How to crack walnuts in shell by hand

Two walnuts squeezed together crack more easily than one on its own, because the force meets where the shells touch. This works best with Kagzi walnuts. With a harder shell, move on to a tool.

With a nutcracker

A simple hinged nutcracker gives you the most control. Set the walnut between the jaws and press slowly until you hear the shell crack. Then stop: pressing harder crushes the kernel. Turn the walnut and crack it again in a new place if you need to.

Without a nutcracker

• A heavy pan or a rolling pin. Put the walnuts in a folded kitchen towel and press down with the base of a heavy pan, or give one firm tap with a rolling pin. The towel keeps the pieces together.
• A blunt knife. For Kagzi walnuts, slip the tip of a butter knife into the seam at the flat end and twist gently. The shell splits in two. Keep the blade pointing away from your hand.
• A pestle. Stand the walnut on a board, pointed end up, and tap the top with a pestle until it cracks.

Getting the kernel out whole

A walnut kernel sits in two halves, joined in the middle by a thin, papery wall. Once the shell is open, break the shell away from the kernel rather than pulling the kernel out of it. The papery bits are dry and slightly bitter, so pick them off. If a kernel breaks, the pieces are just as good for baking, chutney or a breakfast bowl.

Cracking for a crowd

In winter, a bowl of walnuts in shell on the table, with a nutcracker beside it, keeps guests busy and talking. If you need a lot of kernels for cooking, crack a batch in one sitting: a bowl for kernels on one side, a bowl for shells on the other, and a tray underneath to catch the bits.

Walnuts keep better in their shells than out of them, so crack what you will use in the next few days and store the rest whole. There is more on that in how to store dry fruits.