Propagation: Easy way to peel Castor Bean Seeds, 1 by WUVIE

WUVIE wrote:
Hi folks!

Just wanted to chime in about the castor beans. I can't imagine harvesting them
without leather gloves on, especially here in the hot weather of Northeastern Oklahoma.

True, they will pop out of their shells by themselves, but many of those buggers want to
stay put. When and only when they are completely dry, I store them in a plastic bin drawer that
slides shut but still allows air to flow. Indeed they will mold and be worthless if you
put a lid on moist seeds in the pods.

BEWARE, though. In the past I have allowed them to dry in my office, which is surrounded by glass,
so the warmth and sunshine in here is out of this world, creating a perfect environment for seed popping.
I almost ruined an expensive printer because unbeknownst to me, two seeds had burst across the
room and lodged into my printer.
Hours of frustration later, we realized what had happened. Also a concern for those with pets and
small children. Be prepared. Even a brown paper bag will contain them, but
you must be careful to allow air in, shake them up each day, etc.

After the seed pods have dried, the little thorns on them will get even sharper and
stronger, so using leather gloves, simply rub your hands together with a handful of the pods
between your hands. Don't squish them too hard, a little friction is all it will take to remove the
spines. When you are finished, simply dump all of them into a strainer and shake the
little spines out.

If they refuse to burst open and you are left with a tightly closed seed with the shell on it, you
can simply hold a strong piece of something, I use a little kitchen knife to pry the little hinges
up, then the rest of the seed shell will pop open and you can remove the seed.

I'll try to show you in this photo what I am talking about.

Basically, you hold the pod in your left hand, then use your right hand to place the blade
behind the little pointy bump, using your right thumb as a backstop. These instructions
assume you have thumbs. Using a little force, pull or lean the blade back against the bump
towards yourself, and the little pointy bump
will release, splitting in two. You can now easily open the pod.

Excuse all the fancy schmancy technical terms, ha ha!