Learn how to harvest, process, and cook black walnuts for a better option than store-bought nuts.

Black walnuts are a delicious and flavorful food that can be found all over North America, particularly on the East Coast. Unlike store-bought English walnuts, black walnuts have a much stronger taste and are a great addition to many recipes. In this article, we will explore the process of gathering, husking, separating, drying, and storing black walnuts, as well as shelling and cooking with them.

The gathering process can be done using a nut gatherer tool, which is designed to easily pick up nuts and other small round objects from the ground. Once the nuts are gathered, they can be husked using a variety of methods, including using a drill with a long grout mixing bit and a large trash can filled with water. After the husks are removed, the nuts can be separated from any remaining husk bits using a screen or by rolling them down a driveway. Finally, the nuts can be dried and stored for later use. With this article, readers will gain the knowledge and confidence to gather and prepare their own delicious black walnuts.

Key Takeaways

• Black walnuts are a flavorful food that can be found all over North America, particularly on the East Coast.
• The process of gathering, husking, separating, drying, and storing black walnuts can be done using a variety of methods, including using a nut gatherer tool and a drill with a long grout mixing bit.
• Shelling and cooking with black walnuts requires some effort, but the unique and powerful flavor they add to dishes makes it worth it.

Black Walnut Gathering

Black walnuts are a type of nut that can be found in North America, especially on the East Coast. They have a stronger flavor than the English walnuts typically found in stores. Gathering black walnuts can be done using a nut gatherer tool, such as the Nut Wizard, which easily picks up nuts from the ground.

Once gathered, the husks of the walnuts need to be removed. There are various methods for husking walnuts, including stomping on them, running them over with a car, or rubbing them on concrete. However, for larger quantities, a drill with a long grout mixing bit can be used to efficiently remove the husks. The walnuts are then sifted through a half-inch hardware cloth to separate the nuts from the husks.

After separating the nuts from the husks, they need to be dried before storing. Spread out on a driveway or in a garage, the nuts can dry out in a few days. Once the nuts are dried, they can be stored in mesh bags in a cool, dry place for years.

To crack open a black walnut, a hard surface and small hammer can be used. However, using a black walnut cracker is more efficient and reduces the amount of shell bits mixed with the meat. Black walnut crackers can be found from various companies, including antique options.

Black walnuts have a unique and powerful flavor, making them worth the extra effort to gather, husk, and crack open. They can be used in various recipes, including cookies.

Tools for Gathering

Luke, from the Altar Boys YouTube channel, shares his knowledge on how to gather black walnuts, a type of fruit that grows all over North America, especially on the East Coast. To make the process more efficient, he uses a nut gatherer, a tool that easily picks up nuts, pinecones, and other round objects from the ground.

After gathering the walnuts, Luke explains how to husk them. There are various ways to do it, such as stomping on them, running them over with a car, or rubbing them on concrete. However, to husk a large amount of walnuts, he uses a beefy drill with a 36-inch long grout mixing bit and a 55-gallon trash can filled with water. After four or five minutes, the majority of the husks have been knocked off the shells, and the husks have turned into a fine pulp.

To separate the nuts from the husks, Luke uses a half-inch hardware cloth and pours the walnut slurry into it, sifting out the nuts. He then spreads the nuts out on his driveway to dry them before storing them.

To crack open the black walnuts, Luke suggests using a specially designed black walnut cracker, which tends not to pulverize the meat and greatly reduces the number of shell bits that end up mixed in with the meat.

Overall, with the use of a nut gatherer, a drill with a grout mixing bit, a 55-gallon trash can, a half-inch hardware cloth, and a black walnut cracker, gathering and processing black walnuts becomes much more efficient.

Husking the Walnuts

Luke, from the Altar Boys YouTube channel, shares his method of gathering and husking black walnuts. These green fruits are found all over North America, especially on the East Coast, and have a more distinct flavor than store-bought English walnuts.

