Hickory Nuts: The "Inside" Story

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Once you've toted your harvest home, you'll need to sort through the pile and remove any "rotten apples". (Discard nuts with discolored shells, grub holes, or a dry and wrinkled appearance.) The husked nuts should then be washed and dried before they're opened: Thoroughly rinse off all mud and debris and spread your hoard in the sun for a few days. It helps—during this period—to stir the nuts around every once in a while, so they'll dry out evenly.

THE "MEAT" OF THE MATTER

Once it's completely dehydrated, your hickory crop will be ready to be cracked open. First, assemble the few tools you'll need: a hammer, a nutpick, a brick, and a pan. (Don't try to use a lever-type nutcracker for this operation, because it will simply crush the meats into fragments.)

Place the brick on a hard, level surface (such as concrete) and set the pan next to it. Then grasp a nut between your left thumb and forefinger, with its stem end pointing toward the right. Balance the hickory on top of the brick (narrow edge downward) and aim your hammer at a spot about 1/3 of the way down from the stem, as shown in the photos.

Whack that spot with a short, sharp blow . . . and the nut will pop right open. Of course, the shells can't be counted on to split perfectly every time. The single most important factor will be the weight and striking force of the hammer blow . . . which you'll have to learn by experience. (In fact, you may have to crack a bushel or two of nuts before you really perfect the technique.)

As you open each nut, drop the meat-containing sections into the collection pan at the side of the brick. Then—when you've cracked a good supply of hickories—you can use a pick to remove those delicious kernels . . . and don't forget to throw the shell fragments in the bird feeder, since your feathered visitors love to peck at any tiny morsels you may have missed.

EAT'EM UP

Finally—once you've accumulated a large panful of nutmeats—sit back and relax. ( You're entitled to a bit of gloating over your accomplishment . . . after all, not every hickory forager knows how to break into those tenacious nuts most efficiently! ) Then, when you want to put the tasty crop to use, you can enjoy the oilrich nuggets raw, toasted, or added to cake and cookie recipes.

It's easy to roast the chewy pieces, either on the stove or in the oven. For range-top toasting, use a dry, unoiled pan—or cookie sheet—set over medium heat. Spread the nutmeats evenly across the pan and stir them often, until they turn light brown. Then quickly move the seeds to a cool surface, so they won't continue to brown.

For oven roasting, simply warm the nuts in a shallow pan—at 200°F—until they're a golden color. (You can make a wholesome nut butter from your roasted hickories . . . by grinding the meats in a blender, along with enough safflower oil to produce the desired texture and salt to taste.)

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print