Hullers

Hullers are devices or people engaged in removing the hull, husk, or outer shell from seeds, grains, nuts, or fruit. The term can refer to manual techniques as well as automated machinery used in agricultural processing and food production. Manual hullers include simple tools such as pestles, mortars, or hand crackers used to peel shells from nuts or seeds. Mechanical hullers employ rotating drums, rollers, or impact to loosen and separate the hull from the edible core.

Common applications include rice milling, coffee processing, and various seed or nut preparations. In rice milling, a huller removes the outer husk, producing brown or white rice after subsequent polishing. In coffee processing, hulling removes the parchment and husk from dried coffee beans to yield green coffee ready for roasting. Nut and seed processing uses hullers or shellers to remove outer shells from almonds, pistachios, pecans, sesame, sunflower seeds, and related crops. Some machines combine hulling with subsequent steps such as polishing, degumming, or cleaning.

Industrial hullers are designed to handle high throughput with attention to minimizing kernel damage, controlling moisture content, and reducing fines or chaff. Byproducts of hulling, such as hulls and husks, can be used for animal feed, compost, or bioenergy, depending on the crop and process.

History and production context notate that hulling evolved from manual threshing and pounding to specialized equipment in modern mills and processing lines, reflecting broader advances in agricultural mechanization. See also husking, dehulling, milling.