Harvesting
Nuts and cobnuts
Walnuts, and any mouldy nuts, are toxic to dogs and can cause tremors and seizures; macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs too. Keep fallen nuts, husks and mouldy nuts away from pets and clear the ground where dogs roam.
- Where to get help
- Your vet, Animal PoisonLine, or the Veterinary Poisons Information Service.
Cobnuts are eaten fresh and milky in season but must be dried and cured to store without going mouldy. Drying prevents mould, which spoils the nut and can be harmful. Nuts left on the ground soon take up damp and are taken by wildlife.
When
Late August to October. Pick cobnuts and hazelnuts from late August in their green husks for fresh eating, or leave them until October and brown for storing. Gather walnuts and sweet chestnuts September to October as they fall.
How
1. Pick cobnuts and hazelnuts from the bush by hand when the husk edge just begins to brown, or gather fallen ripe nuts from the ground. 2. For tall trees, wait for natural fall or beat higher branches gently. 3. Remove the husks from nuts you intend to store. 4. Dry the nuts spread in a single layer in a warm, airy place for a week or two. 5. Store the cured, dry nuts somewhere cool, dry and mouse-proof. 6. Get to them before the squirrels do.
Notes
Cobnut and hazelnut (Corylus), walnut, sweet chestnut. Kentish cobnuts are a traditional Kent crop. Walnut husks stain hands and clothes, so wear gloves. On tall walnut or chestnut trees, gather fallen nuts rather than climbing.