How do I crack a Brazil nut without breaking the nut?

In Questions Tags #brazil-nuts Published 3/21/2022

How to efficiently crack a Brazil nut without cracking the inner kernel.

Question

How do I crack a Brazil nut without breaking the nut?

Answer

  • Freeze the Brazil nuts or soak them in water for several hours before cracking. When it's time to crack them, stand up the frozen nuts with the point facing up and hit with a hard object such as a hammer or a meat clever.
  • Crack soaked nuts with a nutcracker. Place the nut in the grip of the nutcracker so that the seam of the shell is subjected to the direct force.
  • It's important to use only the minimum force necessary to split the shell when squeezing in order to avoid crushing the nut inside.

Tip: Rotate the nut while squeezing so the shell cracks slowly.

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