all to fall off. so, when they start, i am out there with my 5 gallon bucket .... picking up and picking up.
Then we throw them all down the driveway and run over them for a few days going in and out....till the hulls are all mashed off and they dry out a bit. Two of the walnut trees are at the top of the pic...on either side of the driveway where it turns.
After they are ready.....i go out once again with my 5 gallon buckets and a milk crate to sit on and pick them all up. as i separate the nuts from the smashed hulls....i toss the hulls over on the left...in the ditch next to the driveway. maybe they'll kill the weeds there....LOL
Then we toss them in the old wringer washer that we have in the barn and give them a good washing. they agitate in the washer for about 30 minutes...then we drain out the water....and give them another wash for another 20 minutes or so. We store the washer out in the barn and just wheel it over to the doorway...close to the hose connection outside and easy to drain outside. works like a charm.
Then we lay out some feed sacks on the garage floor...out of the way of things. and lay the washed nuts all out to dry for a few days. they look so pretty after they are all washed.
When i got home from quilt class yesterday hubby was just laying out the last of the loads for the day. he finished them all while i was gone. isn't he the best? here are 4 loads of walnuts. that's a lot of nuts.
In the evenings i sit and crack them up for us to use in baked goodies....and hubby's ice cream. here is my cracker that i got online several years ago. i think it was like $80 but so worth it....don't have to use the hammer. and i've learned a trick to soak them overnight and they crack better...the shells don't all shatter. and you just have to pull till the shell cracks and then take them apart. too much and they are all busted up. it's a fine line. LOL
In a couple nights i filled a pint size jar...they are now in the freezer. and am on the way to filling a second jar.
So, that's what happens around here in the fall. dh woke up this morning saying it sure would be nice to have some black walnut cookies. might have to make some for him. after all...he did do all the washing by himself.
This morning i was out in the drizzling rain....picking persimmons. gotta go out every morning before the critters get them all. from 2 trees i got 5 pounds this morning. gotta go start processing them. work is never done...sigh!
We have several trees at the farm and at the studio and it takes a couple weeks for them all to fall off. so, when they start, i am out there with my 5 gallon bucket .... picking up and picking up.
Then we throw them all down the driveway and run over them for a few days going in and out....till the hulls are all mashed off and they dry out a bit. Two of the walnut trees are at the top of the pic...on either side of the driveway where it turns.
After they are ready.....i go out once again with my 5 gallon buckets and a milk crate to sit on and pick them all up. as i separate the nuts from the smashed hulls....i toss the hulls over on the left...in the ditch next to the driveway. maybe they'll kill the weeds there....LOL
Then we toss them in the old wringer washer that we have in the barn and give them a good washing. they agitate in the washer for about 30 minutes...then we drain out the water....and give them another wash for another 20 minutes or so. We store the washer out in the barn and just wheel it over to the doorway...close to the hose connection outside and easy to drain outside. works like a charm.
Then we lay out some feed sacks on the garage floor...out of the way of things. and lay the washed nuts all out to dry for a few days. they look so pretty after they are all washed.
When i got home from quilt class yesterday hubby was just laying out the last of the loads for the day. he finished them all while i was gone. isn't he the best? here are 4 loads of walnuts. that's a lot of nuts.
In the evenings i sit and crack them up for us to use in baked goodies....and hubby's ice cream. here is my cracker that i got online several years ago. i think it was like $80 but so worth it....don't have to use the hammer. and i've learned a trick to soak them overnight and they crack better...the shells don't all shatter. and you just have to pull till the shell cracks and then take them apart. too much and they are all busted up. it's a fine line. LOL
In a couple nights i filled a pint size jar...they are now in the freezer. and am on the way to filling a second jar.
So, that's what happens around here in the fall. dh woke up this morning saying it sure would be nice to have some black walnut cookies. might have to make some for him. after all...he did do all the washing by himself.
This morning i was out in the drizzling rain....picking persimmons. gotta go out every morning before the critters get them all. from 2 trees i got 5 pounds this morning. gotta go start processing them. work is never done...sigh!
1 comment:
In the NW, I remember my grandmother having drying racks filled with walnuts, drying in front of the wood-burning stove. Can't say as I recall any more of her process other than that though, nor do I know for sure what all she did with them. I'm sure she probably sold many though. I know she had the old wringer washers like that, but I only remember only clothing and such used in them...maybe she did her walnuts that way too and never knew!
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