Botanical Name: Juglans nigra (Eastern Black Walnut)
Botanical Name: Juglans microcarpa (Texas Black Walnut)
From Wikipedia:
The extraction of the kernel from the fruit of the Black Walnut is difficult. The shell is covered by a thick husk that exudes a dark, staining, strong-smelling juice. The shell itself is so strong that it is sometimes used to strengthen car tires. The shell often protrudes into the meat, so whole kernels are often not obtainable.
The husk is best removed when green, as the nuts taste better if it is removed then. Rolling the nut underfoot on a hard surface such as a driveway is a common method; commercial huskers use a car tire rotating against a metal mesh. Some take a thick plywood board and drill a nut sized hole in it (from one to two inches in diameter) and smash the nut through using a hammer. The nut goes through and the husk remains behind. To keep the husk juices from splattering, a board or canvas scrap may be used to cover the nut before hammering.
Before eating or storage, the nuts should be cured in a dry place for at least two weeks. Before cracking, the unshelled nuts may be soaked in hot water for 24 hours in order to soften the shells, but with a proper cracker this is not necessary. While the flavor is prized, the difficulty in preparing the Black Walnut may account for the wider popularity and availability of the Persian Walnut (in the United States misnamed the English Walnut).
The Black Walnut is native to Central Texas.
From Texas Walnuts:
The need for an outstanding variety with "Walnut Blight" resistance has long been appreciated by Dr. Shreve. He traveled to Hungary and Romania in 1979 and collected several promising cultivars which were evaluated at the TAMU Center at Uvalde. The best cultivars to date are Reda, Geoagiu 86, Orastie, Germisara, and Geoagiu 3 X 4 X 453. Under Texas conditions, these cultivars appear to be superior to the standard commercial varieties Payne, Eureka, Hartley, and Broadview.
General walnut cultural practices are very similar to that of the pecan and it is recommended that they be followed. For specific information on walnut care contact Dr. Larry A. Stein, Extension Horticulturist, P.O. Box 1849, Uvalde, TX 78802-1849. (ag)