Black Walnut
Black walnuts are commonly found all over the USA and southern Canada. Black walnuts have two uses: the hull can be used to make ink, and the nut can be roasted and used in all sorts of baked goods as well as in salads.
Black walnuts are round green fruits that are equivalent to the size of a small apple – about 3 inches in length and diameter. The outer skin is rough and smells citrus-like when cut open. When they are mature, the outer skin turns from green to brown
How to tell when black walnuts are ready to harvest: When the husk is brown, is cracked, gives in to pressure, or peels away easily from the nut inside. Walnuts that are still green on the outside are okay to pick, but require more work to get to the nut meat. Crack open a few nuts to see if the husk peels away easily from the nut but be careful as the ink inside stains very quickly and is hard to get rid of.
When to submit a pick request: We’ll need some advance notice to schedule your pick, so please submit a pick request 3-5 days before your fruit is ready. A good indicator of when the walnuts are ready is when the husks have turned brown.
Picking tips: Pick by hand or with fruit picking poles and wear gloves and clothing you do not mind being stained! You can also shake the branches and let the walnuts fall onto a tarp below – they won’t bruise very easily so they can handle the drop. Be careful not to shake the branches too hard as this can damage the crop for next year.
Processing tips: Black walnuts need to be peeled away from the husk as soon as they are harvested. If left for too long the nut quality deteriorates and can grow mould. Peel away the outer husk with a pocket knife in a work area you are okay with getting stained and use a tarp if necessary. For green walnuts, where it is difficult to separate the husk from the nut, wet them and let sit for a day or two before peeling. Wash the nuts and lay them in a flat area that is well ventilated, cool, dark, and dry where they can cure for 3-5 days. You’ll know they’re ready when the nut is brittle and cracks open easily.
Storage tips: Once the nuts are cured they will remain good for up to a year if stored in a dark, dry, and cool place. If the nuts become wet they can go rancid within a couple days.
FAQs
The black walnut tree in the poem is a symbol for the speaker's deep connection to nature through her ancestry. The poem features key themes related to roots, ancestry, identity, the relationship between humans and nature, and the power of nature.
What is the problem of the black walnut tree poem? ›
Cutting down the tree would be to cut down the speaker's connection to the past, shamefully erasing the sacrifices earlier generations made for the speaker and her mother to live as they do in the present. The poem implies that the speaker and her mother are struggling to meet their mortgage payments.
What is the proverb for walnut tree? ›
Woman, a dog, and a walnut tree, the more you beat them the better they be - Oxford Reference.
How far away should you plant from a black walnut tree? ›
As you know, black walnut roots, leaves and bark contain juglone. This substance is toxic to many plants. There is limited research on plants that tolerate the juglone substance. The best approach is to keep the garden at least 50 preferably 80 feet away from the tree.
What is the biblical meaning of walnut? ›
Saint Augustine … asserts that the nut may be considered a symbol of Jesus Christ. According to this interpretation, the outer hull represents the flesh, the wood shell stands for the cross, and the kernel alludes to Christ's divine nature.
What does the walnut tree symbolize? ›
Towering evergreen walnut trees are a symbolic reminder of the need to pursue growth in your life trajectory and to move forward with your plans. Folklore dictates that when you see a walnut tree you must make the big change in your life, relationship, or career that you've been avoiding.
What do black walnuts symbolize? ›
Walnuts are associated with intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, and inspiration. Some Native American tribes believed it symbolized clarity and focus.
What is the conclusion of the black walnut tree? ›
This dependence on nature and the need to foster it is in their family blood and the mother and daughter agree it would be shameful for them to chop down what originally sustained their family. In the end, the mother and daughter allow the black walnut tree to remain.
Why is the black walnut tree important? ›
Black Walnut Benefits
Its large, mature size and canopy make it a desirable shade tree. The tree is also prized for its beautiful, highly desired wood used for woodworking projects, such as furniture and cabinetmaking. As a native tree, black walnuts provide food and shelter for wildlife.
What is the Bible verse about walnuts? ›
Song of Solomon 6:11 in Other Translations
11 I went down to the grove of walnut trees and out to the valley to see the new spring growth, to see whether the grapevines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom.
Tree-of-heaven leaflets have what we call “glandular teeth” (See Figure 2) at the base of an otherwise nearly smooth or entire leaf margin. Tree-of-heaven will have a single terminal leaflet, while most black walnut leaves have two leaflets at the tip. If in doubt, give leaves a smell test as previously described.
What is the superstition about walnut trees? ›
According to another medieval legend, it was considered the abode of the devil and because of this, anyone who had the misfortune of resting under its branches would wake up in the grip of demonic states. Popular tradition also has it that sleeping under a walnut tree causes malaise, exhaustion, migraines and fever.
Are black walnut trees good to have in your yard? ›
Ultimately, black walnut trees aren't necessarily bad for gardens but they can be problematic if trying to grow certain plants nearby. As long as you plan your garden carefully and thoughtfully, a black walnut tree can be great addition to the yard.
How long does it take for a black walnut tree to grow to full size? ›
Black walnut usually matures in about 150 years. An average site will produce mature black walnut trees which are 70 to 80 feet in height and attain diameters of 2 to 4 feet when grown in a forest stand. On the best sites this tree may reach up to 150 feet tall and over 8 feet in diameter.
Can rose of Sharon grow under black walnut trees? ›
Several shrubs including forsythia, most viburnums, rose of Sharon, wild rose, arborvitae, red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and hemlock tolerate the black walnuts and would help provide some screening along your lot line.
What is important about the metaphor of the tree What does the tree represent? ›
The world tree is a concept of the world being structured around a tree whose branches support our world and whose roots spread down into the underworld. The tree of life metaphor often involves a tree that is seen as the source of life, whose fruits provide life to humans and, in some cases, immortality.
What is special about black walnut tree? ›
Black Walnut Benefits
Its large, mature size and canopy make it a desirable shade tree. The tree is also prized for its beautiful, highly desired wood used for woodworking projects, such as furniture and cabinetmaking. As a native tree, black walnuts provide food and shelter for wildlife.
What is the tree of good and evil metaphor? ›
Tim: ...is a way of talking about a mature adult human with discernment between good and bad. In other words, Adam and Eve are depicted as being in their moral infancy. Jon: So eating of the tree isn't just about whether we will choose evil.
