Walnuts form an essential part of people’s lives in Kashmir as it is the main contributor to India’s walnut production. Each year walnuts are exported to various parts of the country. Locally called Dooyn, the trade of walnuts contributes considerably to the local economy.
During the ongoing harvest season, the owners and workers of the walnut farms in Kashmir can be seen climbing trees and processing the produce.
Freshly-picked walnuts must be dried at two stages. First, you remove the green hulls, the walnuts still stay in their shells.
Then you dry them up for a few days before you process or store it. Drying the walnuts the right way makes the shells easier to crack and help prevent the meat from spoiling.
Here are some stunning pictures of the process of de-hulling, cleaning, and drying of the walnuts in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir:
Kashmiri workers beat walnuts to break open their green husks and reveal their fissured walnut shells during harvesting season at a village in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir. | Photo by Sajad Hameed
Kashmiri woman beats walnuts to break open their green husks and reveal their fissured walnut shells during harvesting season at a village in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir. | Photo by Sajad Hameed
Kashmiri women workers beat walnuts to break open their green husks and reveal their fissured walnut shells during harvesting season at a village in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir. | Photo by Sajad Hameed
Kashmiri farmers peel freshly picked walnuts during harvesting season at a village in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir. | Photo by Sajad Hameed
Kashmiri workers stomp and clean walnuts after breaking green husks to clean their shells during harvesting season at a village in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir. | Photo by Sajad Hameed
Kashmiri workers clean walnuts after breaking green husks to clean their shells during harvesting season at a village in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir. | Photo by Sajad Hameed
A Kashmiri woman lays out the harvested walnuts after clean their shells during harvesting season at a village in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir. | Photo by Sajad Hameed
Kashmiri farmers sort fresh walnuts after clean their shells during harvesting season at a village in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir. | Photo by Sajad Hameed
A Kashmiri woman lays out the harvested walnuts after clean their shells during harvesting season at a village in Budgam district, Jammu & Kashmir. | Photo by Sajad Hameed
