Enough black walnuts this year to make me wish I had a hard hat. Tell me if you know easier ways and storage times 1. remove hulls by running over nuts with the truck or stepping on them 2. hang them in onion bags (warm? cold? dark? dry? how long can I wait at this stage? 3. soak in water 24 hours before cracking, would freezing be better? 4. I've got a Potter Walnut cracker 5. Clues for successfully separating the meat and shell? 6. Can shelled nuts be kept at room temp? how long until they go rancid? can they be dry canned? how?

-- Kendy Sawyer (sweetfire@grove.net), October 30, 1999

Answers

Hey Kendy! Used to put the nuts in water to see if they floated. One's that floated, threw away. That's after the husk was off. Than set a fan blowing on them spread out on the garage floor. Than kept the squirrels out. After they are dry, kept them in 5 gallon tins with tight lids in the garage. Stayed for years. To get out the meat after you crack them cut the bottom of the shell off with a pair of side cut pliers. Pops out alot easier. Not alot of answers,but hope it helps.

-- Larry Eggman (SorBckRnch@tznet.com), October 31, 1999.

My dad uses an old corn huller to remove the hulls and it works real slick. I have nuts that are three or for years old in paper bag and are still good

-- Rick wyckoff (wittey@aol.com), November 02, 1999.

Can the same storage solution be used for white walnuts, i.e. Butternut? I got a very large crop this year.

-- Rich Beldyk (pntbeldyk@wirefire.com), November 03, 1999.

I would think that as long as the nuts were dry you would beable to store butternuts the same way. Do you have a problem with canker on your trees? What state do you live?

-- Larry (SirBckRnch@tznet.com), November 03, 1999.

I live in Southeast Ohio. The problem with canker on butternut trees is a problem here also, but maybe not as great as other parts of vthe county. I speand a lot of time in the forest where I have been looking for canker free trees.

-- Rich (pntbeldyk@wirefire.com), November 04, 1999.

I've found that walnuts keep well for about a year if kept in a well ventilated dry place, just make sure squirrels can't get to them.They will keep for several years like this but many of them begin to dry out. A mighty good way to store the cracked out nut is to pack them in your favoritr syrup in a clean jar and just screw a new lid on .They will keep long time like this but because they are so good I don't know exactly how long but I suspect indefinitely. They will also keep stored in a jar in the freezer for many years. Also, remember to plant a few of them.

-- Don Cothern (hihilldon@yahoo.com), November 25, 1999.

my grandma jest put them tow sacks and left them outside untill she got ready to use them them thay stayed good fore 2 years or more

-- jeff (zeroman767@aol.com), December 23, 1999.

hI, GRANDPA USED TO PUT THEM ON THE ROOF OF THE GARAGE IN THE FALL TIL THEY DRIED OUT THEM WOULD HULL THEM EITHER BY CRACKING WITH A HAMMER. MY WIFE AND I TRIED IT THIS PAST FALL FORGOT ABOUT THEM TIL LAST MONTH AND THEY DID FINE. WE DID'NT HAVE ANY SPECIAL PICKS SO MY WIFE TRIED A NAIL AND IT WORKED PRETTY GOOD SURE DO TASTE GOOD IN FUDGE!

-- David (nelson3@bright.net), April 11, 2000.