This year, that walnut tree in my yard, it gave so many walnuts. I tell you, I never seen so many walnuts in my life! Big ones, little ones, all kinds. We got so many, we didn’t know what to do with them all. Fresh walnuts, you know, they ain’t like the ones from the store.
Picking Up the Walnuts
First, you gotta pick ’em up. We waited till they fell off the tree, that’s when they’re good and ready. My old back, it ain’t what it used to be, but I got down there and picked up those walnuts. We used this thing, like a cage on a stick, roll it around. That thing, it sure made it easier to pick up those walnuts. Saved my back, I tell ya!
We picked ’em all up, every last one. Filled up buckets and buckets. My goodness, we had so many walnuts!
Getting the Husk Off
Then, you gotta get that green stuff off, the husk. That’s the messy part. It stains your hands, I tell ya. Wear gloves, if you got ’em, unless you want your hands to be brown for a week! We just used our hands, and sometimes a knife to cut the green stuff off. It’s kinda like peeling a fruit, but messier. Some people use a tool for this, but we don’t need it.
- Wait till they fall off the tree.
- Pick ’em up, every last one.
- Get that green stuff off.
Drying Those Walnuts
After you get the green stuff off, you gotta dry ’em. Fresh walnuts, they need to dry out before you can eat ’em or store ’em. We spread ’em out on an old screen door we had. Just laid ’em out in a single layer. You don’t want ’em piled up on each other. They need air, you see, to dry properly.
We put ’em in the shed, where it’s nice and dry. Gotta keep ’em out of the sun, though. Sun’s too hot, it’ll cook ’em instead of drying ’em. We left ’em there for a few weeks. You gotta check on ’em, make sure they’re drying okay. Turn ’em over every now and then.
Cracking the Walnuts
When they’re all dry, then comes the fun part – cracking ’em! We got this old cracker, been in the family for years. It’s a good one, strong. You put the walnut in, give it a good squeeze, and crack! Open it comes. We always do it during winter.
Some of them walnuts, they’re stubborn. Gotta give ’em a good whack. But most of ’em, they crack right open. Then you gotta pick out the nut meat. That’s the best part, the fresh walnut meat. It’s so good, so tasty. Way better than those old, stale ones from the store.
Cracking walnuts, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. You get a good workout, too! And you get to eat those delicious fresh walnuts. We sit around the table, cracking walnuts, talking, and laughing. It’s a good time.
Eating and Storing Fresh Walnuts
You can eat them fresh walnuts just like that, or you can put them in all sorts of things. I like ’em in my oatmeal, in the morning. Gives it a nice crunch. And they’re good for you, too! Lots of good stuff in fresh walnuts. They say it’s good for your heart, and your brain, too.
If you don’t eat ’em all right away, you can store ’em. We put ’em in jars, big jars. You can keep ’em in the shell, or you can shell ’em and store just the nut meat. They’ll last a long time, if you store ’em right. Put it in a cold place and they can be good for years.
So Many Uses for Fresh Walnuts!
You can use fresh walnuts for so many things! You can put ’em in cookies, cakes, bread. You can make candy with ’em. You can even make walnut oil, if you got enough of ’em. We like to roast ’em, sometimes. Just put ’em in the oven for a little while. Makes ’em even tastier!
My grandkids, they love walnuts. They come over and we all sit around, cracking walnuts. They like to help pick out the nut meat. It’s a good way to spend time together, with family. And they get to enjoy those delicious fresh walnuts, too!
Those Fresh Walnuts are the Best!
So, if you ever get a chance to get some fresh walnuts, you should take it! They’re so much better than the ones you buy at the store. They’re tastier, they’re healthier, and they’re just plain good. And if you got a walnut tree, well, you’re lucky! You got a real treasure there. Just remember to pick ’em up, get the green stuff off, dry ’em, crack ’em, and enjoy! You won’t regret it, I tell ya! Those are the best walnuts you can ever have!
These walnuts, I think they will last us until next year. If we run out, I don’t know what we will do. Maybe ask the neighbor for some of theirs.
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