For the time and energy involved I would just go and buy a bag of walnut halves. Then you would the walnuts perfect for christmas decorations.

june

They sell the shells already cracked in half? NO WAY! Where, June?

Off to google some more!

I think June may be talking about nut meats - not the shells..

I once saw a really cute walnut ornament. It had a little fairy scene inside of it. It was just the cutest thing ever!

Oh, that makes sense, sorry I wasn't more clear, June! Thanks, though, and thanks, Iowagirl, for helping me, too. I'm wanting perfect shell halves. Don't care much about the nut meat, although we will eat them, never fear!

OK, I kept on googling and I found this- roast them at 250 for 35 minutes and then slip the tip of a thin knife blade in and start wiggling it around, gently.

I'm headed to the store to buy more nuts, I hope they have some left. It's hard to find them without the DIAMOND logo stamped on them in red.... I have to pick thru the mixed nuts and look for ones with good potential. Who knew this would be so hard?

A little fairy scene? Awwww. I want one. I don't think I want to make 24 of 'em, but I bet they were adorable.

I've always used a sharp knife to open walnuts. Just stick the knife point into the top (seam) and start twisting..it should pop the seam open. Do this very carefully!*S*

Heck...I'm be willing to go buy some walnuts and crack them open,then send the shell halves to you! Want me to do that?

Flamey, how about a good whack with the hammer, on one side of the nut only. (good aim, and a good pair of gloves would help. ;)

This should possibly open it, and you would still have the other half without any flaws?

Tried that yet?

Moni

Sorry, I can't help you with the walnut cracking. I haven't done that since I was a kid and I don't remember much about it except my hands were stained.

Just out of curiousity, are you going to make flamingos out of the shells?

Linda

I found some 'diecast' plastic ones on eBay.

Here is a link that might be useful: eBay shells

I went through a lot of walnuts to get a few good halves when I made mouse ornaments one year. Hope you find an easy way that works.

Are you talking about fresh walnuts right from the tree?? My mother has a walnut tree and harvests them. I know they have to be really dry and I think she scores them and uses a hammer. I know she says it is a tough job.

If you mean FRESH walnuts, I can call her and ask her for her trick on how she does it.

This is what a fresh walnut looks like. No, those aren't limes. The fresh green ones are often used as decor and potpourri. They give off a strong scent when they still have the rind green.

*I see that there is info on Google on how to deal with fresh walnuts. I am going to check to see if there are any tricks.

Dilly...I think Flamey is probably talking about "ENGLISH" Walnuts. Those in your picture are BLACK Walnuts! Short of SAWING the black walnuts in half..there's no way to open the walnut in two halves.

English Walnuts have a "seam" that runs around the nut (long-ways) and their shells can be opened in 2 pieces.
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Are you talking about black walnuts or English walnuts? English walnuts are easy--just use a nutcracker down the "seams". Now, black walnuts would be a big problem, I think.

I was just going to ask the same question...I think English walnuts come apart easier...

If it is Black walnuts and old ones come apart easier...then put them in a wire box that squirrels can't get into and let them grow old outside. When it gets time to start making them...maybe they'll come apart easier.

patti

I do not know much about opening walnuts but I know it is an ordeal. I know my mother puts them in cages for a long time and I thought it was to dry them out but according to the site I linked to below it is just the opposite - It is done so the outer rind will get softer, if I understood correctly what I read. I do know they have to be aged or whatever and cannot be opened fresh.

I never heard the term "English walnuts". We always called them "those ones from the store" to differentiate from the ones from our walnut trees. Glad to know! Now I have a name for them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Opening Walnuts

Hey, all you nuts! lol I just got back from the store where I had to hunt down the mixed nuts, they moved 'em just to scare me into thinking they were all gone. They were in the dairy dept, go figure.

Bump, what a lovely offer, but I just bought about 40 English walnuts to try to pop open. If I can't do it, I'll mail 'em to you and you can try!

We have black walnut trees, too, in fact one hangs over our deck and it's deadly in the fall. lol Messy, too, turns out whole deck black every year from all the debris it drops.

We don't even try to harvest these things, we lob them over the fence and let the squirrels gnaw into them for the small nut.

I can remember as a kid opening English walnuts and getting 2 perfect halves of the shell. Nowadays, though, it seems like the seam is the strongest part of the shell and it breaks everywhere else BUT on the seam. So I'll be trying the oven trick.

Thanks for all the help and responses and offers, ladies. I'll let you know if I'm successful.

Lydia, I forgot to say thanks for looking those up. I had actually seen them, thought to look on Ebay and Etsy for raw materials, but no luck. I don't care for the flat side on the plastic one, but they would work for little scenarios for sure.

Moni, tried the hammer. Smithereens, baby! Broken shells, intact joints. lol

I use to pry them open with a good strong paring knife.

You could combine that idea with Moni's hammer.......
set the nut on a cutting board - line the knife up with the seam - wack lightly with the hammer.

I don't remember it being a big problem. I think I squeezed lightly with a nut cracker (just to loosen the seam) then pry them open.

If all else fails, put them in a vise grip, and use a hack saw...................

All I could find

Here is a link that might be useful: might help

If worse comes to worse, you could make your own mold with a real walnut (see linky) then use a bake-able clay or another modeling compound to make how ever many you need.

Here is a link that might be useful: Making clay molds

If you have a small vice like a crafting one, that might work. Put them in so the edges are against the metal part and close very slow and very careful. You also could try a light small hammer, wrap the walnut in a wash cloth and tap it where they are joined.

Just to clarify , I did mean the walnut halves minus the shells. Sorry for the confusion.

june

I think I was more confusing than you were, June. Thanks for trying to help!

Nikki, I saw that one- I've tried a few of their methods to no avail.

Lydia, molding is a good idea and I may have to do that if nothing else works, great thought!

Marie, I've tapped, dug, pried, pushed, banged, etc- nothing is working! I'm toasting these suckers tomorrow. Another friend suggested freezing- I tried that but not for long enough so I'll try that again, tonight, overnight.

I know what you're all thinking- this can't be that hard! Well, it is. LOL I'm usually pretty good at doing stuff and cracking these shells down the seam is not easy and it's downright frustrating!

If you go to the store and buy some walnuts and they pop right open for you...... don't tell me! You'll kill me! Or better yet, send me the halves! rofl I need 24, but I want more so I can pick and choose.

You;ve tried everthing else, what about boiling them, or soaking in water or steaming them to soften the "joint" . worth a try maybe???????????

If you have a small craft vice that will hold the nutshell maybe try using a piece of felt before tightening it to protect the shell, try tapping the seam with a strong nail file by hitting it with a little hammer, lol a sledge hammer might not have the desired effect you are looking for... ;^)..It worked for me and I didn't do anything to them after bringing home from the grocery store other than let them sit in a bowl over the xmas season. I made mice with mine too.

Black walnuts are excellent in many baking recipes. I get mine from a local tree farmer who considers them a nuisance. By the time I get there they usually are black and ready to have the husk taken off. I leave them in the garage for 3 to 4 days and then store them till I'm ready to use them in my Christmas baking. The English Walnuts are handy, but they can't compare to the taste of Black walnuts.

Black walnut ice cream.... Yummmmmm!