Black Walnuts!

October 15, 2021

We have been harvesting black walnuts for a week now, and it is a very good year for nuts…pun intended!

We have over 35 black walnut trees, and this year it seems like all of them have produced.

When we first bought the farm, we used to pick up the nuts individually, which was a real work out on our retired backs.  We decided to give the garden weasel a try, and they are fabulous! 

These just roll over the nut and then we dump in the back of the side by side.

 We spend a couple of hours every morning collecting, and the afternoons processing.

Once the nuts are gathered, we sort for ripeness.  If the husk is too green and hard, it will be difficult to remove.  We choose the nuts that have the softest husk, which will most often be black, and usually split.  The point is to remove the husk, then rinse the nuts until they are clear, and then dry them for a couple of weeks.  Once the nut is cleaned from the husk and dried, the nuts will remain viable for over a year before cracking.  Once cracked they are best stored in the freezer, as like most nuts, could turn rancid if not stored properly.

We use an antique corn sheller to remove the husk from the nuts.

The husk is removed and thrown away, and the nuts are put in a tub with holes drilled in the bottom, and washed until the water coming out the bottom is clear.

Then they are placed in a rack for drying.

That’s what’s happening for the remainder of October, here on the ridge…that, and still roasting green Anaheim peppers!

Get out and get some porch sittin done, y’all!

 Persimmon Time

October 5, 2021

We have 8 persimmon trees on our farm, and they are prolific producers!  The harvest this year seems early, but the trees are loaded with goodness!  

We only select fruit that drops on the ground, to ensure that the fruit is ready.  I don’t know if any of you have ever tried an unripe persimmon, but trust me when I say, it will dry your mouth out like you’re sucking on cotton balls!  It could actually ruin your desire to ever try a persimmon again… perhaps that is a real life experience that lasted for a few decades!  

These are perfect specimens!

They are washed with the top, and little ticker  bottoms removed for processing .

I put them through my little mill, to remove the skin and seeds. The meat is very thick and sweet.

Then the meat is packed in half cup servings, and frozen.  We choose half cup servings, because they can be heated on the stove for topping’s on French toast, pancakes, or in yogurt.

There is an added bonus, with the waste making a marvelous treat for your chickens!  

Also, I would recommend labeling, because this persimmon meat looks incredibly like pumpkin meat, and can be easily confused.  How do I know, you may ask… humm…

Have a terrific week, y’all, and get some porch sittin in!