If the basement is very damp, though, nuts will mould
there. For general storage, without having to move them from one place
to another for different seasons, nuts can be kept most practically in a
barn or outside shed. The only precaution necessary under such
circumstances is that they should be in a box or steel barrel to prevent
squirrels and mice from feeding on them, since barns and sheds are
easily accessible to these animals.
The kernels of black walnuts need not be discolored if the hulls of the
fresh nuts are removed as soon as the nuts are ripe. At my farm, we have
done this with an ordinary corn-sheller. The nuts, having been hulled
this way, are then soaked in water for a few hours to remove any excess
coloring matter left on their shells, after which they are dried for
several days out-of-doors, although not exposed to the sun since this
might cause them to crack open. Thorough drying is necessary before
sacking to prevent moulding. Kernels extracted from nuts treated this
way are very light in color like English walnuts. This enhances their
market value and they command a higher price when they are to be used
for culinary purposes such as cake frosting and candies where there is
exposure of large pieces or halves of the nut kernel.
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