We’ve all heard of a nutcracker, not the ballet with the dancing Sugar Plum Fairy but the metal tool designed to crack the shells of nuts.

The tool, which resembles pliers, typically consists of two hinged metal levers or arms, usually serrated, which are connected at the top.

The nut is placed in the jaws of the nutcracker, and pressure is applied by squeezing the levers together, which then cracks the shell, allowing access to the edible part inside.

Nutcrackers come in various designs and sizes, ranging from simple handheld models to more elaborate decorative pieces.

Some nutcrackers are specialized for specific types of nuts, while others are versatile enough to handle a variety of nut sizes, and crustaceans, like lobster or crab.

Cracked up

Stealing the fruit from the hard-shelled nut isn’t a simple process.

Once you’ve cracked the shell, you’re left with the meat clinging to the tough walls that once housed it.

That’s when you use a pick, the instruments that are puzzling online users.

A nut pick, often used after the cracker, is a small, pointed tool used to extract the edible portion of a nut from its shell after it has been cracked.

The pick typically has a pointed end that can be inserted into the crevices or openings in the cracked nutshell to extract the nut meat without damaging it.

Nut picks come in various designs and materials, including metal, wood, or plastic. Some may have decorative handles or ergonomic features for ease of use.

They are handy for enjoying a variety of nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, and others, where the edible part needs to be separated from the shell.

Online users jumped in and commented on the many uses of the versatile picks.

One user, recalling the laborious task of cracking nuts in the past, writes: “We use them for walnuts back then you didn’t get cracked walnuts in a bag when you wanted to bake with nuts, you bought a bag of walnuts and cracked them open yourself.”

A second shares: “For nuts, walnuts pecans etc…they came with the nutcracker. They also worked to get the lobster out of those tiny legs.”

“They [are] crab and [lobster] meat picks. I’m lucky to still my family’s set. Grew up near Maine so there were lots of occasions to use them!” writes a third.

Another cybernaut shares she has multiple uses for the pick: “I have used them for what they [are] used [for] However when [you’re] an artist [you] can find other ways for it as well.”

Meanwhile, other users offer their thoughts: “They are called Olive picks, but can be used for other things, so your hands don’t touch the food,” writes one. A second jokes, “Used mostly to pick your teeth after a big dinner…also helpful in locating cavities for you.”

What are your fondest memories of using nutcrackers and picks?

Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section and then share this story so we can hear what others have to say!