nuts, in any case they were q similar to walnuts, only they had a somewhat strange appearance: pointed at both ends, too wrinkled and oblong. At that time, we took a full g: a bag of this stuff, since we had no competitors in collecting free nuts. Then we understood why there were no others who wanted to eat nuts: at home we hardly managed to crack one nut. But inside it turned out to be not at all similar to walnut 80. The edible core of the Manchurian nut (and it turned out to be it) was hidden in winding passages-channels, and to extract from there, in general, delicious stuffing it was possible only with the help of an awl, and even then by microscopic particles.

It was a pity to throw away a full bag of nuts for some unknown reason (albeit inedible). It is good that there were acquaintances of acquaintances who suggested what Manchurian nuts are good for and how they should be handled. It turns out that women's jewelry is usually made from them (earrings, beads, bracelets, pendants). To do this, the nuts are sawn into thin discs, getting openwork elements of future jewelry.

So, on the advice of a "knowledgeable person", the whole family, in turn, began to "dissolve" nuts on the plate

we are blanks (Fig. 1) with a thickness of 2 ... 3 mm, in order to then make some kind of openwork little thing. True, at first, the quality of the blanks was affected by our inability to “dissolve evenly, so the cabins” ° Р ex

on the plates

blanks of aurochs and other gnarls were obtained on disks. But, even with absolutely no skill, they acquired it literally through a couple of nuts: the disks were almost even in thickness and with smooth cuts. Then they began to clean the channels and winding passages from the remnants of the nut kernel with a thin awl. Did this job too. But then circumstances interrupted our relationship with the Manchurian walnut.

Who said that the ability to make for yourself the things you like-tsu is the lot of the talented? That's exactly what I used to think too. And no power would have forced me to change my mind and take up our nuts again, if not for the vase, from which it was impossible to take my eyes off. So, nevertheless, I decided to try to repeat such a lace miracle without artistic talent and experience. And then came under the arm old magazine"Science and Life" with the article "Manchurian walnut - natural lace", which spoke about the technology of making such vases. (By the way, the pictures are taken from this article.)

It only remained to get the blanks from the mezzanines, clean each with a needle file and assemble the vase. Now everything was easier, since the most tedious part of the work had already been done many years ago.

As the basis on which I was advised to mold a vase, I chose five liter jar from under

In their work, artists and craftsmen use a lot natural materials- and familiar ones, such as straw, and sometimes quite like fish skin, poplar fluff, Manchurian walnut.

Recently, interest in Manchurian walnut has increased as a material for artistic products.

In appearance, Manchurian nuts resemble walnuts, but this similarity is purely external. Unlike walnuts, they do not have partitions dividing the core into two halves - it is located inside intricately curved channels. The inner part of these nuts is a relief incomparable (usually symmetrical) pattern on the cut, reminiscent of lace or the finest

woodcarving. It is this feature of the structure that attracts artists. It is advisable to choose nuts with a convex and ribbed surface, large sizes. The uglier appearance walnut, the more interesting will be its internal structure.

Using this natural lace, you can do many interesting things: decorative jugs and vases, plates, candy bowls, frames, edging, bracelets, rings,

beads, brooches, key chains, belts, buttons, jewelry boxes and even candlesticks.

When sawing it into thin plates, openwork lacy snowflakes are obtained. The nut is clamped with a vise and cut with a hacksaw along or across into several flat slices of equal thickness, plates, which will serve as blanks for most products. Such slices of the same thickness should be prepared before

sufficient quantity for the product. You should try to cut evenly, so that later you do not need to additionally grind the surface with emery or a file. Then you need to carefully clean the core from the channels with a needle or awl, after which the slices can be used for the intended work.

Jewelry made of Manchurian walnut does not require protective coating, since even a weak coating of varnish can spoil the natural matte sheen of this material.

