Windfalls

[bilmo-p5]

Found these windfalls in the street today.
Any ideas?
The fruit is abt 4cm long.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Walnuts, open 'em up.

 

[Harvestman]

Walnut?

I got 28lbs of windfall apples the other week, by dint of knowing where there are apple trees in various parts of the county. Lots of different varieties, and also some plums and two sorts of pears.

Made some awfully good jam!

 

[calibanzwei]

I'd say Walnut too.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Might be walnut, tear the leaves & there should be a charateristic smell........but they could be almonds too......open 'em up, that's the best way to see

 

[bilmo-p5]

........but they could be almonds too......

Go to the top of the class and give out the pencils, Mr BTW, they are indeed almonds,

 

[calibanzwei]

Blimey, well done

 

[Bushwhacker]

Cor, never knew they grew over here.

 

[treelore]

It's walnut, nice little find. If they ate still soft you can pickle them, nice with game. Save a few and either propergate them or scatter the fruiting body about.

 

[treelore]

They could be almonds, but they also could be small walnuts, is the skin smooth or slightly hairy ? If there smooth then it's walnut ( Juglans regia). But good call by blacktimber wolf, it ccould be almond. Better pic of the leafs would help

I love this forum

 

[Harvestman]

Hmm, forgot about almonds. Leaves are a little bit pointy for walnut, hence my initial doubt. Nice find.

 

[bilmo-p5]

The skin has like a peach fuzz and the nut certainly tastes of almond.

 

[Paulm]

What's the best way to get the outer skin off the walnut shell ? The ones I have might have been a bit unripe so seems very difficult/messy to get it off. Leave to dry out a bit perhaps so that they can be popped off ?

Cheers, Paul

 

[pango]

Careful with windfall almonds.

I used to collect them when I lived around the Med. If the nut is dark and over-ripe, I was told the cyanide they contain can be enough to make you ill. The safety measure is that they taste foul enough to make you want to puke!