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Farm Kitchen:  Walnuts  |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 09:55:11 AM
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We have a black walnut tree in our front yard. My daughter and I picked up baskets and baskets full yesterday just to get them off the lawn. Do any of you use these nuts? Are they as good as the english walnuts? If you do, how to you go about processing them?
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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lareyna
True Blue Farmgirl
242 Posts
Arlene
Valley Ford
Ca
USA
242 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 09:59:06 AM
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We didn't get walnuts this year you just dry them and crack them. You can freeze the nuts. Delicious
http://morkielove.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 10:06:23 AM
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Do you let the husks rot off the way they do if you just leave them on the ground or do I need to lay them out somewhere?
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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thehouseminder
True Blue Farmgirl
361 Posts
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 10:21:53 AM
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Black Walnuts have a wonderful flavor all their own and they are full of "good cholesterol".
I have a wonderful refridgerator cookie recipe which uses black walnuts if you are interested....
Lucinda
Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. ---Bronson Alcott
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 10:27:04 AM
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I would love to have it Lucinda. I didn't really think about using them until I picked them up and put them into containers and saw all that I would be throwing away if I couldn't find a use for them. I love the smell of them. They smell the same as this fancy bubble bath I used to get. I wish I could bottle that part too!
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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lareyna
True Blue Farmgirl
242 Posts
Arlene
Valley Ford
Ca
USA
242 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 10:33:46 AM
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my mother in law has a wonderful backporch that she lays them out on racks, I think you can also put them in the oven on low to dry them, you can remove the green outer shell, but it will turn your hands black. Just be careful if you dry them outside the birds/squirrels will eat them
http://morkielove.blogspot.com/
I was Country before Country was COOL |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 10:44:01 AM
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The back of our house has what used to be a screened in porch that was enclosed for storage I guess. It was never finished, so in the spring we are going to open in back up and screen it in. Until then I may have to share with the squirrels and birds. I'll try the oven thing too.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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thehouseminder
True Blue Farmgirl
361 Posts
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 11:05:02 AM
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I will post the cookie recipe when I get home. Of course, I can't recommend this unless you use pasturized eggs.....but the dough is just as yummy as the cookies!!!!
Lucinda
Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. ---Bronson Alcott
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 12:21:44 PM
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Laura,
I also have black walnuts. My trees are 150 yars old and caused some contriversy when the town tryed to widen the road. Tryed! They did not win. There is some great info on line. You do have to wear gloves when you take the green outer shell off and it will permanantly stain anything it is a dye. Then I think this is the point you dry them. Their shells are harder than any other nut and need a special cracker or sledge hammer.
If you have trouble growing certain plants near these trees the reason is the chemical the roots give off. We had 5 trees taken down to be able to put in a vegetable garden. They are deadly to tomatoes and anything in that family. Don't compost the shells.
Goodluck |
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 12:37:22 PM
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Laura, black walnuts are wonderful, they have a flavor all their own. A jar of shelled black walnuts makes a great Christmas gift. If you have the nuts in baskets lay them out in the sun, at least outside until the green hulls dry and turn black. If you have an old fashioned corn sheller, use it to remove the blackened hulls. The corn sheller is a little cast iron machine, with a crank and a small hopper on the top. It is designed to shell dry corn. You put the ear of corn, or the walnut in the top, turn the crank, the corn goes one way and the cob the other, the same with walnuts. If you don't have a sheller, put some gloves on and start peeling. It is better if you wait until the hulls are black. They separate easier. The green hulls can be used for a walnut stain on wood or even to darken bleached out deer and elk antlers.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 12:41:35 PM
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Thanks Marianne. I think I'm going to pick up some gloves and then try my luck with the walnuts. I'm glad that the city was not able to take your trees down. I've been cringing as I got a notice that said the power company would be around to do some tree trimming. I know that they will butcher it, but it is growing up through the power lines.
Luckily my walnut tree is away from the area I plan to put a garden into next spring. The house lies between the spot where the walnut tree is and the garden spot. Hopefully this will be enough! The interesting thing about the poisonous aspect of walnut trees is that I just read an article encouraging farmers to plant stands of walnut trees between their crops. Hmmm.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 7:36:10 PM
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Dyed a t-shirt a really pretty shade of brown with the green outer shell. My dad and I would drive over them with the car to open them!! 
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow |
Edited by - Kim on Sep 29 2005 7:36:49 PM |
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thehouseminder
True Blue Farmgirl
361 Posts
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 7:51:34 PM
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Did you know that during the frontier days, ladies would use the juice from the hull, once it turned dark, to color over their grey hairs? I imagine that provided an interesting perfume for a few days too!
