To pick up black walnuts, you locate mature nuts, gather them using protective gloves, and often begin the hulling process immediately.
Harvesting black walnuts involves several key steps to prepare them for consumption or storage. Based on the provided reference, the process goes beyond simple collection and includes removing the fleshy outer hull.
Essential Steps for Harvesting Black Walnuts
Here's a breakdown of how to pick up and prepare black walnuts, incorporating techniques for hull removal as described:
- Locate Mature Nuts: Look for mature black walnuts, ideally those with green hulls. These are typically found under black walnut trees as they fall naturally.
- Gather with Protection: Using your work gloves, gather a significant number of nuts from the ground. Work gloves are crucial to protect your hands from the hull's staining properties.
- Prepare for Hulling: Spread the gathered nuts out on a flat, black-topped area. This type of surface provides a stable base for the next step.
- Remove Hulls: Using your feet, stomp and twist on each nut individually. Continue this action until the hulls come loose from the hard inner shell.
- Spread Out Hulled Nuts: After hulling, use your gloved hands again to spread the nuts out. A good place for this is on a picnic table or any large, flat area. This allows them to begin drying and makes it easier to separate the clean nuts from hull debris.
| Step | Action | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Finding | Look for mature nuts (green hulls). | Identify harvest-ready nuts. |
| 2. Gathering | Use work gloves to collect many nuts. | Protect hands from stain. |
| 3. Prepping for Hulling | Spread nuts on a flat, black-topped area. | Prepare for hull removal. |
| 4. Hulling | Stomp and twist with feet. | Remove the outer hull. |
| 5. Post-Hulling Prep | Spread nuts on a flat area with gloves. | Begin drying/sorting. |
This process, starting with picking up, ensures the removal of the hull, which is necessary before curing and cracking the nuts.
For more details on harvesting black walnuts, you can refer to sources like the Wilderness Awareness article.
