It's Walnut Picking Time!

It's been a beautiful autumn week here in Virginia--great for enjoying the outdoors. Granny and I went out looking for trees that looked like this--loaded with walnuts: Because when you find trees looking like this, invariably you'll find fallen walnuts to pick up:And once we pick up lots of walnuts, Granny gets to work laying the walnuts out to dry in the sun:And then she'll crack them open so more stain will come out when they're placed in a bucket of hot water: And someday soon that stain will be just perfect to use for dipping her handmade baskets. Lots of work goes into making a perfect basket, and Granny definitely enjoys every part of it!

So...how many walnut gathering outings have you been on lately? :)

~Deb

Previous year's post on Granny's walnuts here.

Comments

[Tammy]

I haven't been walnut gathering for a LONG time! My great-grandparents had a very old walnut tree in their back yard and we would go over and gather several 5-gallon buckets full of walnuts. The my dad would crack them and we'd spend our evenings shelling walnuts!

[Rose]

That's really interesting for me, I've only ever seen walnuts in shops, not straight off the tree like that. After Granny gets the dye will you use the rest of the nut for cooking?

[Kathie]

Such a gorgeous blue sky! And granny looks pretty cracking walnuts! Do you just use the dye? Or do you use the walnuts for baking too?

I saw some baskets up here in a gift shop - 250 dollars for one and it was not nearly as nice as Granny's!

[Joanna]

My grandmother (next door) has a huge walnut tree and this year it is full! My boys have spent several hours picking them up and throwing them in the woods for her.

Does Granny ever teach a class? Everytime I look at pictures of the basket making it makes me want to learn!

[Cathy]

I have the same question as a couple of the other readers--do you use the rest of the walnut for baking/eating? I looked at the link that you provided, but there was no information that answered that question.

Curiosity question: what are you folks doing for church these days? You haven't posted anything in a while about that.

I always enjoy your posts.

[Kathryn Duke]

those walnuts are a real TOUGH mess to me...I am impressed with "Granny's" process of real walnut dying!!!

I have never shelled them but have relatives who do and make the most delicious walnut cake with icing too...a real labor of love in my book...

[Lisa Stack]

What is the name of the beautiful basket that Granny is holding up in the Dayton Days photo where she is explaining how well constructed they are? Can I get one?

[Deb]

Since several commenters asked the same question about using the walnuts, I'll answer here in addition to writing each of you back.

No, we don't usually use the walnut meat inside because the walnuts are put directly into water to soak for a long time to create the dye/stain Granny uses. So, we just use it for that purpose.

Like Kathryn commented above, it's a lot of work getting the goodies inside, and we're not really walnut eaters. When I mentioned it to Granny, she said maybe she could try and salvage some of the meat and get it out before putting them in water as I'm not sure the walnuts would be edible unless gotten out beforehand.

Yes, Granny might be persuaded to teach a class, but probably not until next spring.

And for anyone who would like one of her baskets. there's a link on the top left sidebar and there's an Etsy shop link also on that page. We are still working on updating what's left and available after the Dayton Days craft show.

[Stephanie in MI]

That's great. My grandpa used to own some farmland with a big walnut grove on it. We would collect walnuts and then run them through this old corn sheller, which would tear the husks off. We'd then crack open the nuts and dig out the meats. Yum. I still love walnuts. I think it's cool that Granny makes her own walnut stain!

[Chris]

I remember making the "walnut dye" for baskets and it really does dye well...so well it stains your hands for a while, I noticed Granny's gloves, SMART!