Macadamia nuts are very hard to crack, even after being boiled or roasted. A regular nutcracker won't be able to crack these nuts, and other harsh methods like cracking them with a hammer can cause the soft nuts inside to crumble. Read on to learn about two methods you can use to crack a macadamia nut.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Using Grip Pliers and Hammer
Step 1. Gather your equipment
You can replace the macadamia nutcracker with grip pliers, which can hold nuts, and a flat hammer.
- Grip pliers are a common tool tool available at most hardware stores. If you like to eat macadamia nuts and often open their shells, then buying this tool will be very useful for opening the shells of macadamia nuts (although you may also use them for other purposes).
- Be sure to choose a hammer with a flat surface, do not use a round surface. You need to apply the same compressive force throughout the nut shell.
- If you don't have a metal table, you can use any other metal hard surface as well. Hard surfaces such as granite, glass, concrete or wood can be damaged by hammer pressure, so make sure you are working on a metal surface.
Step 2. Grasp the nuts with grip pliers
Place it so that the shell gap is facing up, do not place it inside the inside of the pliers. Hold the pliers tightly.
Step 3. Place the nuts you are holding on to a metal surface
Hold the pliers tightly and make sure your grip is secure, as the nuts can slip when pressed by the hammer.
Step 4. Hammer down the nuts
Try to put hammer pressure in the crack of the nut shell so it will open properly. Lift the hammer up as the nut shells begin to open.
- You may need to try this method a few times before you get the hang of how much pressure you need to apply.
- It's important to lift the hammer after pressing it or backing it down, as this will prevent the hammer's pressure from crushing the macadamia nuts inside the shell.
Step 5. Remove the nuts from the handle of the pliers
The nut shells will come off and the nuts inside will be ready for you to eat or use in your cooking.
Method 2 of 2: Using a Hole in a Rock
Step 1. Find the rock with the hole
This method originated in Hawaii and is still widely used there to crack macadamia nuts. The stone will provide a flat surface to hold the nuts in position. Look for a small hole that is deep enough to fit the nuts, but shallow enough that the nuts will stick out of the hole.
- If you live in an area of volcanic rock, you may be able to find hollow rock of a suitable size.
- If you don't live near volcanic rock, look for limestone or rock chips with natural small holes in them. Some people manage to use cracks in the road; but be careful because you can damage the path by using this method.
Step 2. Place the stone with the hole facing up
Place it carefully so that the shell gap is facing up and nothing is in your way of hitting the stone to open the shell.
Step 3. Hit the stone over the nuts
Any heavy stone that has a flat surface will work for you. Hold the rock tightly, up and over your head, then hit the macadamia nut shell. These peanut shells should be able to open immediately.
- Lift the rock back up as soon as you hit it. If you keep pressing it against the shell, you may crush the nuts inside.
- If you have trouble breaking the shell, try different angles and stones of different sizes and shapes.
Step 4. Remove the nuts
Watch the nuts to make sure there are no stones or rock fragments adhering to them. You may need to wash them before eating.
Step 5. Done
Tips
- Cracked shells of macadamia nuts are said to make good garden mulch.
- Peanuts without shells don't taste as good as nuts with shells on, because peanut oil will spoil when exposed to air. Store the unshelled nuts in the refrigerator for up to a week afterward. Only break as many nuts as you normally need to prevent them from going to waste.
- Watch out for shell splinters. These flakes can fly in all directions when under pressure from the hammer. Break the shell in an area of the house that you can easily clean and cover it with old newspaper that you can throw away immediately.
- Some people say that macadamia nuts that are kept in the refrigerator an hour before they are cracked are easier to crack after.
