Remember me telling you about how Grandpa picks up black walnuts by the 5-gallon bucket full each year? They’re so potent you have to wear rubber gloves when you work with them, otherwise your hands smell like black walnuts for weeks. I’d hate to think what they do to your insides!

Between the hours spent collecting them and the hours spent shelling them, he also has to crack each one. This walnut sheller helps speed up the process. You stick the walnut between the piston, push the lever and crack the nut. I counted – there are nine different cracking settings, meaning you can fit all sizes of walnuts from the smallest to the meatiest walnut.

For the amount of time he puts into this every year, I don’t think the pay-back is worth it, but it gives him something to do and the bakers around town appreciate his effort.

Like I said, just watch what you’re eating and see if it passes the smell test if you’re not a fan of black walnuts.

Until our next history lesson …