Hickory nuts galor

Cpt'n Cook

I have a lot of Hickory trees on my property and have to wear a hard hat to go into the woods. I have never seen as many nuts, including acorns as this year. The gray squirrels have been eating them for weeks. Yesterday's rain seems to have made them drop. They are a lot of work but I will be eating them all winter. They are very tasty and good for cooking. I will probably use the shells for smoke.

RVH

Thanks for the idea. I believe I'll give hulls a try.

RRP

We too have a number of hickories and darn near need to wear a hard hat while in the yard as those do hurt when you get hit. Personally I find shelling hickory nuts is hardly worth the effort though one year I merely sawed them in half with a band saw and that helped. OTOH why bother shelling when the whole nut can be used for smoking.

Cpt'n Cook

This time of year they just pop right out of the green hulls. The nuts are pretty tough but a regular nutcracker works OK.

RRP

I agree the hulls come off easily but I must have a different species than you as our hickory nuts are rock hard and small and the yield of nut meat is very sparse.