Walnuts...............

[minskey]

We have loads of walnut trees in our are, wild in the hedgerows. I'd like to pick some [with permission of course] but when do you pick them. what do you do with them, do you peel the green husk off? and whay are 'green walnuts'

Cheers, minskey

[rustylady]

Don't know much about them myself, but found this link for you Growing and Processing Black Walnuts

[Flummery]

Black Walnuts are a different species from our usual walnuts. We have both near us. My personal theory is that black walnuts are made of wood - they are almost impossible to break open!

We usually gather them from under the trees around September and peel off the green husk. WARNING!!! Use gloves - they stain the fingers black and it doesn't wash off. You have to wait for your skin to die and slough off!

The need to be left for a few weeks before they are at their best. They are very bland if you crack them too early, but sort of mature after a few weeks.

[Brengirl]

It's funny Minsky that you should talk about walnuts. I was only wondering last night where I could get some for pickling and what was the right stage to pick. My mum used to do them and if you like salty tongue numbing pickle these are great.

[minskey]

Hi Guys, that's all excellent.
1 buy gloves
2 Collect from the floor, don't pick
3 yummy walnts

[Flummery]

You have to pick if you want to pickle them. You do that when the hard shell inside hasn't yet formed - so you prick them with a silver needle and the pickling solution can see inside. July, I reckon.

[Hilary B]

I think it is now a bit late for pickling (try sticking a needle through, if you can 'feel' a shell, it's too late!).

[leah]

Lucky you I wish we had a wild one or two near us

[wellie]

To be perfectly honest, this thread is potentially the answer to my prayers, but only if you lot actually do know what you're talking about?


Okay, Wellie has decided to put herself up to be 'The Village Idiot' on this score, so that we can all learn positively for next year.....
I picked my walnuts 'in the green' from the tree over the road during July.

I THINK I PICKED THE WALNUTS TOO LATE? but I don't know that yet for certain. And the rule, generally, is not to pick later than Wombleden Week, and I did pick them later than that.

Having picked them, I FOLLOWED THE WOMEN's INSTITUTE DYLONS RECIPE BY THE LETTER and all seemed to go perfectly to plan, until the jar started seeping out pickling vinegar like it was 'fermenting'. Actually, it might have stopped now, but I'll have to check.

On the basis that it's not harming another living soul to watch it on a daily basis, I could viably give you an occasional update, if it doesn't im or ex plode??

What do you think?

[Hilary B]

If the walnuts were not forming shells (test with needle as stated) then it wasn't too late.
Did you brine them thoroughly?
How long from first putting into the jar to getting vinegar seeping out?
When I did them (according to recipe in my Good Housekeeping Cookbook) it was a couple of years ago. I don't remember anything escaping from the jar, but one way to test is release the lid. If it is 'fermenting' there will be a 'pop' or other obvious pressure release noise, otherwise could it be that someone has disturbed the jar?

[stella]

Never pickled walnut as we dont like them. However have picked loads to eat. We have a few trees and they produce a lot every year. I find it is best to strip as many as you can off the tree when you start to see some on the floor (indicates they are ripening). Then I leave them in the sun to continue ripening. Then armed with gloves we peel them and again leave them in the sun to dry. Then we crack them with a hammer and there you are a big bag of walnuts. They tend to last till around Christmas.

[wellie]

Very beautiful replies to unanswered questions, and personally, I'm still monitoring the progress of my own walnuts pickling in my farmhouse kitchen.
The suspense of knowing whether I'm doing right or wrong might kill me before the pickled walnuts do, obviously.......
But I didn't get here today without......
And I've got all the time in the world to learn when someone's got something to teach me? XX

[Dane End Dolly]

The late frost this year killed off every walnut on our trees over the lottie, hoping for a better year next year