# Help me take advantage of my walnut trees **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2010, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811 "2010-08-10T12:42:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/1 "2010-08-10T12:42:48Z")
We’ve bought a house that has two big-ass black walnut trees that have started doing their thing. I’ve been picking them up as they fall and removing that yellow-green husk and tossing them in a box. Now what? Other than being impressed by the stain one left on my hand when I picked it up with bare hands (I see now why the ink made from this was so common). What are these good for? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/2 "2010-08-10T12:58:44Z")
Uh, you do know that there are walnuts inside those green, stain-inducing balls that drop from the trees, right? They’re edible you know. Mmmmm… walnuts. Bit of a pain to get out of the husk and shell, of course, but you’ve got edible nuts growing your backyard. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/3 "2010-08-10T13:03:40Z")
WHAT?! Are you telling me these walnuts are WALNUTS?! 🙂 Uh. Yeah, but do they need to age or cure or anything? ---
**Author:** ![Rafe\_Hollister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Rafe\_Hollister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rafe_Hollister)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/4 "2010-08-10T13:49:42Z")
We used to gather them as they fell and put them in the driveway. A few weeks of driving over them would peel off the husks. Don’t do this until the husk has turned brown/black. Take the hard center and crack them open, removing the meat. A nutcracker is sufficient to do this and pretty simple once you figure out how to place it in relation to the split on the nut. A tool that looks like a dental tooth scraper is used to pull the meat out. Another option, if you would prefer no to deal with the nuts–check into prices of walnut logs. A tall, wide tree with a straight trunk will bring a lot of money. If you have 2 big walnut trees that are in the proper shape, you could easily get a few thousand for them. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/5 "2010-08-10T13:53:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Help me take advantage of my walnut trees Sidle up to them one evening, when they may have been drinking a little too much…complement them on their branches…caress their trunks, but stay away from any knotholes! You don’t want to move too fast. Maybe chase away a few squirrels to show off your manliness. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/6 "2010-08-10T14:35:51Z")
You need to harvest them soon after falling or while still on the tree, and get the husks off, which is not an easy task. Methods include pounding with a hammer and running over them with a car. The husks stain incredibly. > **[Harvesting, Cracking, and Storing Black Walnuts](https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/1994/9-16-1994/bnut.html)** > > The black walnut (Juglans nigra) is one of the most valuable timber trees in Iowa. It is also a valuable nut tree. Walnuts ripen in the fall. As the fruit matures, the hull softens and changes from solid green to a yellowish color. The fruits are... ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/7 "2010-08-10T14:42:23Z")
[Make walnut ink](http://home.insightbb.com/~denevell_books/making_walnut_ink.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Incensed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Incensed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incensed)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/8 "2010-08-10T15:22:11Z")
Your location isn’t listed, so I’m going to assume you’re talking about an Eastern Black Walnut, in which case don’t be surprised if the nutmeat tastes, for lack of a better word, ‘gamy’ compared to store bought (English, I believe) walnuts. Also the shells are substantially thicker and harder, so more work/time will be involved in procuring said nutmeat. In addition to inks/dyes, the husks contain [juglone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juglone) which inhibits the growth of some other plants and can presumably be diluted and used as a selective organic herbicide. Also, according to an army field manual, you can use it to paralyze fish, which is to say render them immobile (dead? my memory fails) but not toxic for human consumption. The shell can be ground and used as an abrasive agent (i.e. mediablasting) or added to cosmetic products and soaps as an exfoliant. Also golf practice, and low-tech laser tag/dodgeball for kids. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/9 "2010-08-10T21:50:58Z")
> [@capybara](#): > > WHAT?! Are you telling me these walnuts are WALNUTS?! 🙂 Uh. Yeah, but do they need to age or cure or anything? Believe it or not, I’ve met many people in my life who fail to make such connections and/or are totally incapable of recognize food in its natural state. Not that I really thought you were one of them… The hulls, by the way, make a very nice natural dye for fibers. I’ve used them for wool and cotton. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/10 "2010-08-11T06:03:30Z")
