walnut tree?

[welshmum]

I have found a tree that I think is awalnut variety. Just after a little advice about it. At the moment the nutty bits are very unripe. They also have a sticky residue on them. They are quite large in size (just under a golf ball at the moment). The leaves are very large as is the tree itself. Some of the leaves are nearly dinner plate in size. I am new to foraging and this will be my first nut tree find I have got pictures but havent uploaded them yet

[Dave]

Hello Welshmum just saw your post - is the tree near you, could you go back? They should be ripening up a bit more by now, the casing should fall off quite easily, they can have a sort of sticky residue to them, it will stain your hands if you don't wear gloves.

The main identifier is the nut - if you remove the outer casing and it looks like a walnut, then break it open and it still looks like a walnut, then it probably is a walnut. Down here they got to there best around mid-September so I'd go back to the tree and get as many as you can before the squirrels get them all.

Go to google images and type walnut tree, you should get a few images that might help you cross-reference.

[oldjerry]

The walnuts can be pickled green,they are one of the great delicacies.

[MKG]

Yeah, but they don't stay green, do they

I love the things but I have to close my eyes to get them in my mouth.

Mike

[Millymollymandy]

I suggest you google walnut tree/leaves because we don't want you eating something which isn't edible! Your description of the leaves doesn't sound right to me for walnuts! If it is a walnut though you will know when the nuts are ripe as the green outer casing will start to split open and then the nut which you will recognise will drop.

I've found a photo for you - does it look like this?

[oldjerry]

I think you'd only mistake walnuts at this time of year for horse chestnuts,so not too much to worry about.If the tree is relatively young,the leaves could well be larger;in recent years faster fruiting varieties have become available and one I scrumped afew weeks back(Thanks English Heritage! and sorry,but they would have gone to waste),was only about 10 years old and covered in immature walnuts,and the leaves were bigger than I would have expected.

[welshmum]

well the walnut bits do look like those! But the leaves are not quite right. The insides of the nuts are not showing brown yet but everything else sounds right. I do live in south wales (high in a valley) so could be that we are later here. I will be back in that area tomorrow so will definitely go and have another look then.

So next question, how do you pickle green walnuts? Might try that with some green ones and then go back for ripe ones!

[Dave]

Can you post a picture of the tree? I'm a little intrigued by the leaves - how are they formed? Are the leaves pinnate (leaves opposite each other) or are the palmate (hand shaped)?
You've missed the window of opportunity for pickling green walnuts, the trick is to get them while they're under-ripe before the shell forms. I pickled some last year, they were around at the same time as the cherries - I think it was the tail end of May.

[welshmum]

I have had had a look at the leaves and I would describe them as more palmeate in shape. The nuts are also a little more pointed at the end so the shape is a little different too. I am havign trouble getting the picture off y mobile could they be white walnuts as i have read that these appear a little more pointed?

[Dave]

Hmm, I don't know of any Juglans (walnut) species with palmate leaves. White walnuts can get pointy as can Japanese heart nuts but both are more common in America. I'm sure we're missing something here, open one up does it look like this


If it has a spiky casing for the fruit/nut it could be a chestnut or horse chestnut and not a walnut.

[Dave]

I should say they're not usually as big as they are in that picture - I think those are from Thailand.

[Millymollymandy]

Cor, they'd take some nutcrackers!

Had a quick look in my orchard yesterday and the nuts are starting to drop!!! Only a couple but it feels much too early.

[Dave]

Someone said they were ready here too, I'm sure it was a couple of weeks later than this last year. Will take a look when I get a chance to escape my desk

[welshmum]

Well I havent been back to swansea yet but I did go out with the children to a local country park this afternoon and found what is definitely a walnut tree. I have the blackened fingers to proof it this time. But, the walnuts have already gone, I only managed to forage a handfull. Both trees have only half dozen nuts left on each tree. But atleast I know where to look next year!

My phone has officially decided that it is keeping my swansea tree picture hostage and I will need to get another one to share. I am not giving up on that tree. It wont beat me.

[Marmalady]

i came across this tree yesterday and it has been suggested that it is a walnut. However, the fruits are soft inside - no shell.
Can anyone identify it?

thanks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marmalady_uk/4993077856/

(sorry for flickr link , new on here and havent worked out how to add a photo to the post)

Marmalady