We are very lucky to have an amazing walnut tree on the property. We were able to collect a large basket of them over a couple of weeks in the autumn. The trick was then to dry them out as we didn’t have much space that could also be kept dry. We had them resting everywhere.
And once dry, then began the process of shelling. It became my daily treat to take the basked of nuts down to the rabbits and shell them there. They of course enjoyed the odd nibble, sometimes even cheekily stealing one.
We spent several days collecting them from the tall grass from around the Walnut tree. The trick was finding them much of the time. They were often well hidden. Sometimes it was the foot, more than the eye, that found them.
Once dry, I would take crack them open with a mallet. For every two I opened, it seemed one would be fed to the rabbits or chickens, both great lovers of walnuts and very very happy to be on the receiving end.
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- Finding the walnuts in the grass
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- Collecting walnuts in our basket
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- A half shelled walnut
Pumpjack & Piddlewick 