Tips for successful harvesting of black walnuts

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. --Black walnut harvesting, for many families in the Ozarks, is an activity that provides quality time and extra spending money.

Traditionally, black walnut harvesting has also provided farm families an opportunity to teach young kids that hard work can be rewarded.

"This year black walnut production in southwest Missouri is expected to be down to as much as one half, compared to last year. But, there can be exceptions depending on local conditions," said Patrick Byers, horticulture specialist, University of Missouri Extension.

The flavor of black walnut lends a gourmet touch to cookies, breads, cakes and other baked goods. To achieve the best quality, nuts need to ripen on the tree according to Byers.

"One way to tell whether black walnuts have ripened is by the color of the husk, which will change from solid green to yellowish green when the walnut is ripe," said Byers.

To prepare walnuts for storage, Byers recommends first removing the husk (one method is to place the nut with husk on a hard surface and rolling it under a heavy foot) and then washing the nuts (outdoors) to remove excess juice and debris.

The next step is to cure the walnut by letting the nuts dry. This prepares the nuts for storage and allows flavor to develop. The best way to cure the nuts is to place them in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, out of direct sunlight for two weeks.

"Unshelled nuts should be stored in a well-ventilated area at 60 degrees Fahrenheit or less to discourage mold. Something that helps with cracking the shell nuts is to soak them in water for 24 hours," said Byers.

When walnut nutmeats are cracked out after curing, they can be put into jars or heavy plastic bags and frozen. Shelled nuts can be refrigerated up to nine months or frozen for up to two years. Two pounds of unshelled black walnuts found in the wild will yield about a cupful of nutmeats.

For additional information on harvesting black walnuts, contact the Master Gardener Hotline, (417) 881-8909, or the University of Missouri Extension center in your county to request Guide G5020, "Walnut Agroforestry."