Grandpa's Goody Getter

 

After gathering the nuts, you need to hull them as soon as possible. If you can't hull them right away, store them in bags that will breathe.

⚠  They will mold in just a few days if stored in a solid bag or barrel.

 

Methods for hulling:

•         Take them to a huller — they will come out clean. This is the easiest method.

•         Use a cement mixer with a few rocks thrown in to grind the hulls up. This system is messy but effective.

•         Pile them on the driveway and drive over them with a 4-wheeler, tractor, or car. Clean up the big stuff — the rest disappears after a rain or two.

•         Step on them one at a time, or any other method you can figure out!

 

After drying, wash the nuts thoroughly. Several methods work well:

•         A cement mixer does a great and easy job with a little water thrown in.

•         Use a wire cage and hose them with a power washer.

•         Wash in a wheelbarrow — cover with water and scramble with a rake.

•         Place in a loose mesh bag (onion sack) and hose off with a spray wand, turning the bag frequently.

 

⚠  If any nuts are floating high in the water, they are no good — discard them. Barely floating nuts are questionable.

✦  Floating is not a reliable test after nuts have been drying for several weeks, as dry nuts are more likely to float regardless of quality.

 

Proper storage is critical to keeping your harvest in good condition.

•         Always store nuts in a breathable sack.

•         NEVER store in a bucket or box that can't let air in on all sides.

•         Store and dry walnuts where squirrels can't reach them — they may like them even more than we do!

✦  Nutmeats can be frozen and thawed any number of times with no effect, whether still in the shell or already cracked.

 

When soaking the nuts, sample-crack each day until they crack easily and the nutmeats are soft and don't crumble.

•         Most nuts need at least two days of soaking.

•         Some nuts can take up to eight (8) days to reach the just-right stage.

•         Allow the nuts to dry to the touch before cracking.

•         If you can't crack them all right away, store them in a sealed container for about a week — they'll retain moisture.

⚠  Don't wait too long after soaking, as they will start to mold depending on temperature.

✦  If nuts dry out again, the soaking process can be repeated. Your taster will tell you when they're too old. Properly handled nuts can still be good up to five years old!

✦  Nuts that have dried out for two or three years can be soaked in water and softened to nearly the same quality as when first cracked.

 

Black Walnuts

Follow all the steps above. The soaking method is especially important for black walnuts to achieve the best flavor and ease of cracking.

 

Hickory Nuts — Smooth Bark Variety

When smooth bark hickory nuts fall from the tree, they will not crack easily right away.

•         Best to store in a breathable container for one full year before cracking.

•         The long drying period allows the nutmeats to dry and shrink away from the gills of the shell, making them much easier to remove.

•         After a year, try cracking with or without soaking to see which works best.

✦  Exception: Some smooth bark nuts fall with the hull still on. These nuts can be cracked immediately after hulling with excellent results — but they must be fresh off the tree.

 

Hickory Nuts — Shag Bark Variety

Shag bark hickory nuts are perfect for cracking immediately after they fall and will crack well for several weeks.

•         If you've had the nuts more than two or three months, they'll be dry — soak in water for one to two days, then let dry for two days.

•         This method produces results almost as good as when the nuts were fresh.

 

Pecans

Pecans crack best with about six hours of soaking to soften the nutmeats — unless they are extremely fresh, in which case no soaking is needed.