Black Walnut
How do you crack Black Walnuts? My tips and advice for a Walnut Nut Cracker
I love to munch on black walnuts, especially when the weather gets cooler and the days get shorter in the fall of the year. Even better is some fresh baked banana nut bread with black walnuts. However, every year I struggle with cracking Black Walnuts I have tried using hand held nutcrackers and they simply do not work. The nut slips and flies across the room and I pinch my finger. I’ve tried using a hammer. I have trouble getting the nut to stay still, it makes an awful mess and I still end up hitting my finger. My favorite idea though is putting a bunch of black walnuts in a burlap sack and running over them with my car! I know this seems ridiculous, but I really love those nuts. This was the most effective way I had found until someone showed me the Black Walnut Cracker. This product takes away the mess, the stress, and the hurt fingers. The Black Walnut Cracker is a lever action cracker designed to easily crack hard, medium and soft shell nuts! It is specifically designed to crack black walnuts, hickory nuts, butternuts and macadamia nuts, but also works well with pecans and English walnuts. The Black Walnut Cracker is made from cast aluminum and comes pre-mounted to a hardwood board, no assembly required. The gears and lever allow you to apply the exact amount of pressure you need for each type of nut. The nut sits between two bolts, holding the nut in place. It comes with two sizes of bolts depending on the size of the nut. I’m sure you’re thinking that you’re going to completely smash then nut, but I promise the meat will be intact. You can use a nut pick to pick it out if you need to, but I have found it isn’t always necessary. The Black Walnut Cracker is a little over a foot long, but easily packs away if you don’t want it on your kitchen counter or end table. This Walnut Nut Cracker is great for seniors that have strength issues. The lever is 10 inches long so you can get plenty of leverage each time. You will not have to worry about your kids using this product because the bolts never come together, keeping your child’s fingers from risk! The best price I have found is $41.99 online at Red Hill General Store. I think this is a great gift idea for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Birthdays or Christmas. This nutcracker should last for a really long time too. Below I’ve included a recipe for Mini Banana Nut Bread featuring fresh and easily cracked black walnuts. Mmmmm! I can smell it cooking already!
8 servings – Prep time: 15 minutes, Bake: 50 minutes plus cooling time
Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons shortening 1/3 cup sugar 1 egg ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup all-pupose flour ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt ½ cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large) 3 Table spoons chopped black walnuts
Directions: In a small bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with banana. Fold in black walnuts.
Transfer to a 5-3/4 inch x 3 inch x 2 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from to pan to a wire rack to cool completely.Ruby Campbell
About the Author
Ruby Campbell
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