The NutCrusher Mk1

This year was a boom for pecans here in SE Texas and I put my new arbor press to good use. A different technique I use is to crack the ends off using the arbor press then the rest is easily removed using a standard nut cracker. They are like little barrels with the ends popped off.
 

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PabloMack I'm not far away. Would you sell me a couple pounds shipped to 71107?
 
neato. Didn't see any whole nuts in stores the few times I went shopping recently and didn't think to order any online. I better get some for New Years :D
 
BROCKWOOD said:
PabloMack I'm not far away. Would you sell me a couple pounds shipped to 71107?
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I'd hate to sell unshelled nuts because so many of them are bad. The guys who built our house planted one of each type of many varieties so we don't have two trees that are alike. The most prolific tree makes scads of tiny nuts that are a lot of work to make just one cup of nuts. Our favorite tree produced many beautiful large nuts over the years and very easy to shell. We have had many thieves come steal our pecans. One of them parked a very nice expensive pickup truck in our driveway and put a ladder in the bed (so its not like they are poor people in need for basic sustenance). Two men beat and broke that tree up so badly that it is a sick shadow of its former self and doesn't produce much any more. But we do have some beautiful whole nuts from years past that have been in the freezer. Since they are not fresh they don't have the flavor that the new ones have. But they are the best looking. The other trees produce a variety of nuts in different shapes and sizes and they are more work to shell. Most have hard shells that require a lot of force to crack and the result is that most are broken in different ways. I have been popping the ends off them like I described before but my wife has been finishing them. She has been trying to get enough to give as gifts to our extended family for Christmas. When I told her that I had a buyer from the hobby machinist forum she balked and gave me the sob story of how sore her hands have gotten in trying to shell enough to give as presents. She complains that it would not even be enough to make minimum wage.

In any case, I just wanted to tell you about our situation and ask you what you are after. Some people want good looking ones to go on cookies so appearance is most important. Appearance is also most important for candied ones since they are often flavored with cinnamon and baked so intrinsic flavor would mostly be masked anyway. Others intend to chop them up and put them into sticky buns or some other pastry where flavor is highest priority. Tell me what you are interested in and I'll see if we can accommodate. The frozen ones could ship now but if you want best flavor then I am afraid we will not be able to supply ideal looking pecans as they are mostly all damaged in some way. The many varieties means that they are in many difference shapes and sizes. They will also take us a while to prepare since it is still a lot of work to get at the pecans that we have from this year and we are still working on the gifts for our relatives. My wife says that current grocery store prices are about $15 a pound. There are suppliers on Amazon and their going price seems to start at about $16 per pound. I've seen 2 pounds for $32 and free shipping.

Best wishes for you and your family during this holiday season.
 
Sad about poachers. I like to ask them where they live in case I get in the mood to do donuts in someone's front yard.

Your wife has a heart of gold, giving her part for loved ones. I wouldn't want to intrude. Merry Christmas!
 
BROCKWOOD said:
Sad about poachers. I like to ask them where they live in case I get in the mood to do donuts in someone's front yard.
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Back when I was in school, some 200 years ago, I remember walking home and noticing some plump, ripe apples in a tree in a yard and overhanging the fence and sidewalk. I reached up, grabbed an apple, picked it and started away with by ill-gotten booty when I realized too late that my favourite shirt had got caught on the picket fence. My shirt was torn beyond usefulness. That apple did not taste very good.

I learned a lesson about karma that day.

Brian
 
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