Narrator:
THE WALNUT HAS BEEN CULTIVATED
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS,
BUT ITS ACTUAL DISCOVERY
REMAINS A MYSTERY.
SOME OF THE EARLIEST EVIDENCE
OF THE WALNUT
COMES FROM THE REGION OF PERSIA
IN 7th CENTURY B.C.
BACK THEN,
ROYALTY HAD DIBS ON THIS NUT,
AND COMMONERS WERE FORBIDDEN
TO EAT IT.
THANKFULLY,
THAT'S ANCIENT HISTORY.
TODAY, THE WALNUT
IS MASS-PRODUCED
TO MEET A GLOBAL DEMAND.
IT STARTS IN AN ORCHARD
LIKE THIS ONE IN CALIFORNIA.
WALNUTS TAKE FIVE YEARS TO GROW,
AND THEY EMERGE SHROUDED
IN PROTECTIVE HUSKS.
USING MECHANICAL SHAKERS
AND SWEEPERS,
WORKERS HARVEST THE WALNUTS.
ONCE THE HUSKS
HAVE BEEN PEELED OFF,
IT'S OVER TO THE RECEIVING PIT
AT THE PROCESSING PLANT.
THIS MACHINE SEPARATES OUT
ANY ROCKS OR STICKS,
THEN DROPS THE WALNUTS
INTO A CONVEYER.
AT THE END OF THE LINE,
THE NUTS SPIRAL OFF AND LAND
SOFTLY IN COOLING BAYS BELOW --
8 BAYS THAT HOLD OVER
13 TONS OF WALNUTS.
THE WALNUTS ARE FUNNELED
INTO THESE SEALED CHAMBERS
FOR FUMIGATION
TO ELIMINATE INSECTS.
AFTER 28 HOURS,
THEY'RE ON THE MOVE ONCE AGAIN.
THEY FALL BETWEEN ROLLERS.
THE GAPS BETWEEN THESE ROLLERS
ARE TAPERED
TO ALLOW THE SMALL, MEDIUM,
AND LARGE NUTS
TO FALL INTO SEPARATE LANES.
THIS SORTING SYSTEM WILL ALLOW
THEM TO BE CRACKED BY MACHINES
GEARED TO SPECIFIC NUT SIZES.
THESE LARGE WALNUTS
HEAD UP A CONVEYER
CALLED THE CRACKER BELT.
AT THE TOP,
THEY ENTER THE CRACKER.
IT'S A REVOLVING MACHINE
WITH PISTONS,
ONE FOR EACH WALNUT.
THE TECHNICIAN
ACTIVATES THE PISTONS
TO PRESS AGAINST THE NUTS.
THE PISTONS APPLY A PRECISE
AMOUNT OF PRESSURE
TO CRACK THE SHELLS WITHOUT
DAMAGING THE NUTS INSIDE.
THE NUT CRACKING HAS BEEN SLOWED
FOR OUR CAMERA,
BUT IN REALITY, THIS IS
A HIGH-SPEED OPERATION.
THE NUTS, SHELLS AND ALL,
FALL ONTO A CONVEYER.
THE PISTONS HAVE CRACKED BETWEEN
80% AND 90% OF THE WALNUTS.
TO CAPTURE THE REST,
THE WHOLE PILE SHAKES ITS WAY
TOWARD A SECOND GROUP
OF SIZING ROLLERS.
THE SMALLER PIECES
DROP THROUGH THE GAPS
AND GO FOR FURTHER PROCESSING.
THE LARGER ONES CONTINUE ON TO
A MACHINE CALLED A RE-CRACKER.
THERE, THE NUTS TRAVEL THROUGH
SLATS IN A REVOLVING CYLINDER.
INSIDE THOSE SLATS
ARE LITTLE KNIVES
THAT BREAK UP THE WHOLE NUTS.
AFTER SOME OF THE LARGER SHELLS
HAVE BEEN REMOVED,
IT'S ON TO A GIANT SIFTER.
THE NUTS AND SHELLS BOUNCE
ON A SHAKING SCREEN.
THE SMALLER BITS FALL THROUGH,
AND THE LARGER ONES
REMAIN ON TOP.
THE HOLES IN THE SCREEN
BECOME PROGRESSIVELY LARGER
TO SORT THE PIECES
INTO EIGHT SIZES
WHICH DIFFER BY A FRACTION
OF AN INCH.
THE BIGGER, CHOICEST WALNUTS
FALL INTO A SEPARATE CHUTE.
THE SMALLER PIECES WILL BE USED
IN BAKING, AMONG OTHER THINGS.
A HIGH-SPEED BELT
SENDS NUTS AND SHELLS
FLYING THROUGH THE AIR
TO ALLOW A COMPUTERIZED CAMERA
TO DETECT SHELL FRAGMENTS
AND ACTIVATE A SYSTEM TO BLAST
THEM OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE,
LEAVING THE PRIZED KERNEL,
THE WALNUT HALF.
AN INSPECTOR REMOVES
ANY REMAINING SHELLS
OR UNACCEPTABLE NUTS.
THEN THE WALNUTS ENTER
A VACUUM CHAMBER,
WHICH SUCTIONS AWAY
ANY LAST CRUMBS.
THEY EXIT ON A SPIRALING SLIDE
AND LAND IN A BOX.
THIS PACKER PORTIONS OUT BULK
PRODUCT FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY.
HE REMOVES NUTS FROM THE BOX
UNTIL IT REACHES
THE CORRECT WEIGHT.
THESE WALNUTS ARE ON THEIR WAY
TO ADDING CRUNCH AND FLAVOR
TO COOKIES, CAKES,
AND OTHER GOOD STUFF.
THE WALNUTS IN THIS BOX
HAVE TAKEN YEARS TO GROW
AND A COUPLE HOURS TO PROCESS,
BUT IN THE END, THE WAIT
SHOULD BE MORE THAN WORTH IT.