You should start with the most simple products, for example, with beads. For their manufacture, two holes are drilled in the lobules, placing them in the thickest parts of the walls and, depending on the method of connecting the links, perpendicular or parallel to the plane of the lobule (Fig. 174). Through the holes perpendicular planes surface, two small rings are passed, which are interconnected by intermediate rings or segments of the chain. In holes drilled parallel to flat

Rice. 174. Making beads from Manchurian walnut. Two ways of fastening the slices: a - using a ring with a segment of the chain; 6 - using a wire loop inserted into the hole and filled with a drop of glue

surface, wire loops are inserted on the glue as in the first case, they are articulated with each other in rings or chains.

It is better to make pendants and a key chain not from transverse, but from longitudinally sawn walnut which receive

cut along the separation seam. A hole is drilled in the upper part of the key fob and a ring is passed through it.

Pendants-pendants are also good from a whole walnut, in which only large polished edges are left, and the entire core is taken out. unusually bizarre and beautiful

gray through openwork form. But first, the nut must be soaked well in water.

Longitudinal and transverse slices are used for the bracelet, and extreme ones can be convex, oval. They should be somewhat thicker than for beads - 6 - 8 mm. The back side should be made slightly concave so that the bracelet

hugged the hand.

Original buttons are obtained from Manchurian nuts. They are made from transverse slices, in which one or both planes - the back and front - are sawn down with a file or emery in the form of convex surfaces. In the middle part of the nut, as a rule, there are two thin round or oval holes through which it is convenient to sew buttons to clothes.

When making buttons, one should take into account the peculiarity of the Manchurian walnut: from the middle to the ends, its pattern changes greatly, and therefore, in order to get six buttons, you will have to saw, or rather, cut out the middle of six nuts, since its side parts have a different pattern, at least beautiful. Such side cuts can be dialed right amount, and you will have several sets of buttons.

Very original rings can be made from Manchurian walnut. It is necessary to choose a nut in which it will be possible to make a hole corresponding to the diameter of the finger.

First, they select a variant of the ring (Fig. 175) and, carefully holding the workpiece in a vice, cut the sides with a metal saw

a

Rice. 175. Manchurian walnut ring: 1 - insert from amber or carnelian

the first parts through which a through hole of small diameter (8 - 9 mm) is made with a drill. Then, with a round file, this hole is expanded to the size of a finger. In this case, you should be very careful: all the internal partitions of the nut are interconnected, and with strong pressure they can be destroyed. Finish the hole with a fine sandpaper wound around a round object. Lightly sand the outside of the ring as well.

The top can be left natural or a neat saw cut from it and sanded. If the saw cut is not very successful, an insert can be placed in its middle, for example, from carnelian, etc.

By the same principle, you can make a ring from a small growth (burl, kapo-root, suvel-shaft) or a piece of wood from Karelian birch, boxwood, hornbeam.

Manchurian walnut - natural lace

In their works, artists use a lot of natural materials - both familiar ones, such as stone, clay, wood, straw, and sometimes quite unexpected ones, like fish skin or poplar fluff. Among these not very common materials is manchurian walnut, interest in which thanks to his decorative properties has increased in recent times.

In appearance, Manchurian nuts resemble walnuts. But the resemblance is purely superficial. Unlike walnuts, they do not have partitions dividing the core into two halves - it is located inside intricately curved channels. The inner part of these nuts is a embossed incomparable symmetrical (as a rule) pattern resembling lace or the finest wood carving. It is these structural features that attract artists.

Many interesting things can be made from Manchurian walnut: decorative jugs and vases, plates, candy bowls, frames, edging, bracelets, rings, beads, brooches, key chains, buttons, boxes, even candlesticks.

Processing nuts does not require complex devices. It is quite possible to get by with an elementary set of tools, which, obviously, any amateur can find: these are a small vise, a hacksaw, files different shapes, needle files, manual or electric drill, a set of drills, - and for finishing - furniture nitrolac such as NTs-222 or NTs-228.