To gather the walnuts, Luke uses a nut gatherer called the “Weasel,” which easily picks up nuts, pinecones, and other hard, round objects. He fills up four bins with walnuts, which is only about one-third of the nuts under the tree.

Husking the walnuts can be done in various ways, such as stomping on them or rubbing them on concrete. However, with about 100 gallons of walnuts, Luke needs a more efficient method. He uses a drill with a 36-inch long grout mixing bit and a 55-gallon trash can filled with water to knock off the husks. After about four to five minutes, 95% of the husks have been removed, and the husks have turned into a fine pulp.

Luke then sifts the walnut slurry through a half-inch hardware cloth to separate the nuts from the husks. He spreads the nuts out on his driveway to dry, using two hoses to create a bumper bowling effect to separate the husks from the nuts.

Once the walnuts are dry, Luke cracks them open with a small hammer or a specially designed black walnut cracker. The cracker reduces the amount of time it takes to remove the meat from the shell and reduces the number of shell bits mixed in with the meat.

Luke ends up with about 3/4 cups of shelled walnuts or about a pound, which he uses to make cookies. He emphasizes that black walnuts have a unique and powerful flavor, making all the extra work worth it.

Overall, Luke’s method of gathering and husking black walnuts is efficient and effective, yielding a large amount of walnuts that can last for years if stored properly.

Separating the Nuts from the Husks

Black walnuts are a popular food in North America, especially on the East Coast. They have a much stronger flavor than the more common English walnuts found in stores. Gathering and husking them can be a time-consuming process, but the end result is worth it.

There are many different methods for husking walnuts, including stomping on them, running them over with a car, and rubbing them on concrete. However, for larger quantities, a more efficient method is needed. One option is to use a drill with a long grout mixing bit and a large drum or trash can filled with water. After a few minutes of mixing, the majority of the husks will have been knocked off the shells and turned into a fine pulp.

To separate the nuts from the husks, a half-inch hardware cloth can be used as a sieve. However, using a 1-inch mesh is ideal for screening out the husk bits from the nuts. Alternatively, the nuts can be poured onto a driveway and rolled down it while the husks stay put. Once the nuts have been separated from the husks, they should be spread out and dried before being stored.

Cracking open black walnuts can be a bit more difficult than English walnuts, but the unique and powerful flavor of black walnuts makes it worth the extra effort. Using a specially designed black walnut cracker can greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to remove the meat from the shell and greatly reduces the number of shell bits that end up mixed in with the meat.

Overall, black walnuts are a delicious and nutritious food that can be gathered and husked with a bit of effort. Once they have been separated from the husks, they can be stored for years and used in a variety of recipes, including cookies.

Drying the Walnuts

After gathering and husking the walnuts, the next step is to dry them. Drying the walnuts is important to prevent mold growth and to preserve their quality. There are different methods to dry walnuts, but in this article, we will focus on the method used by the speaker in the video.

The speaker used a driveway to dry the walnuts. He spread the walnuts on the driveway and used two hoses to make a channel for the walnuts to roll down. The husks stayed put while the nuts rolled down the driveway. This method also allowed him to spread out the walnuts for drying.

However, due to the rain, the speaker had to move the walnuts inside the garage. He spread the walnuts on the floor and used a box fan to help dry them out. It is important to note that walnuts should be dried in a cool, dry place to prevent spoilage.

Once the walnuts are dried, they can be stored in mesh bags in a cool, dry place. The speaker mentioned that walnuts can last for years if stored properly. However, once the walnuts are removed from their shells, they will go rancid more quickly. It is recommended to store shelled walnuts in a sealed bag in the refrigerator or freezer.

In summary, drying the walnuts is a crucial step in preserving their quality. The speaker used a driveway and a box fan to dry the walnuts, and emphasized the importance of storing them properly to prevent spoilage.

