Processing Nuts - Is it Worth the Time?

www.edibleacres...
Looking at the amount of nuts processed and ready for storage after a few hours of collecting, husking and cleaning. At this point about 1000 nuts per hour is the going rate for the effort. Incredibly worth while it feels like!

[@punkyroo]

This is why I've prioritized nut trees on my homestead. A lot of work but you have a healthy food that last a long time in storage.

[@HaphazardHomestead]

Nuts in the shell do last a long time. I've got some English walnuts still good since 2009. For years, I harvested 200-400 pounds of their nuts annually, but have since lost the tree. Nuts are so worthwhile! And those black raspberries do really like walnut waste! Enjoy all your nuts!

[@aliciaalfonso5486]

I did not catch/understand what could go with the paw paw trees down-slope. thanks very much ;)

[@CarbonConscious]

Here in Portugal it is almond processing time right now, a bit of work to skin them as well but well worth it. Good protein and fat all in one crop that doesn't get a drop of irrigation and stores well, can't beat that!

[@theMusiCandMedicinE]

I'll be harvesting and processing nuts for the first time this year! I have 3 hazelnut shrubs in my garden that have matured and produced a crop this year, and I've been scoping out walnuts around my neighborhood while on walks. I'll use your videos as a guide. Thanks! Love your channel 💚

[@edibleacres]

So excited for you!

[@gig777]

As someone who processes thousands of black walnuts every year, I know it is a lot of work, but it is well worth it. I'd rather be doing something productive than sitting on my butt in front of the boob tube. It is definitely a labor of love. Good on ya!

[@geomundi8333]

great video. love that you intentionally leave some nuts on ground for your cohabitants

[@slowpokesadventures8009]

Very nice video. I really felt a connection to you when you talked about leaving some of the nuts for the squirrels too. Being a part of nature and not a hindrance to it is so important to me. I left a high stress corporate job to become a beginning homesteader and youtuber and videos like this give me inspiration to continue and improve my new crafts. Peace.

[@edibleacres]

The other beings are all great people, trying to do their thing, raise their kids, have a good life. It feels better to share!

[@Paula-zx8mt]

Loved it! Thanks for so much information on the nut process! I've been wondering so long about it and have BW trees that just drop and rot. Now I can preserve them!!

[@Crina-LudmilaCristeaAuthor]

I've probably written this before on your videos, but I'll do it again: you have such a lovely, therapeutic voice. 😊🤗 I dreamt last night that I was walking in a forest and found several massive nuts on the ground, saw a few newborn dears...it was so nice. I thought, "oooh, I should save some of these nuts, like Sean and Sacha do." And then I woke up and a couple of minutes later, I randomly decided to check my spam folder (which I only do once in a while) and found your reply to my email about the books. So strange, but nice! Thanks again for posting these videos. 🤗🌱🌱🌱🤗

[@jeffkish4945]

We discovered wild nuts ( other peoples trees) several years ago and we use basicly the same process, but i found using my cement mixer works better ( dont have to sand there LOL) we now harvest several hundred pounds of nuts annually.

[@stuttgurth]

2-10 years storage??

[@edibleacres]

I was eating Black Walnuts harvested in 2016 the other day... Delicious.

[@minacamos8162]

We call that in our country as "Talisay" - a hard shelled nut!

[@CarbonConscious]

@Ian if you buy bulk/wholesale you have no idea what has been sprayed on those nuts.

[@edibleacres]

I just looked at very very rough ideas of costs/etc and shared it with him and it looks like I'm saving about $150 an hour in nuts I don't have to buy. I'm OK with that.

[@robertrembert4818]

Great video of info! One of those things i think about every year, and maybe collect a 5 gallon bucket worth and that is it... But you really put the value in perspective! And sounds like a nice challenge making a processing system! Thanks for the work and video! Best wishes!

[@ronsmith1364]

how many trees in the orchard to produce this harvest?

[@edibleacres]

Thats the beauty of this situation... They are all collected from either wild trees or lawn trees of folks who don't want the nuts! I've only collected from maybe 10 or so trees so far, and only partial harvests.

[@whatthestuffman]

What an abundance of nuts yay! What is it about the muck that the paw paw trees appreciate?

[@edibleacres]

I couldn't tell you, but they seem to adore it.

