Are black walnuts commonly eaten.?

Question

I've heard they turn your hands black.

Answer 1

The flavor of black walnut lends a gourmet touch to cookies, breads, cakes and other baked goods. The nutmeats are often expensive and difficult to locate; discovering an available crop of black walnuts is a real find.

Hulling walnuts, removing the husk, can be a difficult and messy task. The indelible dye from the husk stains hands, clothes, tools and work surfaces. If you are working with dry nuts, the husk can be removed by applying pressure to the ends of the nut. This can be done by pounding side to side with a hammer, of course while wearing safety glasses.

The husks can also be softened in a container filled with a slurry of three parts nuts to one part water and a handful of gravel. Stir the mixture vigorously. It may take more than one attempt to completely remove the husks.

Take care when hulling or shelling walnuts. The practice of driving over nuts with an automobile can be a dangerous one. Nuts and broken shells may be thrown into the air by the tires, possibly causing bodily injury or property damage.

After hulling, wash the unshelled nuts. Black walnut shells can also leave stains, so rinsing walnuts outside with a garden hose may be the best idea.

Kernel quality can be affected by insects such as walnut weevils and husk fly maggots; darker than usual husks may be evidence of insect damage. Check for insect feeding by placing the nuts in a bucket of water. Nuts without injury will sink; discard any nuts that float.

When cleaning up after hulling black walnuts, it is best to place leavings in the trash. Do not compost walnut husks. Juglone, a naturally occurring chemical released by all parts of black walnut trees, can have a toxic effect on many vegetables and landscape plants.

Best wishes.

Answer 2

We have about 30 black walnut trees in our yard. You can eat the nuts but you really have to work to get the shells cracked. I have to use a hammer, and hit it really hard. They don't crack easy like pecans do. If you let the outer green shell turn to brown and then peel it off, you will find the shell that you have to crack. Also, the outer green shell, when dried, and crushed, (now brown) will make a liquid that you can use as a stain for wood.

Answer 3

only if you are the one extracting the nut from its outer casing; black walnuts are edible in their raw form, but many people prefer to use them for baking recipes