Butternuts

Butternut kernels, dried. Scientific identity: Juglans cinerea L. Edible part: Dried nut kernel; shell and husk are excluded. Exact source form: Nuts, butternuts, dried, corresponding to USDA FoodData Central FDC 170570.

The elongated, hard-shelled nut of the North American butternut tree—not butternut squash.

Common name

Butternuts

Scientific name

Juglans cinerea

Family

Juglandaceae

Edition

Core Edibles

Flavor

Sweet · rich · walnut-like

Texture

Oily · crisp

Season

Fall

Best storage

Dry · cold for longevity

Great for

Snack · bake · grind

Know this

Tree-nut allergen; wild identification required

This is a large native tree, not squash. Butternut canker threatens the species, so source seed legally and never move diseased material.

START WITH

Fresh, sound butternut nuts from a correctly identified Juglans cinerea tree

CLIMATE

Cold-temperate; roughly zones 3–7

LIGHT

Full sun

SOIL

Deep, fertile, moist but well-drained soil

1. 1

   Start it

   Keep nuts in their shells. Refrigerate in barely moist material for 90–120 days, or plant 2–3 inches deep outdoors in fall under rodent-proof mesh.

2. 2

   Give it room

   Transplant while young and allow 40–60 feet from buildings and other canopy trees.

3. 3

   Water correctly

   Water deeply during dry weeks for the first 2–3 years; mulch without touching the trunk.

4. 4

   Care for it

   Protect from rodents and deer. Do not prune in spring when sap flows heavily; remove and report cankered branches according to local guidance.

5. 5

   Harvest

   Collect mature nuts after husks yellow-brown and begin dropping. Wear gloves, remove husks, wash, and cure nuts dry before cracking.

Seed-grown trees may need 7–20 years to produce nuts.

Collect mature nuts after husks yellow-brown and begin dropping. Wear gloves, remove husks, wash, and cure nuts dry before cracking.