Eating Black Walnuts

[trc65]

Was out mowing this afternoon and driving over walnuts that had fallen. Got me thinking.....

Over 50 years ago when I was a little kid, some friend of my Dad, showed up with a couple burlap bags of walnuts. We were all excited and carefully spread them in the basement on cardboard locker boxes. I remember checking them every day and constantly asking if they were dry enough to husk and shell. When we finally got the OK, I tore into them cleaning husks. Then finally cracking some open. YUK, double YUK and triple YUK!!!

I remember thinking we had done something wrong and they were rotten. Very quickly lost all interest in anything to do with them. I don't recollect if my parents ate any more than I did (a total of one), or if they were all thrown away. I do know we never bothered gathering any more.

So, long story short, does anybody actually like eating black walnuts?

 

[Ray D]

Had some black walnut ice cream while I was in Kansas chasing Rios. That was pretty good. They claimed it came from local walnut trees but can’t say for sure

 

[Eric Rorabaugh]

I don't care for them but I used to shell and sell them. Gave to mom, my aunts and my granny too. They used them in baking recipes.

 

[trc65]

A few years ago, at a local fall festival/drive I grabbed a big chunk of walnut fudge. Didn't realize it was black walnut. Ate some of it, but even in fudge, it was a little too strong for my taste.

Probably scarred for life by thinking I was eating rotten walnuts when I was a kid. Just associate that flavor now as rancid.

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

Was out mowing this afternoon and driving over walnuts that had fallen. Got me thinking.....

Over 50 years ago when I was a little kid, some friend of my Dad, showed up with a couple burlap bags of walnuts. We were all excited and carefully spread them in the basement on cardboard locker boxes. I remember checking them every day and constantly asking if they were dry enough to husk and shell. When we finally got the OK, I tore into them cleaning husks. Then finally cracking some open. YUK, double YUK and triple YUK!!!

I remember thinking we had done something wrong and they were rotten. Very quickly lost all interest in anything to do with them. I don't recollect if my parents ate any more than I did (a total of one), or if they were all thrown away. I do know we never bothered gathering any more.

So, long story short, does anybody actually like eating black walnuts?

Yes. I love black walnuts. We pulled out in the driveway and picked the cleaned nuts up. Didn't lose many to the vehicles. The darn things are tough.

 

[Steve in VA]

That brings back memories Tim! The car in the driveway was the way back in the day, but the juice was never worth the squeeze in my opinion. And what a mess!

 

[Nature Man]

I like them, and remember shelling them as a kid. Also shelled other nuts. Hardest was Brazil nuts! My Mom made fruitcake every year that was actually pretty good. Don’t shell nuts any more . Favorite nut is Macademia followed by Pecan. Chuck

 

[Mr. Peet]

There are several phenotypes sold with different flavors, from mild to strong. We picked them from the fallen, ran through the corn sheller to husk, rinsed with creek water and dropped in a tumbler. They turned, rubbing themselves smooth, self roasting and the hulls thinned. Then stored in the dry racks until needed. The ones we had were always strong. A quick blanching would help reduce harshness.

Sometimes made walnut stain from the husks.

 

[trc65]

Wasn't even thinking about phenotypes. Have a few native trees and some that originated from a northern WI nursery. May have to do a little taste testing and see if some are more palatable (to me). Will have to give blanching a try too.

 

[barry richardson]

I probably ate more black walnuts growing up than any other nut besides maybe peanuts, They are my favorite, an acquired taste I guess. Oatmeal cookies with black walnuts, black walnut fudge, black walnut pie, black walnut ice cream, my mom made them all. They were abundant and free and we were po folk, hard to find in stores though. They even make a black walnuts liquore, now ya got me craving some black walnuts.....

 

[vegas urban lumber]

I probably ate more black walnuts growing up than any other nut besides maybe peanuts, They are my favorite, an acquired taste I guess. Oatmeal cookies with black walnuts, black walnut fudge, black walnut pie, black walnut ice cream, my mom made them all. They were abundant and free and we were po folk, hard to find in stores though. They even make a black walnuts liquore, now ya got me craving some black walnuts.....

best black walnut pie i ever had, in Wikieup, AZ

Wikieup, Arizona - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Firewood Potter]

We still have them in pies, cakes and cookies and a candy called divinity. I searched and found this. The same as my kinfolks used.

