STEPHEN A. WOOD'S BLACK WALNUT PAGE

Black Walnuts

A few years ago my dad came to visit us in Newport News, VA. As is his habit he would go out running. Often for 5-10 miles. On one of his long jogs, he brought back a few black walnuts. After awhile he showed us the tree. (On PUBLIC PROPERTY.) We guarded the secret and waited for the next fall season. For awhile we collected a few nuts from this one tree. Then someone ordered this huge tree to be cut down. They can be very messy. (We guess.) By this time the whole family has make a game of finding Black Walnut trees on public property. We have been very lucky. One year we harvested about 2000 nuts. It is a shame I am the only member of my family that likes them besides my dad. (They have made great gifts though.) Luckily many of my friends like the nuts in fudge, as it makes it taste like rum balls!

As I was growing up, I would go into the basement and take a large hammer and crack black walnuts. But I didn't realize that that wasn't the really messy part. When you harvest black walnuts off the ground they look like this:


Once you clean off these husk, a messy process especially if you get the kids involved, you end up with these hammer ready nuts:


Black Walnut Links

  • Epicurious Dictionary definition of black walnut.

  • University of Minnesota's Black Walnut Management

  • A University of Missouri-Columbia guide to
    Walnut Agroforestry

  • Hammon's Missouri Pumpkin Black Walnut Pie

  • St. Lawrence Nurseries sells nut tree seedlings including black walnuts and butternuts.

  • Jewish Nature Project. This site has Jewish Nature Project Craft Pages including Black Walnut Stained Challah Covers. It has some great nature tips.

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    Last modified: May 5, 2004

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