The work begins with the fact that the nut is clamped in a vice and a hacksaw cuts it lengthwise or across into several flat slices of equal thickness, which will serve as blanks for most products. One nut, of course, will not be enough - you will need to cut and prepare a sufficient number of slices of the same thickness. Sawing should be tried as evenly as possible, so that later it would not be necessary to additionally grind the surface on emery. Then you need to clean the core from the channels with a needle or awl. After this operation, which, by the way, must be carried out carefully, the slices can be used for the intended work.

Obviously, you should start with the simplest products, for example, with beads. For their manufacture, holes are drilled in the slices - two in each. You can drill them in different ways - perpendicular to the plane of the slice or parallel to it. It all depends on how the links are connected. In any case, these holes should be located in the thickest parts of the walls. Through holes perpendicular to the plane of the surface, two small rings are passed, which are interconnected by segments of the chain. Wire loops are inserted into holes drilled parallel to the plane and, as in the first case, they are interconnected by chains.

How this is done can be seen from the figure. You can varnish the slices before or after connecting to each other.

Bead making.

Two ways of fastening the slices: using a ring with a segment of the chain; using a wire loop inserted into the hole and filled with a drop of glue.

Nuts are used to make original buttons. They are made from transverse slices, in which one or both planes - the back and front - are sawn down with a file (or on a grindstone) in the form of convex surfaces. In the middle part of the nut, as a rule, there are two thin round or oval channels through which it is convenient to sew buttons to clothes.

It is better to make key rings not from transverse, but from longitudinally sawn walnut slices, which are cut along the dividing seam. A hole is drilled in the upper part of the key fob, and a ring is passed through it.

For the bracelet, you can use both longitudinal and transverse slices. They should be somewhat thicker than for beads - 6-8 millimeters. Backside these slices should be slightly concave so that the bracelet fits the hand.

However, beads, bracelets, rings are far from the most interesting crafts from Manchurian walnut, and we stopped at them more like academic work. The most attractive things seem to be practical - plates, candy bowls, vases, jugs. Glued together from individual walnut slices, they are elegant and beautiful. Their patterns are reminiscent of the finest woodcarving, which can be compared in intricacy, perhaps, with lace - they are just as airy and unique. Of course, making a plate or a candy bowl is more difficult than, say, the same beads, but it is also quite possible at home. The most important thing, as, indeed, in every case, is consistency and patience.

Let us first tell you how the plates are made. They can be quite varied in their design. One of the options is a plate in which a metal disk of small diameter (10-12 cm) is used as a bottom. Walnut slices of the first row are put on this disk, for which slits of the appropriate size must be made in them on the side (see Fig.). All subsequent slices will be glued together with their ends, forming concentric circles in their rows. Since the edges of the plate should be slightly raised, it is convenient to glue the slices inside a bowl - in this case, the plate will almost exactly repeat its shape. Glue can be glued better themes the same furniture varnish, only slightly thickened. When working, make sure that the plate does not stick to the mold.

Dish with a metal bottom.

The first row is assembled from walnut slices with a slot. Subsequent rows are glued to the butt.

You can make a plate without a metal disk. In this case, it is entirely, starting from the middle, glued from one walnut slices. One should not be afraid of the fragility of such a design. Of course, the same requirements cannot be made to it as to monolithic objects. However furniture varnish, applied in several layers, firmly fastens the slices together, providing sufficient strength to the product. A plate made in this way is quite suitable for placing bread, crackers or sweets in it. The fact is that furniture nitro-lacquer, hardening with a sufficiently thick layer (about 1 mm), reaches such hardness that it can be processed with a file, and it can withstand decent loads.

The candy bowl is glued in the same way: the end parts of the slices are interconnected with glue or thick varnish. But in this case, a glass jar is taken as a form - a liter, two-liter, three-liter. At a distance of 8-10 cm from the bottom plane, a rubber ring is put on the jar. Then the jar is turned upside down. The first row of walnut slices is installed on the ring, then the next one is glued to it - and so on until the entire bottom is pasted over. As a form, you can use a small bowl - in this case, the candy bowl will turn out with edges bent outwards - this is also very beautiful.

