They have a unique taste and are used in everything from ice cream to cake. They are worth the effort IF you like the taste.

also good for dying.

Black walnuts in fudge; black walnuts in zucchini bread, cookies, cakes, YUMMY! Just love them! Shammie

If you can figure out how to shell them, they are great anyway you use them. Eat them right out of the shells, bake with them, use in anything you would use regular walnuts, crush them and use as a breading for fish & chicken....the list goes on and on.

The trick isn't figuring what to do with them. The trick is getting them out of their shells.

Oh, and make sure you wear heavy rubber gloves when handling the husks; they'll turn your hands black.

My dad used to freeze the walnuts before shelling. They still aren't "easy" but that did seem to improve things.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Shell Black Walnuts

An old Southern favorite was black walnut divinity. Just add the chopped nuts to a regular divinity recipe.

OHHHHH! missem ---- I haven't had Black Walnut Divinity in years. YUMMM

We used to throw them in the driveway and run over them to remove the husks, but cracking them is still a chore. Dad made a little hollow in a 2x6 and I put the nuts in there and smack 'em with a hammer, then Dad picks nutmeats at night while watching TV.

I don't care much for them, and preparing them is time consuming and difficult. I mostly pick them up in 5 gallon buckets and toss them into the ravine at the back of the pasture.

Annie

Black walnuts taste great, but getting at them is indeed the problem. I probably won't bother this year. I might send some home with my industrious aunt when she visits later this month.

I was doing some repotting of plants in containers today. In particular I was replacing a plant that died. I was surprised that it had died, since I have another same age/origin that was doing great. Well, I found 2 walnuts buried in the pot. That probably killed the plant, either the evil walnut ooze or the digging itself. ANYWAY, I found that the shell crumbled in my fingers after having been buried in the dirt for some weeks. It's a theory anyway. Certainly easier than how I dehusked them 2 years ago. (Last year I collected a big bag of walnuts and foolishly left it outside for the shells to rot off. While I was away during the winter, squirrels/mice ate them all. To tell the truth, I was relieved.) I don't know how husking nuts can be worth the calories expended in doing so.

Marcia

I don't want to attract more squirrels and mice - have plenty. Can I put them in a compost bin?

What is it with all of these ancient post getting resurrected today?

Nice work, party.

tj

Beautiful job, PM, you are very talented!

I don't think I would try to compost black walnuts. The husks have that sap that will dye everything dark and the shells are so hard I think they would take forever to compost.

Jack, the old posts do seem to be popping up a lot lately, don't they. I'm still smiling at all the people that want the canning lids that were being given away a decade or so ago, LOL.

Annie

Party_Music, You are much more creative than I am. I see why that basket won!

So I put the word out (on Freecycle.com) that I had free black walnuts and had a surprising number of replies. All gone - thanks!

PS for anyone else asking about composting them. My agricultural extension office said OK in small quantities, but:

Black walnuts in very large quantities can prevent germination of many plants. Depending on the volume of black walnuts that you plan to add to your compost, this could later pose a problem to your garden. A large volume could be considered several five gallon buckets worth of walnut pieces into a 4x4 compost area. If it’s a small quantity, it should not pose a problem.

Thank you for the nice comments, tsugajunkie, Annie, and Jo Dub.

Jo Dub, that's great that you got rid of the black walnuts on freecycle! I don't have a black walnut tree, but a neighbor does. The squirrels like to bury the nuts in my hanging plants. :p

Black walnuts are bad news for nearby tomatoes , somehow they poison the ground.

Other than that black walnuts can be a treat if you like them.

I remember as a kid cracking them with a hammer on a brick and picking out the goodies.

Okie HU

I have hundreds (at least) of black walnut trees on our property. They grow like crazy. A couple years ago I removed the outer stuff and stored them. But I never got around to them! they are still hanging in the back room. good intentions. ..... My son bought me a special heavy-duty nut cracker, but they are still a challenge. And once they are cracked, they don't come out of the shell easily like English walnuts. Sometimes I think of letting a company come in and pick them all up for a price. . We have 33 acres....so there's lots of them! Maybe I should invest in an industrial size sheller? :) I think they are very good and maybe even more nutritious than English walnuts?? they are definitely more expensive. Like I told my husband.......if the economy collapses, we'll have black walnuts.........if we can get them open!

https://www.transylvaniatimes.com/lifestyles/black-walnut-toxicity-can-be-lethal-for-tomatoes/article_ab2f49d8-56fb-52c8-b06b-db347db4317f.html

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2005/jul/070701.htm

If you can locate your vegetable garden from them then you got some good nuts.

Okie HU