My walnut harvest is almost complete!

[Marshie]

I haven't been extremely active the past two weeks and that's because I just got done with my black walnut harvest!
Black walnut grows naturally in the Eastern part of North America, mainly the US area. They are sweeter and a bit more floral than normal walnut you can buy at the store (which is typically English walnut). They have a harvest time of late September to early October.
I just got all of them husked and tied into cheese cloth for the drying process! This takes about two weeks for them to be completely dry. This has been my biggest harvest yet and I only plan to get bigger harvests from here! I'm super excited to start baking with them, mainly banana bread!
What are your favorite recipes that use walnut? I want to try some of them out!

[SunPony]

Oh wow, that's so cool.  I've dyed cloth with them years ago but I never tried eating them.  How on earth do you get the meat out of that super-hard shell?!?!?  Also do you have any tips for de-husking them.  The method I use seems somewhat uneffective...or at least like it could be improved.

[Marshie]

Also do you have any tips for de-husking them.  The method I use seems somewhat uneffective...

Of course! Since I harvest so many, I use a hammer drill with a gout mixing bit in a big container or trash can!! Since none of what is touched is eaten, none of the products used will harm the nut. Just throw the fleshy walnuts into the trash can with some water and start mixing! This will force all the husks off and washes them. After that, get the husked nuts and wash them in fresh water. You need to dry them for roughly two weeks then there you have it!
If you don't harvest near 100lbs, then husking with gloves hands, stopping on them, or driving over them on a surface you don't care getting stained will force the walnut out!

[BlackCurtains]

Neat. I like walnuts. I can remember my dad driving over them during the winter when I was a kid

I only have simple things to share and I'm not sure if black walnuts would taste as good in them. One is a simple salad; kale, raspberries, walnuts with a splash of balsamic vinegar. The other is my favorite dip; cream cheese, chopped green olives and chopped walnuts. Tastes great with Wheat Thins!

[banditpony]

I'm almost in the same boat! I'm trying to figure out what to do with my chestnuts.

I'm usually simple with walnuts, and I eat them as a snack, plain. But then again, I'm the same with chestnuts (roasted chestnuts). But haha, it's not that simple when there are so many.

The first thing that came to my mind, is a nut filling for kolacky (kolaczki?) cookies. It's my second favorite christmas cookie!
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hungarian-walnut-cookies
I'd check out similar recipes too, in case one seems easier/better for you.

Another thing I've thought of is a nut roll. This isn't anything that I'm familiar with making, but I've gotten it at bakeries before.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hungarian-nut-rolls

I personally would attempt a nut butter if I had that many walnuts. That stuff is expensive. I've never tried walnut nutbutter, but I've tried a few other nuts (cashew, almond, pecan...)