Arrrgh!!!

When I was a kid I use to love to go down the street from where I lived and gather these. I loved cracking them open and I can almost imagine the smell that came from inside and also the smooth shiny nut.

Childhood memories, one I hadn't thought of in awhile. Thanks!

do black walnuts taste any different to brown ones?

Those are huge. Have you ever eaten any? I imagine your yard is like a smorgasbord to all the little critters. Have a great weekend sweetie. Hope all is well with the new babe. Thinking of you all....

Janet, when I was a child, I can recall my father bringing home HUGE bags of these nuts, still in the outer shell. When the overwhelming urge for cookies with black walnuts hit, we'd gather them up, along with a brick and a hammer, and start by breaking off the outer casing. The nuts are SO hard that you can smash your fingers trying to open them, so we'd center them in the hole of a brick and then hammer away. It's odd what memories are so clear from our childhoods, isn't it?

bod, yes, the flavor of black walnuts is very distinctive, and different from traditional walnuts. They are sweeter, but there's more to it that I can't describe.

Joy, I haven't eaten any from my own trees. We leave them for the critter smörgåsbord. Somehow, every year, the squirrels cache them away and the drive is clear by winter.

Our granddaughter is home and doing well. The kids are going to follow through with developmental tests for the next month, and if she passes, we'll know that the danger is over. We're hoping for the best!