Usually the nuts fall to the ground when mature, but in some cvs remain on trees and must be removed with rake. Nuts are picked up from the ground by hand or are raked up. After harvesting, nuts are dehusked, usually with an improvised corn-sheller, washed, placed on wire trays for about 6 weeks to dry out, graded and shipped to market. Machinery for cracking shells has been designed for processing purposes, in addition to several efficient hand-operated crackers, which produce a kernel undamaged. Kernels which are broken during cracking are used by confectioners.
Shelled kernels deteriorate rather quickly unless kept in vacuum-sealed jars.
Processed nuts when roasted and slightly salted keep extremely well. Yield records vary widely. Trees flower for 3 to 12 months, various strains producing fruits over a long period. Some cvs have a definite fruiting season. With great commercial potential in the tropics, macadamia makes an excellent dooryard tree.