Black walnuts are very hard to crack. There are special nutcrackers made for them, but they can be expensive. Here is one sold by [Hammons Nut Emporium](http://www.hammonsproducts.com/18F902049F4D4B79B2C9F1C45449BAC6.asp?p_key=C20137357BD64798ACEDE7BB70E68FDE&type=auto_single&path=Home+%3E+Tools+of+the+Trade&spath=&cat_id=FA7FDBF410454CAAA98D2E3CC12BA974&pc_key=686E59EFC7C24A2B98EAC4CE21E1196F&pcs_key=). Black walnuts are good in ice cream - their strong flavor stand up to the cold. They’re also good in cookies - try them in place of pecans in sandies. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/11 "2010-08-11T15:14:27Z")
We’ve had a black walnut tree on our family property for well over 60 years. My grandmother harvested the nuts. Once. My mother harvested the nuts. Once. My wife harvested the nuts. Once. That should tell you something. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/12 "2010-08-11T15:17:47Z")
It is probably too late, but every year I search out green walnuts and make nocino; green walnut liqueur. You have to get them when you are still able to halve them a knife. If they are at the point where the shell is starting to form, it is too late because they can’t be cut with a knife. Google “making nocino” and you will see dozens of blog entries on it (and reminds me that I still need to write mine!) ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/13 "2010-08-11T15:27:03Z")
The only contribution I have is the singularly inappropriate line from Clarissa in the Two Fat Ladies that stuck in my head… > [@](#): > > A dog, a woman, and a walnut tree. > The more you beat them, the better they be. Here’s the recipe for their [Chicken Breasts with Walnut Aillade](http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/search/delegate?searchString=wlanut&searchType=context&cookType=show&cookId=1364). ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/14 "2010-08-11T15:32:18Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > We’ve had a black walnut tree on our family property for well over 60 years. > > My grandmother harvested the nuts. Once. > > My mother harvested the nuts. Once. > > My wife harvested the nuts. Once. > > That should tell you something. BTW, here’s a Wikipedia article on Black Walnuts. It features a photo of my wife’s hands, after she harvested the nuts that one time. > **[Juglans nigra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juglans_nigra)** > > Juglans nigra, the eastern American black walnut, is a species of deciduous tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae, native to central and eastern North America, growing mostly in riparian zones. > Black walnut is susceptible to thousand cankers disease, which provoked a decline of walnut trees in some regions. Black walnut is allelopathic, releasing chemicals from its roots and other tissues that may harm other organisms and give the tree a competitive advantage, but there is no scientific cons... ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/15 "2010-08-11T16:13:29Z")
Thanks for the ideas, everyone. Nocino, huh? Hm. . . QtheM-- yeah, I realize this might be the first and last year that I’m intrigued by potentials. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/16 "2010-08-11T16:56:51Z")
My parents have a black walnut tree. They’re retired, so they hull a few everyday until their done, then just eat them in muffins or oatmeal or whatever. They do taste, um, walnuttier than English walnuts. One year, Dad set my son and one of his buddies to work on a big bag of nuts. They had a blast going at them with hammers and made pretty short work of them. Personally, I like to throw them into creeks. They make great projectiles. Oh, and don’t put walnut tree waste in your compost pile. Your garden will not thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/17 "2010-08-12T01:20:16Z")
One other problem with harvesting the walnuts that one time: OMG, the squirrels were PISSED! They depended on those things for the winter food supply, and when a pail of walnuts was set inside the house by the sliding glass door, one particular squirrel tried to bang his way in repeatedly before taking station on a table outside, staring and staring. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/18 "2010-08-12T23:54:35Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Help me take advantage of my walnut trees > > Sidle up to them one evening, when they may have been drinking a little too much…complement them on their branches…caress their trunks, but stay away from any knotholes! You don’t want to move too fast. Maybe chase away a few squirrels to show off your manliness. This deserves recognition. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/19 "2010-08-13T00:23:18Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > It is probably too late, but every year I search out green walnuts and make nocino; green walnut liqueur. You have to get them when you are still able to halve them a knife. If they are at the point where the shell is starting to form, it is too late because they can’t be cut with a knife. > > Google “making nocino” and you will see dozens of blog entries on it (and reminds me that I still need to write mine!) Where do you find the barefooted virgin? > [@](#): > > Legend has it that in order to make a ‘divine’ Nocino the walnuts should be picked during the night of the 23rd and the 24th of June by a barefooted virgin who should wait beneath a walnut tree and gather any green walnuts that fall to the ground. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811/20 "2010-08-13T00:28:21Z")
Yep, tried them and they’re too far along-- it’s too late here for nocino. Next summer. If I’m not a virgin, do you think it will taste “off”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-take-advantage-of-my-walnut-trees/549811.md?page=2)