Hare is the cookie recipe I promised:
BLACK WALNUT REFRIDGERATOR COOKIES
MIX WELL:
1c. butter, room temp.
2c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
STIR IN:
3 1/2c. flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
ADD:
1c. chopped black walnuts (you can substitute pecans but you'll be missing out!)
Form into 2" rolls, wrap in waxed paper, and chill. Slice off 1/4" cookies.
Bake on Ungreased Cookie Sheet 400 degrees 8-10 minutes
I mix up a double batch of this stuff and freeze some of the rolls so during the busy holiday season, I can bake great cookies at a moment's notice.
Lucinda
Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. ---Bronson Alcott
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Edited by - thehouseminder on Sep 30 2005 06:34:06 AM |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2005 : 7:56:46 PM
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I remember stopping at a walnut stand when I was 5 ( fall 1961) with my family in the Ozarks of Missouri and my parents bought some walnuts to take home. My Mom used them to make fudge with. My Dad loved fudge. It was decadent! A "sweet" memory.
If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come. |
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Shirley
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Shirley
Olympia
Wa
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2005 : 12:41:19 AM
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Black walnut husks make a really nice dye to dye wool, a nice dark brown. it has its own mordant too!
shirley in oly |
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thehouseminder
True Blue Farmgirl
361 Posts
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2005 : 06:38:45 AM
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Hello all,
I just edited the cookie recipe. I must have been tired 'cause I forgot to put the oven temp and the baking time in. All better now!
Shirley, do you do a lot of wool dying? I took rug hooking lessons last year and rug braiding lessons this year. I am very interested in learning to dye wools. I bought two white enamelled canning pots for the purpose but that's as far as I got.
Would you briefly share how to use the walnut husks for dye?
Thanks, Lucinda
Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. ---Bronson Alcott
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2005 : 08:39:36 AM
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The chemical in the roots is in Black walnuts only, and Butternuts. The English varieties don't have the same problem. I think it is called juglone? something to that effect.
Farmers in the northeast, 200 years ago, planted Black walnuts for erosion control on road and hillsides. I have alot of them but in most of the area they have been logged out for their valuable wood. |
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Shirley
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Shirley
Olympia
Wa
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2005 : 11:18:25 AM
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Walnut dye:
Pick up a bucket of walnuts and run water over them, let set for a week or so, strain and there you have the dye. I always put the wool in one of those nylons washing bags with the zipper. simmer on the stove until the color you want.
Or, you can simmer the husks on the stove until the water is dark brown, and do the same thing.
I usually use nuts andall, cause I dont use the nuts anyway, then throw all the gunk out. Its a good idea to use gloves when handling them, cause they stain your hands really bad.
shirley in oly |
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thehouseminder
True Blue Farmgirl
361 Posts
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2005 : 12:34:39 PM
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Thanks Shirley,
I use the nuts too but usually only pick up the ones that are starting to get gushy on the outside and peel them and set them on drying racks when I get home.
I'll just save the husks when I peel them and give it a try!
Lucinda
Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. ---Bronson Alcott
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junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2005 : 08:41:12 AM
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Yes, it's walnut season here too, a record price this year, $13 for 100 pounds, the kids would pick them up every fall to make some extra money. We always laid ours our to dry and get black which makes for easier husking. The shells can be used to make a wonderful tincure for athletes foot and other fungul troubles. All walnuts are very good for you so if your lucky to have a tree or two, enjoy and get creative with your harvest and please post your ideas and recipes!
I'm not 40 something, I'm 39.95 plus shipping and handling! |
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thehouseminder
True Blue Farmgirl
361 Posts
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2005 : 6:20:19 PM
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I went out and picked up ten bags of Black Walnuts as soon as I got home today. Snagged a couple of bags of Hedgeapples too.
Hi Sue, I didn't know about the antifungal properties. Too cool. Of course, I guess if you use walnuts to treat athletes' foot, your feet will be a little "tan" for a while. How funny would that be
Lucinda
Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. ---Bronson Alcott
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junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2005 : 04:46:34 AM
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Hey if it works, right! LOL And who sees the bottom of your feet anyway! I'm a firm believer in using what is given to us.
I'm not 40 something, I'm 39.95 plus shipping and handling! |
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thehouseminder
True Blue Farmgirl
361 Posts
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - Oct 04 2005 : 06:53:59 AM
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Me too! I just think it's cute. As pale as I am (auburn hair and nearly transparent skin), I would be tempted to paint it on in some sort of design.
Lucinda
Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps, Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. ---Bronson Alcott
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Farm Kitchen: Walnuts |
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Walnuts
