It’s the time to harvest green black walnuts. Typically, I’m able to get a handful per tree that are accessible from the ground. I just came across a tree that had the top blown off in a storm, so I was able to collect ~10 kg almost entirely from one tree.
This is probably way more than I need, so it’s time to track down some alternative uses for them.
Last year I made nocino and walnut syrup. This year, I’m going to do more of that as well as some vin de noix.
Let me know if you have any other suggestions.
I’ve tasted walnut jam for the first time this year. I haven’t done it myself but it has expand my mind and my walnut picking season (^_^)
Did you picked european or american walnut?
Juglans Nigra (eastern black walnut) which is probably the most widespread walnut in north america, though there are like a half dozen other species.
Probably also what you’d see labeled “American walnut” in Europe. They taste stronger than juglans regia (eurasian walnut), but the shells are way harder, so it’s trickier to grow as a crop.
Looking at walnut jam, it looks like it might be a lot of work, but maybe I’ll try next year. https://foragerchef.com/cooking-with-green-walnuts/
Aren’t Juglans Regia much closer in taste to pecan nut than Juglans Nigra?
We have different kind of walnut in France. Idk if they are different species or subspecies but I never encounter a walnut different enough for another from me to name it differently. I’m curious in the taste of all those american walnut now!
I want to try tasting them side by side. A pecan is a type of hickory, and there are 5 or so other types of edible hickory nut, too. We also have another type of walnut called a butternut, or white walnut, too. You can buy juglans nigra nuts, but I dont think you can buy any of those other species.
I think juglans regia is what you have in France, but there are probably many different varieties since they have been cultivated for many years in many different countries for nuts and wood.
Juglans nigra is grown in France as a street tree and for timber, so you might be able to find some nuts yourself with a tool like iNaturalist.
Nocino was my only suggestions. I have been wanting to make some. Got to find that tree in my neighborhood
My recommendation is to try to hit as many trees as possible at the ground level rather than trying to get nuts from high up on a single tree.
Nut pickers work pretty well for harvesting in the when the nuts are preparing to fall when they are ripe, but right now they hold on to the tree pretty hard, and you can do a good amount of damage to the branches trying to pull them off.
If you can actually reach by hand, you can twist them off without much trouble.
Thanks for the suggestions. I know I have seen a few in my area but unsure. I have heard that those on the ground are pretty ripe if you can get to them before the squirrels
That’s true for ripe nuts at the end of the season. Right now, the only ones you’ll find on the ground are fruits that the tree has aborted. I’m not sure exactly what causes it, but the ones that are on the ground right now are no good.
Good to know. I forgot we are still young nuts that can sliced into
Thank you so much for sharing this.
