mmmmmmmm - Macadamians!

Somehow I once had some macadamia nuts in the shell. As I recall the shells were incredibly hard (and rolled about a lot). Not sure if I ever even got one open.

Am I remembering this right?

Are they like our black walnuts with an outer coating that eventually softens to allow the shell to be freed and then you crack the shell to get to the edible nut? Love those macadamia nut cookies!

Barb, I couldn't crack those shells with a hammer and even the squirrels gave up! I can crack black walnuts but these.....! However do they get them open? Power tools?

These nuts are native to Australia, and yes they do have very hard shells. When I was young we called them 'pople nuts' and you had to get them in a crack in the brickwork and hit very hard with the hammer to have any chance of getting them open.

Macadamias are one of my favorite types of nut, too. I'd never seen them growing, or even in the shell. Very interesting! Thanks, Kate.

You all didn't try hard enough. According to what I googled here's the answer:
Set a macadamia nut in a recess either in the ground or in a rock. Hit the nut with a rock or a hammer to break it open.

Step 2Use a nutcracker that's specifically designed for opening macadamia nuts. You can More...

I am also sure they are calorie neutral. Any calories the nuts may contain were burned off getting at them!

Nice thought Ku-ring-gai Kate Makes me wonder at how the Aboriginal people got them open (roasting on a fire first? boiling? force? all 3?) They don't grow over here so I've not seen them on the tree like this--thanks

The macadamia is native to a small areas in southern Queensland and northern NSW, but it is also almost extinct because it's native habitat is being taken over by macadamia plantations!!!!!It was named after an Australian doctor whose name was John Macadam. They were sent to Hawaii in 1890. The More...

PS. The green husk has to come off before you try & crack the shell! When it's ripe the husk cracks an is fairly easy to get off. In our old place we had 2 trees that we'd grown from fresh unprocessed nuts, they both bore fruit. Our dog liked macadamia nuts & she'd pick them off the lower More...

If anyone wishes to rush out and order a B.O.N.K. macadamia nut ... they're on sale today, reduced from $32.99 to $25.95 Australian dollars! More...

Oops -- I should have said "nutcracker" above. Hopefully the nut is a little cheaper!

Hi Kate - I was going to say that but couldn't work out how to explain it in a public forum! Also wasn't sure I wanted to admit to owning one in a public forum!

Well, this has certainly been good fun

mmm Can't wait till someone else cracks these open for me!
Thanks Kate, ever the educator.