We answer the most common questions that our customers have when planning a walnut processing.
1. What is the weight of the walnut kernel compared to the shell?
From 3 kg of walnuts in the shell, on average, you can get 1 kg of the kernel and 2 kg of the shell and partitions. With a good varietal walnut, the ratio can be 1.5 kg of kernel per 1.5 kg of shell.
2. What kind of nutcracker should I buy to get a whole "butterfly" kernel?
First of all, the quality of the walnut itself affects the yield of the whole “butterfly” kernel: if the quality walnut is moderately dry, it is important to choose a nutcracker with a gentle cracking. These include all cone nutcrackers, they cracking the walnut shell and do not damage the kernel.
If the walnut is greedy, with a thick shell and partitions ingrown into the kernel, the nutcracker will not be able to affect the output of the kernel. The very structure of such a walnut does not allow obtaining a whole kernel. When processing a greedy walnut, you need to pick up a high-quality steel nutcracker, and on an industrial scale, a walnut cracker is used.
3. The kernel crumbles/breaks during processing. Why and what to do?
The kernel can crumble for several reasons:
1. Nutcracker compresses and crushes the kernel too much. In this case, it is necessary to adjust the nutcracker to the size of the walnut, if possible, or replace the nutcracker with a more gentle one.
2. The walnut is overdried. This happens when improper drying or storage in a too dry and hot room, or the walnut is old, last year. With small volumes, the elasticity of the walnut can be restored by placing it in a humid environment or by soaking it. However, it is important to understand that after cracking the kernel must be dried, otherwise mold may appear. With industrial volumes, this method will not work, so the nut just needs to be processed into 1/4, 1/8 and crumbs.
3. Got a greedy / thick-skinned walnut. In fact, it does not crumble, but because of its structure, it simply does not give a whole kernel.
4. How to peel the kernel from the shell?
Any nutcracker, both domestic and industrial, only cracks a walnut. After cracking, the kernel must be separated from the shell and partitions. In home processing, this is done manually. If you want to automate the process, you can use an aspiration column. Aspiration with an air stream blows out lighter particles - the shell and partitions, and sends the kernel to a separate container. The suction column can be used both in home business and in production. At the same time, to automate and increase the volume of processing, it is more efficient to use a vibrating sieve with an aspiration system - it simultaneously sorts the walnuts into fractions and separately blows out the shell and partitions from each fraction.
5. Does aspiration completely free you from manual sorting?
The principle of operation of aspiration is that it blows out light particles (shells and partitions) from heavy ones (kernels). Accordingly, there are errors and large pieces of shell, which are heavy, may fall into the compartment for the kernel. Aspiration significantly reduces the amount of manual labor, but it will not be possible to completely abandon it.
There is also a dependence on the quality of the walnut:
- wet walnut has high elasticity and heavy weight, after cracking it retains its integrity. Therefore, before using the equipment, the walnut must be dried to the optimum moisture content;
- a greedy walnut that has not been cracked enough is difficult to sort automatically. Therefore, it must first be cracked in a walnut breaker on a rough split.
What questions do you have? Write in the comments.