Author Topic: fruit or nut? (SOLVED: black walnut) (Read 1941 times)

Lanier_Lurker · « **on:** September 27, 2009, 09:41:43 pm »

What do you suppose these are? I found them growing about a mile from the State of Georgia Capitol building near Oakland Cemetery.

I put the CD in for scale.

fishpharmer · « **Reply #1 on:** September 27, 2009, 09:54:26 pm »

Cut one open and show us.

Looks kinda like a green apple. Not sure. Any leaves?

chucker · « **Reply #2 on:** September 27, 2009, 09:58:38 pm »

2 grapes that fell of the tree....? texture looks like that of an unripe grapefruit!!!

fishpharmer · « **Reply #3 on:** September 27, 2009, 10:01:03 pm »

How about black walnut?

beenthere · « **Reply #4 on:** September 27, 2009, 10:03:40 pm »

Black walnut nut in the green husk.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #5 on:** September 28, 2009, 02:55:48 am »

Texture of the skin looks like walnut to me to. I've seen some in Blacksburgh, Va almost as big as tennis balls, most are smaller like that size. I rule out green persimmon as I don't see any sepals still attached. Another thought hear, are they puff balls not dried yet? I'm thinking no.

Lanier_Lurker · « **Reply #6 on:** September 28, 2009, 06:54:07 am »

These don't miss by much being the size of tennis balls.

Yes indeed, they are black walnuts.

This is actually my first experience with black walnuts. I have never encountered them before - in the wild or otherwise. I think the walnuts they sell in the store are English walnuts.

Are black walnuts any good to eat?

WDH · « **Reply #7 on:** September 28, 2009, 07:24:38 am »

Yes they are. The meat has a much more distinct and pungnet flavor than the tame English walnuts. It is a challenge to get the meat out of the nut; you end up with liitle pieces, not big chunks like in the tame walnuts. The meat is especially good sprinkled on vanilla ice cream!

Lanier_Lurker · « **Reply #8 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:31:14 am »

They sure do look like green tangerines.

However, they sure don't smell like citrus......

WDH · « **Reply #9 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:56:57 am »

Those green walnut husks will stain your hands a nice nicotine yellow.

beenthere · « **Reply #10 on:** September 28, 2009, 03:22:41 pm »

The husks will turn squishy and black shortly. Then wash them off good and lay the nut out to dry. When dry, crack and get the nut meats.

Here are the nuts in the shells.

And my method of cracking.

And the meats.

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #11 on:** September 28, 2009, 05:37:57 pm »

The walnuts are good. I'm more experienced with butternut, which is very good to. You guys in the US have a better source of them tame nuts. Our Canadian ones are bitter, I much prefer pecans but they also cost twice as much. I don't see pecans any cheaper in Maine either. I use pecans on my parfaits.

Dad always made the fudge and added the butternuts, we helped crack'm of course, takes a good portion of a day to get a can full. One for the can, two for me.

My grandmother and mother all used walnuts in cooking and never used pecans much. My grandmother used to get sack fulls of pecans from visitors from the south, they were never used.

Never could figure it out and they were too bull headed and contrary to change.

Lanier_Lurker · « **Reply #12 on:** November 13, 2009, 06:37:45 pm »

I worked on a pecan plantation in southwest Georgia for 2 years right after high school. Care, feeding, watering, and harvesting of pecans is an involved and expensive endeavor if you want to make money at it. People that invest money in such schemes tend to be a little flaky also - as I learned.

The number of pecan cultivars is mind boggling - and this was 25 years ago. It seems some newer ones have emerged since I was doing this work.

Let me see how many I can remember that we had on this plantation.

Mobile
Schley
Stuart
Frotscher
Pabst
Farley
Desirable
Moneymaker (hey, isn't he a poker player?)
Kiowa
Shawnee

And maybe a few others I have forgotten......

Of these I found the most flavorful to be Farley. The Desirable were a close second in flavor. However, the Desirable were the overall best because of their large size, consistent yields, consistent flavor, and easier cracking.

metalspinner · « **Reply #13 on:** November 13, 2009, 09:54:20 pm »

I remember as a kid, maybe 6-8 years old, mom would drop us kids off at the cemetary after church to pick pecans. We all know the biggest trees grow in the cemetaries. We each had a five gallon bucket.

Sometimes, the pecans were so many, it felt like walking on a gravel driveway. She would come back a while later to see how we were doing.

My afternoons after school were then spent cracking those pecans. The nut cracker had a heavy weight that was attached to a couple of rubber bands. After placing the nut in a cradle, you would pull back and WHACK! the pecan would be perfectly cracked to get halvies. The cradle could be adjusted by screwing it in and out to control the amount of cracking of the shell. I've been looking for this kind of cracker for years, but had no luck.

She would then make several different cookie recipes for Christmas gifts for family and friends. Any extra picked pecans would go in the freezer. Often, I would sneak a handful for a snack.

She still makes these cookies each year for gifts.

Stan snider · « **Reply #14 on:** November 26, 2009, 08:22:35 pm »

Regarding walnut meats: I heard a radio program from K State forestry department and the guy on the program said if you get the nuts and hull them as green as possible then let them dry the flavor and color would be much milder. I intended to do some experimentation this year but didn't get it done. Anyone have any experience on this? Stan PS Beenthere WEAR YOUR SHRAPNEL PROTECTION when cracking them in a vise

Tom · « **Reply #15 on:** November 26, 2009, 09:42:57 pm »

why would you want the flavor to be milder?

beenthere · « **Reply #16 on:** November 26, 2009, 10:13:26 pm »

Stan
I hear ya. And wear eye cover.

I'll be interested in hearing how your "green" cracking works out. I have picked up several green ones, and often eat them that way. They seem to come out of the shell larger, as the cracking of the shell doesn't fracture the nut meat so easily.

Not noticed a difference in the taste, from green to dry. But prolly haven't followed a good experimental study plan to really check it out. If the nut is cracked, the meat gets eaten. I'd have to save half somehow, and taste test the two halves.

And as Tom asked, why?

SwampDonkey · « **Reply #17 on:** November 27, 2009, 07:11:08 am »

I cracked one the other day, got a yellow set of fingers and a tasty nut meat.

Stan snider · « **Reply #18 on:** December 06, 2009, 09:03:56 pm »

I'm a little tardy with a reply. Sorry I like the flavor just fine but thought it was a curiousity. They are better than the astringent aftertaste of english walnuts any day. Stan

sd locke · « **Reply #19 on:** December 22, 2009, 02:15:25 pm »

just do like i do . give the nut to a macaw pariot bird and let them open it up for u and enjoy . until the bird get mad and bites me for takin her nut

News:

Author Topic: fruit or nut? (SOLVED: black walnut) (Read 1941 times)