Harvesting Hickory Nuts

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Hickory leaves and immature nuts as they appear during the summer.
Hickory leaves and immature nuts as they appear during the summer.
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A close-up of a shagbark hickory trunk. You can see why it has that name.
A close-up of a shagbark hickory trunk. You can see why it has that name.
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The shagbark hickory tree should be a productive source if and when you decide to go out harvesting hickory nuts. 
The shagbark hickory tree should be a productive source if and when you decide to go out harvesting hickory nuts. 
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This solemn fellow is obviously a good forager.
This solemn fellow is obviously a good forager.
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A good forager under a good tree can gather 20 pounds of hulled hickory nuts in an hour.
A good forager under a good tree can gather 20 pounds of hulled hickory nuts in an hour.
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Unshelled wild nuts on sale in a natural foods store.
Unshelled wild nuts on sale in a natural foods store.
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Diagram shows methods of cracking open hickory nuts.
Diagram shows methods of cracking open hickory nuts.

Ten years back, when I took my initial walk through our homestead’s woods, I filled every available pocket in my jacket with wild nuts from the numerous tall hickory trees scattered throughout our ten acres. That was the first time I tasted the rich “walnut and rum” flavor of these excellent edibles … and the first (but not the last) time I smacked a finger or two as I tried to crack the hard, pale nutshells.

My wife and I have lived in these woods ever since that first magic autumn a decade ago. And each fall we take advantage of our nut crop, just as we forage the dewberries and plums of other seasons.

Furthermore, as we’ve learned the locations of our trees–and become better at beating the squirrels to a fair portion of the crop–our nut baskets have grown in size from quarts to pecks to bushels. In short, we became so adept at harvesting hickory nuts it wasn’t long before we were bringing in more than we could ever use. That’s when we decided to try to sell our surplus.

Nuts to You … For a Price!

At the time, we had already attempted to market foraged wild foods once before without any real success. But that had been pecans. They took forever to gather, didn’t weigh much (our markets buy by the pound), and–because they are very susceptible to insect pests–didn’t produce reliably large crops every year. We finally gave up on the pecans as a salable commodity … though we always had–and still have–enough for personal use.

  • Published on Sep 1, 1978
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