I was given a bag of black walnuts, (they look like dark green pears), from a guy who uses them to make medicinal extracts. Can I use these for eating? I thought I'd seen a similar question but couldn't find it in the archives. I cut into one and it had lots of tiny whitish worms. I have no idea what to do with these, but I never say no to free stuff! Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks, All!

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), September 13, 2000

Answers

Cathy: My mom used to have a black walnut tree, and she laid them out on the driveway when they were in the husks, which is how yours are. After they have been driven over several times, the husks will come off easier, as I remember. The worms probably aren't in the nuts themselves, although they may be. After you get the husks off (they will really stain your hands, by the way!)you just have to shell them and use as with regular walnuts. A little different flavor, but good. Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), September 13, 2000.

Cathy, Black walnuts are really good in any kind of a spice cake, banana bread or oatmeal type cookie. They taste entirely different from bland english walnuts, so taste some before you use them. Let them dry for a few days after you get the husk off and they won't stain your hands as much. My husband wears old leather gloves while removing the husks. Mona Lea

-- Mona Lea (monalea@hotmail.com), September 13, 2000.

You can also run 'em through an ear corn sheller to get the husks off. Let them dry for a few days after husking before you try to crack and pick out the nut meats or they (nut meats) will just tear into pieces and will not keep as long. We put our in canning jars in the freezer for longer term storage. We use a vise to crack them.

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), September 13, 2000.

I like to sit down with rubber gloves on and use a hammer to break the out shell. I could do that for hours. But, they're one of the few things I can't stand to eat. Yuck. (IMHO)

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), September 13, 2000.

My grandmother had black walnut trees. My fondest memory is her finding a walnut a squirrel had buried and cracking it open with her teeth. Grandma is 94 years old this year and believe it or not, she still has all her teeth!

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), September 13, 2000.

I have heard of their use for things like digestive tract cleansing....but it is WAY nasty stuff, and I would REALLY do my research before I partook. An herbologist prescribed it for Mom, and she couldn't keep it down (yuck...). The hulls make a brown dye that the living history long-hunter types really go for. It is a kind of 1700's cammo!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), September 14, 2000.

We have many black walnut trees here in n.e. Tx and if their the same kind, they are good to eat, but man hard as heck to get out of the shell, first get the husk off, dry them out,then weve taken hammers and all kinds of things to crack them, then the hardest thing to do is digging out the meat, Ha, it would take the patience of JOB to do enough this way to get enough for a recipe, the kids and I do it for entertainment when I'm having them pick them all up out of the yard and garden spot. They also use them to chunk at each other, you know dodge the walnut type game, they throw them at barns, buildings, trees etc. just seeing how far they can throw, knock a can off the fence row! Anyway I've seen a cracker in Lehmans but it's quite expensive! If we ever got hungry enough I'm sure we'd find a better way to crack and get the meat out. Carol in N.E. Texas

-- Carol (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), September 14, 2000.

Cathy, Those small white worms in the walnut husks are "husk maggots" and are completely harmless to you. When the husks become dry, the worms will be gone. They do not penetrate the nutshell (ever) and do not have anything to do with the nutmeat. A fast and easy way to handle a small quantity of nuts, is to pour them out on the ground and lightly "stomp" on each nut just hard enough to crack open the husk. This will speed up the husks drying out. Leave them until the husks are dry, and then the nuts will usually come out with a little help. Then, with a little practice, you can crack the nuts with a hammer and some kind of an anvil. (No need to go to an expensive nutcracker, just yet.) Hold them on edge to crack them (not lengthwise) and start slowly until you learn just how hard to hammer and have gotten the hang of it. You probably will not get all of the kernels out, but; by using a nut pick, you can recover most of them. Good luck and happy eating. Clif Crews of MO

-- Clif Crews (ccrews8@juno.com), September 18, 2000.

aaaah black walnuts.... eiter you love them or you are missinformed. yes, they make a mess! yes, they are gooood! they are loved by german bakers for the best fudge ever! they also make one heck of a dye for cloth or wood. more info upon reqest.

-- brian hull (masterjoiner@webtv.net), September 19, 2000.

Some of the nuts will have a worm in it or an incomplete nut. After you hull them, put them in a bucket of water. The bad nuts will float and the good nuts will sink. This is a good way to check chestnuts also. I also agree they are great in flavor. If you want a stronger flavor leave them in the hull longer. A lighter flavor get them out of the hull as soon as possible and soak in water, changing the water several times over a couple of days, then dry well. I usually cure them 4 or 5 months before I start cracking them.

-- Nick Tepsick (wildheart@ekyol.com), September 20, 2000.