The black walnut is a a variety of walnut tree producing nuts with bitter meat and a very hard, black shell. I remember the racks of harvested walnuts laid out in the greenhouses at home, and then all hands to the deck to pull off the green skins to reveal the nuts inside. It was the only time we were allowed to the table for meals with dirty hands as our fingers and nails were completely stained by the work and the colour took days to fade.
