We have nut trees in our yard. It appears that a couple generations back the farmer who owned this place really liked black walnuts and chestnuts. All summer long  I've been watching, and waiting, and contemplating how to know exactly when the nuts would be ripe and ready to try.  And  also how I'd get to them before the squirrels did!

Well, last week a front came through with high winds howling in off of the lake.  Of course, the kids wanted to go outside in the wind storm... so out we went. When we got out there we realized that it was practically raining nuts! HEY!  They're ready!

The girls helped me by picking up ALL of the walnuts under this tree!

And I picked up the chestnuts (or, as my girls call them "prickle-nuts) that fell to the ground.

Here's what we ended up with!

We ran inside just as the rain was starting.

The next day, I hulled the chestnuts ( WITH GLOVES! as indicated in the photo above).

Here are the hulled chestnuts.  I have them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator right now, but I'm planning on roasting some of them to eat either tonight or tomorrow, and also to use some as part of the stuffing to make stuffed winter squash for a get-together we're having in a couple of weeks. 




On Sunday, my youngest helped me "squish-a-nut" to de-hull the black walnuts!  ... it was a very hi-tech process,  we stepped on them with rubber boots!

"Squish-a-nut"

Once the walnuts were de-hulled, I put them on a screen to dry.  Once they're dry I'll crack them open to remove the meat and I'll probably freeze what we don't eat immediately to use for baking later on in the season.

One of two screens, this is actually an old door!

Harvest season is so much fun!  I hope you're enjoying it as much as we are!