Forming a candy box glass jar. The extreme row of walnut slices rests on a rubber ring.

Using the same technology, you can make a flower vase or a jug by enclosing a suitable vessel of clear glass(flask, bulb from a lamp, etc.). If a vase with a long neck is conceived, then another one is added on top component made on a cylinder or cone of the corresponding diameter. You can finish the top with horizontally glued walnut slices or a bell glued on a funnel.

The connection of parts of a vase molded on three different bases.

The jug will probably need a handle. It's easy to make too. To do this, two arcs are glued on a plasticine form - one is slightly larger than the other. Then the smaller one is inserted inside the larger one, and the space between them is filled with halves or smaller parts of the slices. When everything hardens, you can file down the bumps with a file, and then glue the handle to the jug.

Forming the top of the jug on the neck of the bottle. The middle part is molded on top of a 3 liter jar.

Finished products after assembly should be varnished several times, but not thickened, but liquid. First of all, this will provide additional rigidity, which is so necessary when smoothing out irregularities. The fact is that walnut slices, sawn with a hacksaw for metal, are flat. It is difficult to fit their edges to each other when gluing, and there is no particular need for this. The main task is to achieve a sufficiently tight fit of their ends. And then they are already polished on the finished product.

Like jugs and vases, caskets and coasters are made.

In the first case, a rectangular or oval box can serve as a form, in the second - a glass. The handle for the cup holder is made in the same way as for the jug. Since the lid of the box should open, first you need to make a lid and a lower part, then glue a slightly protruding rim into the lower part, on which the lid will be put on. In addition, if small loops are attached to the rim, the lid will turn out to be reclining.

Surfaces of products can be embossed. For this, walnut slices are used. greater thickness. One or more rims are collected from them, which give things more decorative look. With these slices, you can finish the edges of plates and candy bowls, turn around the neck of a jug. They can be made oval, thinned to one of the edges, spherical or even with edges turned up.

The finished product must certainly be processed with a file and remove all existing bumps, notches, etc. burrs. Due to the softness of the material, it is possible to easily achieve perfect smooth surface with smooth transitions from thickening to narrowing. The final finishing is finished with a fine sandpaper. Now it remains only to remove dust and sawdust and varnish the product - it is ready.

In conclusion, it should be added that objects glued from walnut should, if possible, be protected from overheating - under the influence of heat nutshell and lacquer expand differently, resulting in cracks.

© "Encyclopedia of Technologies and Methods" Patlakh V.V. 1993-2007

How to extract the Manchurian nut kernel

Tough Manchurian nut

Have you tried Manchurian Walnut Kernel? Not? Try it. It is very tasty. Definitely tastier than walnut. But you are unlikely to succeed. This nut cannot be cracked with teeth, crushed with tongs, smashed with a hammer. After being hit with a hammer or stone, the shell and the core scatter to the sides in small crumbs.

In the village of Altaisky, Altai region Altai Territory there are walnut plantations in the form of windbreaks in the old orchards. Trees have long reached fruiting age, and overall volume harvest annually is about 10 tons.

Despite such an abundance of harvest, the local population practically does not collect it and does not use it for food, although the kernel in the nut makes up 30 percent of the total weight and is a valuable food and dietary product.

The reason for this is very thick and hard shell walnut, and its rather thick internal partition. In one note, I read that in China, nuts are somehow successfully cracked, and the resulting grains are used in nutrition, including for the production of high-quality nut butter.

After many attempts, I finally managed to find reliable way crack Manchurian nuts. The method is quite simple. I will share my secrets.

I usually harvest the nuts themselves at the end of September. At this time, the juicy upper shell of the nuts becomes dry and it is more convenient to collect such nuts, they weigh less. I crack nuts in December. Until that time, I store the collected nuts in bags in the underground.