Old-Fashioned Divinity Candy with Walnuts (1935)​

 

[Mike Hill]

Pecans are what we ate more of in the younger years - Seguin is the pecan capital of the world! But I took a liking to black walnuts as did my wife. Have them in freezer all the time. Definitely a strong flavor, but guess that is what I like about them. Some people around these parts say they like black walnut, when in actuality, they are liking English Walnuts. Have a couple of walnut trees in the yard - one mature - over 60 yo probably - maybe older, that always has a great crop. But squirrels get them all before they can fall or be harvested. I've taken to picking up all the pieces that are all over the place since they are sharp as the squirrels have chewed into them. I pick up 5 gallon buckets full every year. The pieces are painful to walk on and especially painful to put your knee down on them. Also make dye from them and have a big batch going right now. Have made Nocino from very young/green/unripe walnuts one year when a limb fell that was full. Only did it once - mainly because have not been able to harvest them and I really didn't care for it. Still have the bottle, and it is over 10 years old. Will have to break it out and try it to see if I still don't like it much! I've wanted to make green walnut preserve - also called jam, but have not had access to the young green walnuts. I've had it at a Greek festival, and it's pretty good.

 

[djg]

When I was a kid, our family would tromp through the woods of a friend picking up gunny sacks of black walnuts and hickory nuts. Once ripe, Dad would shell and crack the nuts with a hammer. Mom would spend nights picking out the meat with a darning needle. I don't know how she did it. Loved her oatmeal/black walnut cookies as well as the fudge. Takes me back.

Each year, I pick up a bucket of black walnuts from my yard and a bucket of hickory nuts from one specific tree at one of my fishing spots with the intention of processing them. But I never get around to it.

Anyone have any tricks to cracking those nuts and picking out the meat? I'd love to be able to make black walnut ice cream.

 

[Mike Hill]

Anyone have any tricks to cracking those nuts and picking out the meat? I'd love to be able to make black walnut ice cream.

Talk someone else into it!

But seriously - soak them up to 24 hours in water. Use a press - not hammer! A press will crack the outer shell without cracking the inner too much.

 

[trc65]

There are several phenotypes sold with different flavors, from mild to strong. We picked them from the fallen, ran through the corn sheller to husk, rinsed with creek water and dropped in a tumbler. They turned, rubbing themselves smooth, self roasting and the hulls thinned. Then stored in the dry racks until needed. The ones we had were always strong. A quick blanching would help reduce harshness.

Sometimes made walnut stain from the husks.

Gotta say thanks for mentioning phenotypes. Went out today to gather some, not for eating, but to try and germinate a few seedlings. We've been so dry that the ones in the ground had dried husks, so grabbed a hammer and cracked a few open to try.

Completely different from what we were given as a kid. None of the resinous flavor, just rich walnut tasting nuts. Much more flavorful than English. Don't know if it's the genetics of this particular tree, our soil, or the weather this year, but will be eating a few of these.

 

[vegas urban lumber]

Gotta say thanks for mentioning phenotypes. Went out today to gather some, not for eating, but to try and germinate a few seedlings. We've been so dry that the ones in the ground had dried husks, so grabbed a hammer and cracked a few open to try.

Completely different from what we were given as a kid. None of the resinous flavor, just rich walnut tasting nuts. Much more flavorful than English. Don't know if it's the genetics of this particular tree, our soil, or the weather this year, but will be eating a few of these.

roasting or drying in an oven or similar will dramatically change the character of walnuts and pecans. possible your weather this year worked as a dehydrator/ roaster on the walnuts

 

[Steve in VA]

Got Walnuts????

This is from about half the yard. Bumper crop this year!

 

[Mike Hill]

We had a big crop this year also. More than the squirrel have eaten. Even had a couple of limbs break - guess they were too heavy! I've picked up three 5-gallon bucketfuls and still have plenty on the ground, but the cherry tree falling and clean up and repair, has got the collecting stopped for now.

 

[scootac]

6 black walnut trees here, they are loaded!
A real PITA to mow grass.
I just let the squirrels have them.
Black walnuts are soo good in cakes, or my favorite, chocolate chip cookies!!!