Those Clever Squirrels

Walnut Bread

Drawing by Vicki Smith

Hello,

Don’t worry. This isn’t a post about squirrel stew.

Every autumn, I find black walnut shells in my yard that have been cracked open by squirrels. Black walnuts differ from the English variety commonly found in grocery stores. The black walnuts are generally more expensive due to the difficulty in cracking them open, have a higher percentage of tannins making them slightly bitter, but are highly nutritious. Several years ago, I gathered a few, but the quantity of nut meat collected versus the effort was not encouraging. This year, I have decided to give it another try. If I must risk being hit on the head by falling walnuts as I sit on my patio and clean up the mess after those clever squirrels have cracked open these nuts, I would like a share of the harvest!

Black walnuts resemble a slightly smaller version of a lime-green tennis ball. They begin to fall in New Jersey between August and mid-October and should be gathered soon after they hit the ground and before they turn brown. Wearing gloves is a must so that the tannins do not stain your hands. My mom made this unfortunate discovery quite by accident when she gathered some years ago. The tannins are very difficult to wash off. That outer lime-green portion is the hull and can be removed once you can make a depression in it with your (gloved) finger. Roll the nut underneath your foot to remove the hull, and then vigorously rinse them with a garden hose. Dry with paper towels. Continue the drying process for several weeks in a well-ventilated area until you can shake the shell and hear movement inside. I’m drying mine right now following the advice of Edible NJ and plan on covering them with a tea towel and using a hammer to crack them open. Hopefully. I will keep you posted.

This walnut bread recipe is made with toasted English walnuts and is very closely based on a recipe on the King Arthur website. I have been cutting the recipe in half, making one loaf at a time instead of two, switching out some of the white flour for whole wheat, and cutting back on the amount of honey. The texture of the bread is dense without being too heavy and slices easily without crumbling to make toast. As they point out on the website, it is a good sandwich bread. It was also quite simple to make. I infrequently make bread as evidenced by my yeast being way past the expiration date.

Walnut Bread

Ingredients

3/4 c. warm water

1 1/2 t. yeast

2 T. honey

2 T. olive oil, plus extra for rising

3/4 t. salt

1 1/2 c. unbleached white flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

cornmeal

Directions

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add 1/2 cup of the white flour and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Stir in the honey, oil, and salt. Add the remaining flour, one cup at a time, until the dough is shaggy. Place the dough on a board and knead until you have a smooth ball. Place the dough in a bowl, drizzle with oil, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp tea towel and rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours. Deflate the dough and knead in the walnuts. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Again, cover with a damp tea towel and rise a second time for 30-45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°. Sprinkle flour on top of the loaf, and use a serrated knife to slash a cross in the top that is about 1" deep. Bake the loaf for 35-45 minutes, until it has browned and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.

Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Thank you for reading, liking, commenting, and sharing!

Vicki

p.s. Please get in touch with me if you are interested in buying any of my art. However, the squirrel drawing has been sold.