To extract the core, you need a high birch log 30x70 cm and a medium-sized hammer. Logs, both hard and softwood, are not suitable as a stand. Birch is the best. On the end cut log we make a small depression into which we insert the spout (sharp part) of the nut and with a hammer without special efforts we make several blows to its rear part. When splitting with the fingers of the left hand, it is necessary to hold the nut in a vertical position.

Do not try to crack the nut with one blow, the result may be unexpected: the nut will be crushed into small pieces, and the fingers of the hand may suffer greatly from such a blow. From several moderate blows with a hammer, the nut shell cracks, but does not fly apart, but collapses, simultaneously collapses and internal partition nuts, after which it is no longer difficult to get the core.

It may not seem strange, but time, or rather, the physical state of the nut during the removal of grain, also has great importance. The fact is that the core of a freshly picked Manchurian walnut occupies all the space in the shell and fits snugly against the walls. When the nuts dry out, it is much easier to remove from the shell. It is also impossible to overdry the nuts, because then the kernel of the nut crumbles into small pieces at the slightest blow. In order for the nuts not to dry out, they should be stored without peeling from the soft outer shell until splitting.

And one more note- about the hammer. The working surface of the hammer should not be rounded. Hammer with rounded working surface on impact, it often slips off the nut and can injure fingers.

Good luck in mining the golden core!

Anton Makunas , agronomist, Altaiskoye village

Submitted for publication 12/19/11

Other works by Anton Ivanovich can be found on the page

Look for planting material of nuts in the section "Nurseries. Saplings"

Usually, when I ask someone to name from memory any nut that comes to mind, they immediately answer me, almost without hesitation: “Walnut!” And this despite the fact that in Primorsky Krai and throughout the south Far East quite often you can meet his closest relative, who, moreover, is in no way inferior to his southern brother, and in some aspects even significantly ahead of him! I assure you, you will be amazed when you learn about all the properties of this precious nut that you would never guess in your life. So, in this article I will tell you about the wonderful and beautiful, amazing and incredible - Manchurian Nut!

Blossoms simultaneously with the blooming of leaves, at the end of May. The fruits ripen in September and immediately fall off. Yellowing of leaves begins in mid-September, leaf fall ends in the first half of October. AT good conditions natural growth, fruiting begins at the age of six to eight years, in crops - sometimes four to five years, and on poor soils and in dense stands - from 12 to 15 years. Harvest years alternate with two - three barren or low-yielding. In sparse stands growing on fertile soils, crops occur almost annually. The yield of pure nuts from harvested fruits is 70%. Seed germination lasts up to two years.

The Manchurian walnut is a valuable decorative and ameliorative species. It is recommended to plant walley and group landings in parks, gardens, squares and boulevards. As a reclamation rock, it is used to fix ravines, in field protection and roadside strips.

Under natural conditions, there are trees with fruits of various shapes and sizes. These individual characteristics trees can be used for breeding through selection the best forms Manchurian walnut. The quantitative and qualitative indicators of more than 5000 walnut fruits collected in the forests of various regions of the Primorsky Territory were studied. The following preliminary conclusions were obtained:

Chemical analysis of walnut fruits collected in different regions of Primorsky Krai showed that proteins, fats, carbohydrates and other macromolecular compounds accumulate in walnut kernels in different regions of Primorsky Krai in approximately the same proportions. At the same time, the accumulation of heavy metals, pesticides, radionuclides and other toxic substances was either not detected at all, or was noted in quantities that are many times less than the maximum permissible concentrations. Many authors note healing properties all parts of the Manchurian walnut, in which the main medicinal raw material are leaves (plucked by hands on young shoots during flowering), unripe fruits and pericarp.

