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Cracked black walnuts I foraged 2 years ago (NE Tennessee) (slrpnk.net)
submitted 4 weeks ago by to c/foraging@slrpnk.net
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I cracked the last of my black walnuts I foraged 2 years ago. There were only a few that had spoiled, which is pretty amazing. We root cellared them. Its a great fat that can be saved for a really long time without a lot of preservation.

I bought a black walnut cracker this year, which has changed the game. Previously I used a hammer and towel. This amount would have taken about 2 hours. With the cracker, it took me 40 minutes.

Right now, it's black walnut season in NE Tennessee! So many people happy to give them away, as they are a nuisance to most people. We pulled about 50 gallons of the nuts so far, but are looking for more spots around us that have good sized nuts.

What are some ways we can incorporate foraging meaningfully into life? That's the question I've been looking to answer. We've foraged a lot, but I've struggled to figure out how to meaningfully bring it into my families diet.

EDIT: Added a terrible pic of the black walnut cracker. The one I bought is the Grandpa's Goody Getter. I also bought the other anvils, so this should be able to crack just about any nut I can find.

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[โ€“] [S] 3 points 4 weeks ago

They are definitely a different taste. It's a bit of a bitter, earthy taste to them. You can try to balance them out with a bit of sugar or salt to see if it swings the taste profile.

Biggest thing I can think of when harvesting: wear gloves, and know that it's okay to get ones with blackened hulls as long as they aren't moldy/rotten. Also, don't let them sit in a bucket too long, as they will start molding.

They do take a bit of work to get to them. Here's largely the process I followed from Feral Forager: youtube.com. In a nutshell:

  • Find a good set of trees that are dropping the nuts
  • Pick up as much as you have patience for. I don't knock them off trees, because I trust the tree to know when the nut is finished
  • Dehull them. I use Feral Foraging's method. Make sure to wear medical gloves, or you will look like you've been rooting around in a fire pit! Also, do this fairly quickly, as the nuts will mold in their hulls.
  • Wash them with a high-pressure hose or pressure washer
  • Dry them on a rack of some kind
  • Store them something that gets plenty of airflow
  • Let them mellow for anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months. I usually harvest this year and then start cracking from last year's harvest. This time is important, as it lets the flavor develop
  • Crack them, use them soon, or store them in the fridge for about a month.
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