Dry the walnuts for 2 to 3 weeks.
Black walnuts have to be dry before you crack them open. If you harvested the walnuts yourself, store them in a large pile in a well ventilated area, like a garage. Try to keep them away from moisture to avoid mold and rot. Watch out for squirrels! Critters love to eat black walnuts.
Set the walnut on top of a rock.
Black walnuts can and will break dishes and plates. Instead, find a large, solid rock that’s mostly flat to use for your walnut breaking surface. If you have a spice grinder, that works too. Anything made of basalt is usually strong enough to stand up to black walnuts.
Hit the walnut with a hammer until you hear a crack.
Pinch the walnut in between 2 fingers to keep it steady. Carefully hold a hammer over the nut with your other hand (try to keep your fingers out of the way). Using steady, even pressure, hit the walnut with the hammer 3 to 4 times in the same spot until you hear a slight cracking noise. If you can tell where the seam is on your walnut, try to aim for that area. It can be a little hard to see though, so don’t worry if you can’t find it.
Rotate the walnut to a different side.
Your walnut shell won’t be broken just yet. Rotate the walnut about 1/3 of the way, then pinch it between your fingers again. Use the hammer to hit the walnut 3 to 4 times until you hear a crack in the new spot, then rotate the walnut and hit it again. Keep rotating and using the hammer until parts of the shell fall apart. Depending on the size of the walnut, this could take a full circular rotation.
Pry the nuts out of the shells with your hands.
You should be able to see the pale, fleshy nuts on the inside of the shell. Carefully pry the nuts out of the shells, trying not to crack them as you do. Use your fingernails to really dig them out and separate the nuts from the shells. This can be tough to do by hand, especially if it’s your first time. Don’t give up!
Use cutting pliers on tough shells.
If a shell is really giving you trouble, grab a pair of snips. Gently cut the shell surrounding the nut into little bits so you can carefully scrape them away. In time, you’ll be able to free the nut from its shell. You can find cutting pliers at most hardware stores.
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