The leaves contain a lot of ascorbic acid, tannins, a small number of alkaloids, carotene and phytoncides. AT folk medicine the bark of the trunk and young branches has long been used for rheumatism, skin itching, eczema or shad. Fresh leaves in the form of decoctions and tinctures were used to treat diabetes mellitus, various skin diseases and peptic ulcers. In everyday life, dried leaves placed in a closet, like mothballs, protect fur and woolen products from moths. AT last years more and more new folk recipes from various internal and skin diseases of a person, where various parts of this plant are used to prepare medicines. For example, a decoction of Manchurian walnut leaves is effective for sore throat and other colds They should gargle several times a day. They drink a decoction of the leaves as a hemostatic agent for internal bleeding, and also as a fixative for diarrhea, rickets and diathesis. To do this, pour 20 g of chopped leaves with a glass of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes and drink a tablespoon three times a day.

An infusion of the leaves is also used for sclerosis of cerebral and cardiac vessels, to improve metabolism and reduce blood sugar. A tincture of the leaves, containing a significant amount of vitamin C, can also be used to strengthen hair.

Fresh walnut leaves are widely used in everyday life. When working on garden plot many gardeners, before taking up a shovel, chopper and other tools, rub their hands with fresh leaves. By doing this, they save themselves from future calluses, as the skin of their hands becomes brown and rough, thereby playing the role of protective gloves. Found another one useful property fresh Manchurian walnut leaves - they are put in new tight shoes and after a few days of “hard trials” the shoes will be “broken in”, and the brown tint on the skin of the legs will quickly wash off.

The indigenous population of Primorsky Krai used walnut leaves for catching (baiting) fish in streams. In recent decades, Chinese workers have been secretly using this method when they arrive in the Far East region of our country for seasonal work.

In addition to the leaves, unripe fruits and pericarp of the Manchurian walnut are widely used in folk medicine. Specialists have published several recipes for the treatment of patients using unripe (June or July collections) Manchurian walnut fruits. For the treatment of cancer patients in the Primorsky Territory, a composition prepared from the July Manchurian walnut is used. Nuts are placed in a 3-liter jar and sugar is poured to the top of the jar. The composition is placed in a dark place until the nut dissolves. In the future, the composition is used before meals, 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. Depending on the patient's condition, the dose can be increased to 1 tablespoon.

For the treatment of cancer patients, as a tonic after chemotherapy, as well as for the treatment of goiter, the composition of the Manchurian nut prepared on the basis of honey is used. The nut, harvested in June, is ground in a meat grinder and dissolved in honey. The ratios are different. The immature fruits of the Manchurian walnut are also used as an immunostimulant. 40 nuts are taken, the nuts are ground through a meat grinder. 1 kg of sugar is added to the crushed nut mass, the mass is thoroughly mixed. Then vodka is added in such an amount that a layer of 5 cm is formed above the mixture. Infuse for 21 days. Drink 1 tsp. on an empty stomach in the morning. Naturally, before self-treatment using various published recipes, you should definitely consult with your doctor.

How to crack a Manchurian nut

Many Manchurian nut growers do not eat the fruit because they cannot extract the kernels from the shell. But the agronomist and gardener Anton Ivanovich Makunas found a way to crack the shell and not damage the grain.

Once I read an article that in China excellent oil is made from the fruits of the Manchurian walnut, and then I became interested in how they extract the kernel from it, because oil will not work with the shell. Began to try various methods but none gave good result- the shell shattered into crumbs, and with it the core.

But after a while, I still managed to find a way to extract the nucleolus, practically without damaging it. I will share my secret.

I harvest nuts at the end of September, by this time the upper shell dries up and they become lighter. I collect them in bags, because I love them very much. Until December, I keep the bags in the basement, and at the end of gardening, you can start splitting. Yes, and after a while it is much easier to do this, because in a freshly picked nut, the kernel fits snugly against the walls of the shell. When the nuts dry out, the grains are easier to remove. But it is also impossible to overdry, otherwise, at the slightest blow to them, they scatter into particles. So that the nuts do not dry out, I do not peel them from the outer shell.

