Opening Black Walnuts?

[Ross6860]

I'm not sure what they use at the processing plants, but somehow they are able to shatter them without pulverizing the nuts too much.

Pretty sure sets of rollers or counter-rotating plates, screens, and hand picking.

Ever see how cashews are processed? Every one by hand...Hand sorted, too. Again, it explains why they are so expensive.

 

[Ross6860]

You should try opening a macadamia nut. A hammer will only piss it off.

That's a good one...

I've never seen one in the shell.

 

[onepixel]

That's a good one...

I've never seen one in the shell.

Here are some macadamia nuts from my dad's back yard. 99% of the time if you hit a mac nut with a hammer that's not secured, it will go flying unscathed at a speed proportional to the force you hit it with. Very scary! I once used the typical nut cracker. It bent the metal.

 

[ZebraBlvd]

If hulled, then soak them first. As been mentioned, get a good claw hammer, set them on a good concrete base (with the stem up) and then whack them, The shell will divide. For the sections that still contain the fruit, a pair of side cutters will get those pieces out, Any way you look at it, it is time consuming, but there is no better tasting walnut IMHO. I've employed this method since I was old enough to gather the fruit for delicious home made brownies made by MOM. My Dad always said, "you get out of something as to what you paid into it." He was a prick, but these words of advice always stuck with me.

 

[SuperjazzyJa]

Before opening a walnut, you should make sure it doesn't belong to Pandora.