I have a macadamia tree what do I do with the nuts?

New Zealand macadamias are generally ripening from May onwards, but varieties and latitude determine the time. They can be divided into two main categories, - Stickers or Droppers? In general pink flowering varieties (tetraphylla hybrids) are stickers whereas white flowers (Integrifolia hybrids) are droppers and are harvested fromthe ground.

Droppers
Pick these up from the ground every other day, remove any husks which are still adhering to the nuts and put in open weave sacks and hang up in a cool dry place for 8 - 12 weeks. Punch the sack several times a week to move the nuts around. Discard and burn any blackened, damaged or split nuts.

Stickers
These are picked when the inside lining of the husk has changed to a brown colour similar to the colour of the shell. Pick a few from different parts of the tree to assess. When the desired browness is reached pick all the nuts and remove the husks as soon as possible (Chineka offers a dehusking service). Do not leave them in buckets or heaps, as they will sweat and go mouldy. If you are unable to husk immediately, spread out in a thin layer on a dry floor and remove husks as soon as possible, thereafter.

Drying
Put in open weave sacks, and hang up in a cool dry place for 8 - 12 weeks. Punch the sack several times a week to move the nuts around. Weigh one sack fortnightly and record the reduction in weight. Over this period the moisture content will reduce to approximately 10-12 %. When the weight no longer reduces the nuts are as dry as they will get in this facility. And will need to be moved to somewhere drier to complete the process. Well dried nuts can be stored for long periods - if stored in a cool, dry place, the nuts will keep well for a year. Do not use heat above 30° C until the nuts are reduced to 10% moisture content. Once the moisture content is down to 10 - 12% moisture content the nuts can have heat applied to dry them further. Heat applied early with result in a rubbery textured nut.

Opening
Macadamias take up moisture from the air, so when wanting to eat them, remove a few handfuls and complete the drying process by placing the nuts on a tray and putting them in the oven, after it has been switched off. Leave overnight. Do this for 4 or 5 consecutive nights and the shell will become quite brittle and be easier to open. Crack open in the next 24 hours. (Chineka has excellent macadamia nut crackers for sale). A shelling service is offered by Chineka. Alternatively use a dehydrator on a low setting to complete the drying. Do not heat above 58° C when drying. Putting nuts in the freezer makes the shell brittle and therefore easier to open however this should not be done until the moisture content is down to 10%. Once cracked they should be kept in airtight containers and stored in the fridge or freezer, and consumed within one month.

Dry Roasting Macadamias
Use nuts which have been thoroughly dried. Preheat oven to 110 - 120C. Place nuts in a single layer on a shallow dry pan. Do not roast pieces and wholes together as they brown unevenly. Roast for 10 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven as soon as they start to colour as they continue to cook after removal. Nuts can also be heated in “Crockpots”.Sprinkle with salt, if desired, and eat either hot or cold.

Health
Macadamias contain plant sterols so in conjunction with a recommended diet, hospital studies have shown 6 - 20 macadamias a day can reduce cholesterol by 7% over 4 weeks. Macadamias are high in Selenium, important for general well-being and sperm mobility. New research indicates macadamias are not fattening, in some instances they can assist in weight reduction, and are recommended by Weight Watchers in calory controlled diets.

Field days
Learn more about macadamias, attend one of Virginia’s informative and interesting field days, held several times annually - to register your interest, send contact details to Chineka Macadamias.

Publication
"Macadamias in New Zealand" by Virginia Warren. A "How to" book giving information on the growing and processing of macadamias for both home gardeners and serious large scale growers. Giving details of how to construct a home made dehusker and many more essential things about growing and processing macadamias.