To extract the core of the Manchurian walnut, you will need a birch log about 70 cm high and 30 cm in diameter and a medium-sized hammer (its working surface should not be rounded, otherwise it may slip off the nut and injure your fingers on impact). It is best to use birch, because with a more rigid support, the nut will shatter into pieces, and if you take a log of soft wood, it will penetrate deeper into it with each blow.

On the cut of the log I make a small depression into which I insert the nut with the sharp part. It is very important to place the "nose" down, if you put it the other way around, it will crumble. Holding the nut vertically, with a hammer, without much effort, I strike several blows on its rear part.

You should not try to crack the nut with one blow, it is better to do it with several moderate ones, so the shell cracks, and does not scatter, the inner partition also collapses at the same time, after which it is no longer difficult to get the core.

Manchurian nuts are much tastier than walnuts, more fragrant and have no bitterness. We especially like to melt white chocolate and pour it over the nucleoli - it turns out an unusual dessert. It is also very good to use in the preparation of various pastries, and wherever a walnut is used.

How to extract the Manchurian nut kernel

Tough Manchurian nut

Have you tried Manchurian Walnut Kernel? Not? Try it. It is very tasty. Definitely tastier than walnut. But you are unlikely to succeed. This nut cannot be cracked with teeth, crushed with tongs, smashed with a hammer. After being hit with a hammer or stone, the shell and the core scatter to the sides in small crumbs.

In the village of Altaisky, Altaisky District, Altai Territory, there are walnut plantations in the form of windbreaks in old orchards. The trees have long reached fruiting age, and the total annual harvest is about 10 tons.

Despite such an abundance of harvest, the local population practically does not collect it and does not use it for food, although the kernel in the nut makes up 30 percent of the total weight and is a valuable food and dietary product.

The reason for this is the very thick and hard shell of the nut, and its rather thick internal partition. In one note, I read that in China, nuts are somehow successfully cracked, and the resulting grains are used in nutrition, including for the production of high-quality nut butter.

After many attempts, I finally managed to find a reliable way to crack the Manchurian nuts. The method is quite simple. I will share my secrets.

I usually harvest the nuts themselves at the end of September. At this time, the juicy upper shell of the nuts becomes dry and it is more convenient to collect such nuts, they weigh less. I crack nuts in December. Until that time, I store the collected nuts in bags in the underground.

To extract the core, you need a high birch log 30x70 cm and a medium-sized hammer. Logs, both hard and softwood, are not suitable as a stand. Birch is the best. On the end section of the log, we make a small depression into which we insert the nose (sharp part) of the nut and with a hammer, without much effort, we make several blows to its rear part. When splitting with the fingers of the left hand, it is necessary to hold the nut in a vertical position.

Do not try to crack the nut with one blow, the result may be unexpected: the nut will be crushed into small pieces, and the fingers of the hand may suffer greatly from such a blow. From several moderate blows with a hammer, the nut shell cracks, but does not fly apart, but collapses, at the same time the internal partition of the nut is destroyed, after which it is no longer difficult to get the kernel.

As strange as it may seem, time, or rather, the physical condition of the nut during the removal of grain, is also of great importance. The fact is that the core of a freshly picked Manchurian walnut occupies all the space in the shell and fits snugly against the walls. When the nuts dry out, it is much easier to remove from the shell. It is also impossible to overdry the nuts, because then the kernel of the nut crumbles into small pieces at the slightest blow. In order for the nuts not to dry out, they should be stored without peeling from the soft outer shell until splitting.

And one more note - about the hammer. The working surface of the hammer should not be rounded. A hammer with a rounded face often slips off the nut when struck and can injure fingers.

Good luck in mining the golden core!

Anton Makunas , agronomist, Altaiskoye village

Other works of Anton Ivanovich can be found on the page Makunas Anton Ivanovich, gardener and variety tester

Other materials on nuts can be found in the title section Nut crops

Look for planting material of nuts in the section "Nurseries. Saplings"

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