Hickory Nuts

[warren5421]

I have 15 hickory trees in two groves. Are there any good recipes using the nuts? What is the best way to crack the nut? I have two types of nuts, one with thin hulls the other has a very thick hull. The thick hulls I use a vice to crack the hall, hammer or nut cracker for the thin hulls. The two young grandkids have a lot of fun picking up the nuts for me.

[gwpercle]

You know in Louisiana we have several varieties ... Swamp Hickory , Pignut Hickory , Coast Pignut Hickory , Smooth Bark Hickory and Broom Hickory ... mostly the wild pigs , deer and squirrels eat them before people can get them . I did manage , while squirrel hunting one year, to gather some Hickory nuts and put them in my coat before the critters ate them all . First time I got them before the critters did. Brought them home for us to try . The nuts were 1" to 1 1/2" long and roundish , thin shelled and the nut was quite ... " Bitter" ....
That image of Ewell Gibbons eating Grape Nuts Cereal and smiling saying " Taste like wild hickory nuts "
is Bogus ... at least not wild pignut hickory ... they don't taste good at all . The Pignut Hickory , which is about all we have in Louisiana ... They Taste about like the acorns from an Oak tree ...yuck !
I've eaten Wild Black Walnut and all manner of Pecans ... much more better .
I have heard that "Shagbark" Hickory Nuts are sweet tasting and edible but I haven't found one yet ... avoid the pignut hickory .
We never developed any recipes for them ... I wonder if the thicker shelled ones tase better when roasted ?...Remember the "The Christmas Song" ... Hickory nuts roasting over an open fire , Jack Frost nipping at your nose , Yuletide carols being sung by a choir and folks dressed up like Eskimos...
Gary

[echo154]

Wasn't there a song somewhere about chestnuts roasting on an open fire A lot of raw nut taste bitter I find that carefully roast (IE don't burn em) taste much better. I roast Acorns, Pecans and Walnuts....never tried a Hickory nut....guessin it's similar. I'd check youtube prolly some vids there.

[Thundarstick]

Shagbark Hickory is the best, and one you have a Hickory nut pie you'll never want another pecan pie! This is what I use to craving them https://www.lehmans.com/product/steel-nutcracker grind down a pair of side cutters to nip the shells of the goodies.

[warren5421]

The hickory here in Indiana and Ohio is Shagbark. For years I have cracked the nuts and used the meat in a yellow cake loaded with the meat. Put Seafoam icing loaded with the nut meats on it. Very good cake!

[MT Gianni]

Seafoam icing? I think of the fuel additive when I hear Seafoam. Please enlighten me, here or in a different thread.

[DougGuy]

Shagbark is the one you want for culinary purposes, the nut meats are GREAT tasting little morsels! They are a LOT of work to shell and pick, but you can get bags of them from ebay at a reasonable price, considering the amount of work it takes to harvest the nut meats.

I can also find them locally grown, in the shell, pretty cheap on Craigslist.

Pecan Sandies cookies? Meet Hickory Sandies! Well worth the cost!

[warren5421]

Original recipe yields 12 servings
Ingredient SEA FOAM MAGIC WHITE FROSTING
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp. salt
5 tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 c. nuts

In a saucepan mix sugar, salt, cream of tartar and water. Cook to the thin candy stage (bubbling and coats the back of spoon). Add the nuts. Remove from heat and add, slowly, to egg whites which have been beaten to the stiff and creamy stage, but not dry, stirring constantly. Frost cake right away. Enough for a two layer cake.

[warren5421]

I like white sugar to let the nuts flavor come through

INGREDIENTS

2 egg whites, unbeaten
1 1⁄2 cups brown sugar
5 tablespoons ice water
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1 1⁄2 teaspoons dark corn syrup
1⁄8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Put first six ingredients in top of double boiler and place over boiling water.
Beat on low speed until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Cook on medium heat. Cook beating constantly on high speed until icing stands by itself.(about 5 min.) Remove from heat. Add 1 teas. vanilla. Beat for 1 more minute.

[RoyEllis]

... I wonder if the thicker shelled ones tase better when roasted ?...Remember the "The Christmas Song" ... Hickory nuts roasting over an open fire , Jack Frost nipping at your nose , Yuletide carols being sung by a choir and folks dressed up like Eskimos...
Gary

You got yer nuts all mixed up there Gary! LMAO!!!!