[@JCW418]

Good job Squirrel

[@mikelgpinc]

If earthworms like the water why put it in the compost piles. Or leach it in so it won't affect the chickens

[@CovilleR]

yea would the juglones persist in the compost or would it degrade or become volatile by the time the compost is ready to use?

[@gig777]

Kudos to you guys! You are picking up free super food just laying on the ground. 99% of people wont' bother because "it's too much work". lol I've got 6500 black walnuts seasoning right now from my 2019 harvest. I should get north of 55 pounds of shelled meat from them. :)

[@SteveMarquis]

I'm sure in one of your videos (can't find it), you said about storing some bulbs or nuts in tubs with a few garlic cloves to keep the rodents out. I thought, my son has rodent problems in his car (we're very rural) he doesn't leave anything around in there (now) that might be edible but thought we'd add a clove or two to see if it kept them out. I have to report that the rodents (mostly field mice in the car but small rats voles and mice all over) enjoyed the garlic! We've a couple of Jack Russell's that are kept busy but they can't seem to eradicate the rodents from the car! Back to the drawing board, any ideas welcome!

[@edibleacres]

Yikes. I have never heard of them eating garlic. Thats a a bit scary!

[@christinewist5934]

not exactly organic but I use oxyclean powder. small amount in a deli dish with wholes in lid. they hate the smell. we had a cabin and the mice were running over us. It lasted for 7 years. also started putting in my vintage cars and works well

[@mycedarridge]

All that "waste" would be AMAZING in your windbreaker in the chickens pen...

[@edibleacres]

We've started dumping it in and the chickens go through looking for the worms in the husks.

[@meuhey]

@@edibleacres How are the butternut trees doing in your area? Do they all have cankers? Do you grow some on your property? I'm growing some canker free trees here and worries I'll import the canker while harvesting nuts in town.

[@billybobrobjobusa3247]

You have a pretty nice voice.

[@edibleacres]

Thanks BillyBobRobJob USA. With a name like that I'll take it as a compliment?

[@AdirondackBadger]

Ah okay. You just answered. Now, do you have a video on the hulling oriceaa?

[@AdirondackBadger]

*process*

[@AdirondackBadger]

How do you go about hulling all of these nuts?

[@danieledwards7341]

Instead of a paint mixer how about a cement mixer? Do you think it would work?

[@edibleacres]

If you have one you can give it a shot... I had a friend do that and he said it worked pretty well.

[@danieledwards7341]

cool thanks

[@victoriousgardener]

Do black walnut husks compost well along with leaves and kitchen scraps? We have 5 or so around our yard. Right now I just throw them in my gravel drive to knock off the husks.

[@edibleacres]

They break down, but slowly. Worth composting on their own I think.

[@nosuchthingasshould4175]

If it's 1000 per hour, I wonder how much would that sell for?

[@edibleacres]

I am seeing the whole nuts in their shell selling for $5 a pound I believe.

[@michellemcguire6249]

Wonderful!

[@brianwhite9555]

And how much time will you spend cracking and digging meat from these types of nuts? Labor intensive unless you've got a secret process. I like taste of black walnuts but, man, the work! Daniel Edwards suggested cement mixer. Throw in 200 nuts, 2 cement blocks, let it rotate for a couple hours. :)

[@edibleacres]

Keep an eye out for an upcoming video where I share notes on how to crack them easily... It makes it incredibly worthwhile.

[@brianwhite9555]

Looking forward to it! Those nuts are great protein and oil resource. Enjoy your channel.

[@ianfrazer9575]

Is it cost affective gas/labour/electric/water vs buying in bulk/wholesale? And if yes, is there a local market for selling the nuts?

[@edibleacres]

Electric and water are negligible costs. Gas is about $3 so far to drive around collecting. I don't normally 'pay' myself for collecting and harvesting food, but... Quick look online, black walnuts in shell cost roughly $6 a pound, lets say $5 a pound to make it easier math. Processed about 300 pounds so far, roughly. $1500 worth of 'pay' to collect, about 10 hours of work. $150 an hour, minus $3 for gas...

[@ianfrazer9575]

Thanks, We don’t have those nuts readily available in the UK.

[@jeil5676]

I love nuts!

Did your mommy and daddy give you that property? Or is it the girlfriends gifted property?

[@edibleacres]

Strangely phrased question and pretty accusatory feeling. You got something against me for a reason or are just harsh to strangers?