Black walnuts are an abundant tree where I live in southwest New Jersey. I like to collect them in the early fall and after they dry out start eating them in December. I've tried a bunch of ways to crack them, and found that laying them flat and breaking them into quarters with a big ballpeen hammer works pretty good. If they are dried well and you hit them just right, you can get them with the the first whack of the hammer and the nut meat comes out pretty easily. Here are some after I cracked them.
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I also freeze about 80 lbs of local blueberries every summer and have them for breakfast every weekday with some yogurt. Mixing in the walnuts when I have them adds some great flavor in the mornings, about two tablespoons does it.
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I really like the flavor better than English walnuts, even though it is a bit time consuming.
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I also freeze about 80 lbs of local blueberries every summer and have them for breakfast every weekday with some yogurt. Mixing in the walnuts when I have them adds some great flavor in the mornings, about two tablespoons does it.
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I really like the flavor better than English walnuts, even though it is a bit time consuming.