The ripeness of a walnut is determined by the state of the green pericarp – when it cracks, the walnut is considered ripe and ready to be harvested. On a tree, the peel of the walnut does not crack evenly, the walnuts begin to ripen first from above, later from below. The position relative to the south and north also affects. However, this does not mean that the walnuts need to be harvested gradually, in fact, they ripen a little earlier. Therefore, when the first walnuts with a cracked pericarp appear on the tree, you can start harvesting the entire crop.
After harvesting, the walnut must be cleaned of the green pericarp as quickly as possible, since it contains large quantities of iodine, juglone and tannins. Succumbing to oxidation, these substances seep into the walnut and stain the kernel dark. The same happens with a walnut that has fallen on its own, from which the pericarp has not separated or has not completely separated.
Walnut cleaners quickly and efficiently clean green peels, wash away debris and dust. Depending on the model, they can peel up to 100, 300 or 700 kg of walnuts per hour.
In addition to high speed and time saving, the cleaners prevent darkening of hands (we all remember brown and even walnut-black hands from childhood) and surfaces with which the walnut comes into contact. Waste after cleaning is washed into a cesspool or a special drain. Some walnut growers use pericarp waste as fertilizer for walnut trees.
Purifiers are used in both households and farms. In industrial gardens, they are an integral part of the walnut harvesting, washing and drying line.