From: Lawrence Lacey Zone 4B

Date: October 16, 2011 

If you have virtually given up on harvesting your own black walnuts because of all the tannin and black gunk that still sticks to the shell after hulling and contaminates the final

product after cracking, consider this.  I just this week devised this method and it works like a charm.  All you need is a power washer and a container that lets the water in and the gunk out

that restrains the walnuts from being blown to kingdom come.  The animal trap I have been trapping coons with works just fine.  If you are handy, you could also cobble up a container out 

of hardware cloth.   I don't fill the trap, only about 2 to 3 " of walnuts in the bottom, so the powerful stream will stir the entire mass and plaster them against the opposite side of the cage.  I 

then hit them from the other side, going back and forth until I am satisfied I have just about all black off except the pointed tip (bloom end ) of the nut which is tougher.  Dry them for a day 

after washing and they are right for cracking.  I then use a mechanic's vice for cracking, don't do any picking and get large meats with minimal breakage.

Lawrence Lacey

Hulled black walnuts before washing

 

After power washing

 

Squirrel proof outdoor drying

 

My power washer

 

Dumping walnuts into animal trap

 

 

The operation