http://www.durgan.org/URL/?EVDMA 12 October 2011 Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
About 3000 Black Walnut(Juglans nigra)were picked from three trees along country roads. Few people utilize these wonderful tasting, nutritious nuts due to the effort in processing. There are many black walnut trees in my area. There is 500 to a 1000 nuts on each tree depending upon the age of the tree. The nuts fall off the tree when ripe. It is simple matter of picking them off he ground. It takes several weeks before they start to deteriorate.
Removing the hull is almost effortless with one smack from a rubber hammer on a block of wood. The nuts are then power washed to remove any remnants of the hulls.The liquid has a chemical called juglone, which stains and immediately kills earthworms and inhibits the growth of many plants, and should not be disposed of in the garden area. I put all liquid down the storm sewer.
Cracking fresh un-dried nuts is almost impossible using typical means. Hand compression tools take too much strength and simply crush the meat, when and if the nut breaks. Un-dried nuts are very tasty and the effort to crack is probably worthwhile.
My method is to utilize two pulleys with a heavy hammer, to limit bouncing, which is relatively successful. However this method works very well with nuts that have been dried in the Sun for about 4 days. I have in the past extracted whole segments. The nut is the most difficult one can encounter.
The meat is held in place with an internal structure in four quadrants around the nut. Seldom is the meat extracted whole. There is some babble on the internet about using a vice, but it is a failure along with being almost impracticable. Squirrels do not crack the nut. They gnaw each quadrant and dig out the meat, and leave the nut essentially intact.
The meat is wholesome, very pleasant tasting, and about 20 make an adequate meal. I consider the processing to be worthwhile.