Storing the Walnuts

After husking and drying the walnuts, it is important to store them properly in order to maintain their quality and freshness. The best way to store walnuts is in a cool, dry place. It is recommended to store them in mesh bags or in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

If stored properly, walnuts can last for years. However, once removed from their shells, they will go rancid more quickly. It is best to only remove the shells as needed for cooking or snacking.

Luke recommends storing the walnuts in mesh bags in a cool, dry place such as a basement or crawl space. This will allow for easy access when needed for cooking or snacking.

Overall, proper storage is key to maintaining the quality and freshness of the walnuts for an extended period of time.

Shelling the Walnuts

Luke, from the Altar Boys YouTube channel, shows how to husk and shell black walnuts efficiently. The process involves using a nut gatherer to collect the walnuts, a drill with a long grout mixing bit to remove the husks, and a half-inch hardware cloth to sift out the nuts. After separating the nuts from the husks, they are spread out to dry.

Shelling black walnuts requires a specially designed cracker since normal nut crackers are not strong enough. The advantage of using a cracker is that it reduces the amount of time it takes to remove the meat from the shell and minimizes the number of shell bits mixed with the meat.

Once the walnuts are shelled, they can be used in a variety of recipes, as they have a unique and powerful flavor. The nuts can be stored in mesh bags in a cool, dry place for years and taste great when used in baked goods or other dishes.

Cooking with Black Walnuts

Black walnuts are a type of nut that is native to North America, especially the East Coast. They have a stronger flavor than the more commonly found English walnuts. In this section, we will explore how to gather, husk, and prepare black walnuts for cooking.

To gather black walnuts, a nut gatherer tool can be used to easily pick them up off the ground. The nuts can be either hard and green or black and gooey, but the nut inside is still good regardless of the condition of the outer shell.

To husk the walnuts, there are various methods such as stomping on them or rubbing them on concrete. However, for larger quantities, a drill with a grout mixing bit can be used to efficiently remove the husks. The nuts are then separated from the husks by sifting them in a half-inch hardware cloth.

Cracking open black walnuts can be more difficult than English walnuts, but a specially designed black walnut cracker can make the process easier. Once shelled, the black walnuts have a unique and powerful flavor that makes them worth the extra effort.

Black walnuts can be stored for a long time in a cool, dry place. They should be kept in a sealed bag in the refrigerator if removed from the shell, as they will go rancid comparatively quickly.

Overall, cooking with black walnuts can add a delicious and unique flavor to various dishes.

Conclusion

In this video, Luke from the Altar Boys YouTube channel demonstrated how to gather, husk, and prepare black walnuts for consumption. He used a nut gatherer tool to collect the nuts from the ground and a drill with a grout mixing bit to remove the husks. He then separated the nuts from the husks using a hardware cloth and driveway. Finally, he cracked open the nuts using a black walnut cracker and used the meat to make cookies.

Luke emphasized that black walnuts have a more flavorful taste than store-bought English walnuts and are abundant in North America, particularly on the East Coast. He also noted that the harvesting and preparation process requires some effort, but the resulting nuts are worth it.

Overall, this video provides a useful guide for those interested in foraging and cooking with black walnuts.

Additional Resources

• The Nut Gather from Weasel: This tool is great for picking up nuts, pinecones, fruit, or anything hard and round that you want to pick up off your lawn. It is easy to use and efficient. You can buy it on Amazon.com for about $10.
• Black Walnut Cracker: The normal nut crackers you see at Christmas aren’t tough enough to crack a black walnut, so you need a specially designed black walnut cracker. It tends not to pulverize the meat, and it greatly reduces the number of shell bits that end up mixed in with your meat. There are a few companies that still make these black walnut crackers, and you can find some antique ones on eBay. They are about the same price as the new ones.
• The Outdoor Boys YouTube Channel: This channel has hundreds of videos on outdoor cooking and foraging, including a bunch of videos on black walnuts. They put out new videos every Saturday morning, so don’t forget to click subscribe and hit that Bell button to get notifications.