I googled it a bit, and have removed the husks, given them a really good wash with a hose to remove the tannins. They are still quite black. Is it OK to soak them for awhile or will this wreck them? Then I have to dry them. Ok to put them in a couple of onion sacks - will be maybe 1/3 full so will spread out easily/thinly,and lay them in the sun for a few days?
tui93,
Mar 4, 1:10am
I wouldn't soak them. We just peel husks off ( most usually fall without their husks on - they are clean on the ground) and then put in a cage under our carport on a clothesrack with airflow round it. ( ie.not in direct sunlight). That's how we do it.
dibble35,
Mar 4, 1:24am
sweet , thanks. These mostly had husks on, and were smallish - don't know what sort, might have to go and get some more as free for the taking. Better go and do what you suggested, thanks
cantabman1,
Mar 4, 1:24am
Each year I forage for walnuts. I find that most walnuts that have any husk on them, tend to rot out . As for storage, spread them out on a sack, or large area out of the weather, but allowing air to get through them, but off the ground.[watch-out for rodents]
harrislucinda,
Mar 4, 2:11am
then as above shell and freeze
les6,
Mar 4, 6:02am
I did ours last year as i read somewhere,gathered them up,put in a bucket,filled it up with water and then stirred them all around so they rub on each other,this takes all the bits off then just rinse them a few times remove from the water and dry on a wire rack I made.Store them in an onion sack hanging in an airy shed.Then we cracked them all and froze them,although not straight away.The nuts were clean and kept really well.Here in hawkesbay they seem to split open on the tree and drop the realativley clean nut on the ground.I remember as a kid in akld,they used to drop off with the husk still on which was black and yukky?could be a varietal or climatic thing?
dibble35,
Mar 4, 6:52am
Maybe a climate thing as i'm up in Whangarei and the only ones that were husk free were from last year I think as felt very light. Even the older ones that the husk had dried and blackened were still completely covered- much harder to get the husks off those ones.
2bit,
Mar 4, 8:18am
They fall clean of the husk when they're ready. Just pick them up. I don't think they need to be dried. They're quite lovely straight off the ground and out of the shell. Store in a well ventilated place in the shell, or in the freezer if shelled.
bugin,
Mar 5, 3:54am
In a humid climate you will get a lot of mouldy nuts if you dont put 3-4 copper sprays on the trees .In Nelson I put 4 on about 3 weeks apart starting at green tip to the end of flowering .I am an orchardist so have an airblast sprayer which helps a lot. I pick mine from the ground as the husks dry and any with husks attached are almost always mouldy. I use bread trays to store them ,but small chep bins are good too.
kateley,
Mar 5, 10:27pm
my gran used to dry hers on an old wire bed in the shed. If they're small and falling with the husk on they may be the pickling walnut (persian?)
rona1,
Mar 6, 6:54pm
What about the "keep the sinkers and eat the floaters" that we used to go by for storage abilities.
lilyfield,
Mar 6, 8:48pm
They do need to dry
taipan4,
Mar 7, 6:14am
Make a wooden frame of 3 x 1 and nail bird netting to it and suspend off floor and make sure your shed is rat and possum free
bev00,
Mar 7, 11:37am
its time
nzjay,
Mar 10, 9:42am
I have a large walnut tree that drops heaps of nuts with a green husk. quite a small nut shell. Is there any use for these? They are not edible raw when dried.
macandrosie,
Mar 10, 11:57pm
An old wire wove bed elevated off the ground in an open shed is a good way to dry them. They need airflow so they dry well.
paremata1950,
Mar 11, 8:11am
Instead of freezing them I lightly toast them in the oven and keep in jars ready for baking. Still have a large plastic clothes basket full since last year and they are just starting to drop now.
kiwiscrapper1,
Mar 11, 10:11am
I thought you weren't meant to pick off the tree, they are 'ripe' when they fall off, they keep longer in their shells but if you do peel store them in the freezer
urbanrefugee54,
Mar 12, 10:36pm
were they blown off by the wind before, or the tree has dropped them due to not enough water? they were actually ripe & is that why the outer husk hasn't come away?
urbanrefugee54,
Apr 14, 9:28am
sorry. should have used 'unripe' & is that why the outer husk hasn't come away.
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