Once during a long December ramble through our region’s mountains, I discovered that my daypack’s energy bar proved insufficient nourishment for the outing. Searching for something to give me a burst of energy, I saw the diagnostic long, lose, ash-gray strips of a shagbark hickory. And underneath the tree, I located a treasure trove of protein, carbohydrates, phosphorous, and magnesium in the form of the nuts. After finding a rock to crack the nuts and then consuming a dozen or so, I felt refreshed enough to finish my hike.
Some effort is required for us to eat any shagbark’s nutmeats. A green outer husk must be removed to reach the tan nut which must be cracked, but it’s a worthwhile enterprise as the nutmeat inside features a delightfully sweet aroma. My wife Elaine will add shagbark nuts to just about any kind of bread to provide zest, but they prove especially sublime in banana or apple bread.
Interestingly, Jim Crumley of Springwood, Virginia uses the bark as a sweetener in coffee and tea. He cuts enough strips to fill a five-gallon plastic bucket; and after rinsing, cleaning, and drying them, Crumley bakes the strips in an oven for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Next, he places the strips in a 48-quart cooker, covers with water, and boils for two to three hours adding water as needed. He then removes the strips and is left with about a quart of dark liquid. Crumley last adds a quart of sugar and boils for 10 to 15 minutes. The final product is a dark, thick syrup.
Chipmunks and gray and fox squirrels are the major animals that regularly consume shagbark hickory nuts, but we humans might want to be added to that short list.
Bruce and Elaine Ingram will profile a different wild edible every month. For more information on their book Living the Locavore Lifestyle, contact them bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com
