The drupaceous nut

A gale coming in fits and starts rocked the walnut trees and brought down a huge quantity of drupaceous nuts, some entirely shorn of their black jackets, others still enclosed in the soaked slimey skin.

I collected like crazy in the big field under driving rain and growling thunder. What was not collected today will I fear fall to the boar already so much in evidence now the soil is churnable by their tireless snouts.

I reckon I collected between 40 and 50 kilos of walnuts, most of which I shucked off the outer layer in situ. What was a pleasant walk, a purposeful amble, around the field has become rather intense labour with an awful lot of bending and stained hands.

Once collected and shorn of much of their outer layer as I can manage I chuck them in an old 25l paint pot with water and churn them violently with my cement mixer on a stick. It is quite effective and breakages are minimal.

Lots more still to do in the fenced land over the weekend and that will probably be enough: harvest done.