Walnut harvest typically arrives on the dot during the last week of March and lasts for around 6 weeks through mid May.
Eight vintage trees line the northern boundary providing a large canopy of shade in summer and way too many leaves to round up during winter. However, at over 100 years old they are giants and a bumper 350 kilos were collected from both sides of the fence this season.
Picking (up) is usually twice daily, particularly if there’s been rain or a howling wind and it’s labour intensive – collection is done with a specially designed roller and by hand – it’s the only way round it. Once collected they’re dried on racks in the farm shed before being bagged and transported up the road to Uncle Joe’s walnut plant. Here they’re dried in a commercial drier for 24 hours then lined up on a converyor belt for sorting for the various products; shelled nuts, walnut oil, walnut butter.
Rowley walnuts have a subtle maple flavour and are a marriage made in heaven with blue cheeses, pear and quince paste or guava jelly. Uncle Joe’s walnut oil has a delicate nutty flavour like no other oil I’ve tasted – it’s exceptional. It’s especially good dipped with fresh crusty bread.
Uncle Joe’s produce award winning walnut oil as well as a large range of seed oils and fine flours made from seed pressings for the gluten free market.
