I have a hickory tree, and I knew you could eat the nuts, but I never knew how to process them. Thank you for this video. I now think I'm getting the most out of this tree.
This video stirs up a lot of memories for me because I've never been around very many hickory trees other than our neighbors that my sister and I grew up across the street from. The tree sat right on the edge of the field right beside the Elementary school that we attended from the early 70s up through the 80s. My friends and I would pick up hickory nuts on the way home from school, just a hop and a skip away, and look at them and sometimes throw them into the field. We never tried to crack any or eat them back in the day, I don't think we knew if they were even edible but the squirrels loved them. That hickory tree was big as far back as I can remember and I was born in '68 if that gives you any clue! Lol, but my parents moved from Middletown to Owensboro, Ky in 2010 and I was not far behind. As far as I know that tree still stands there and produces nuts. I still visit my hometown from time to time and the next time I visit I'm gonna have to go see if that tree still stands and gather some nuts if there's any there. I also know a few good places to get Buckeye's around there too...Miami University for one! Thanks for the interesting video...
John Sayre - Thanks John, I try to keep my videos short and to the point so I don't waste my fans time and provide the information they are looking for.
These are Squirrel’s most favorite nut to eat beside walnuts and acorns.. we always look for these hickory tree in the forest when come to squirrel hunting..
It looked is like a golf course. I work on one and we have hickory trees too. Acorn....that's funny...not even close. Acorns have caps on them where they attach to the stem.
yea that is a good video thanks the frame with hardware cloth I call my caveman grill it saved us during hurricane Irma in Lee county Fl. when my wife was dying for coffee after 5 days no power thanks
@@trosanelli yea man after 5 days no power no coffee my wife need a java so I said time to go caveman I took a galvanized trash can turn the lid upside down built a fire put that kinda frame over it we not only had coffee she made bacon and eggs the best breakfast I ever had
FYI, almost all of my shagbark hickory nuts float and when I open them up they are identical inside to the few that sank so disregard that bit of info in the video, none of mine had any insect damage
I checked your YT channel and didn't see where you showed how to extract the meat. Hickory nuts are a pain to crack and get anything out of, was hoping you had a good method of doing so.
I just found a bunch of this shagbark nuts, but i cant get the husk off too easily. should i let them dry and age a bit first? Should I take a hammer to them and tap them lightly or slice with a knife? Thanks
I have Hickory and Walnuts on my property. I really liked the video. I have just one question and excuse me for asking a dump sounding question, but after they dry, do you just crack them open at that point and enjoy, or is there another step in the curing process? Thanks in advance!
some people use the shells and the husks for smoking meats. Claiming that these fruit remnants have more of that 'hickory flavor' than the bark or the wood chips. I read a comment from a guy who said he pays the neighborhood kids to bring him the nuts by the 5-gallon bucketload. Personally, as I have Mockernut Hickories, i just leave them for the squirrels and compost the shells and husks. The husks make a damn fine mulch for potted plants (quite aestetic, aromatic and last A LONG TIME) but they should to be crushed a bit first. I wrapped some in an old sheet and just lightly crushed them with a sledgehammer on concrete as a trial, for anything bulk or commercial that's far too tedious w/o machines so i just compost them.
I did the water test and all the nuts float. are they all bad? cracked some open and some had what i call nut meat and some were empty. some had little " meat " is that ok to eat ?
hm there was hickory in europe too, but it couldn't migrate over the alps like beech when it got cold during the last ice age. guess nature wasn't kind enough to carya ovata alps!
I follow the instructions, put them in the water and some of them are floating, most of them don't have holes. I roasted them anyway, they are good nuts. So, this method is not working for me.
plant the whole nut just below the top of the soil, kind of like if the soil was wet and soft and you walked by and stepped on the nut pushing in to the ground, you should get a few to grow, if you put them in a flower bed and dig them up after the sprout you can then plant them where you want them
@@wardcollins9574 I wouldn't recommend transplanting hickories. They're a tap-root species. They expend almost all of the nut-meat putting an 6-10" taproot down before there is even a hint of sprouting on the surface. I much recommend deciding where you want the tree first, then pressing no less than 3-4 husked nuts into the ground in the same spot . My recommended method for finding viable seed nuts is not dissimilar from my method for divining If they're edible or not. 1: Collect the fallen nuts daily, keep in milk crate under a covered poarch or breezy area. 2: every other day, husk the nuts. remove any bits of husk. (if husk is still green and watery, set it aside until it is brown) 3: float-test husked nuts in a FLAT BOTTOM bucket or tray. Exactly as you might for an Egg in the kitchen. A viable nut is one that is resting on it's side and comes to rest quickly if you jossle the bucket or put waves in the water. Any floaters have be compromised by bacteria or weevils. They are inedible and unsproutable. Discard them. (I save mine for the barbecue pit). Any that 'dance' or seem 'light' in the water, or appear to lay in the water at an angle or vertically are compromised. These (may) still be good for eating if prepared that day, otherwise discard. 4: remove the viable nuts from the water. Inspect these for cracks, fractures and weevil holes. Cracked/fractured nuts may still be fine for eating, but not planting. Separate out any dead nuts that have weevil holes. 5: air dry in a milk crate or mesh laundry bag. 6: (optional) refridgerate viable nuts for a few days to kill off possible weevils. 7: store in mesh laundry bag. When it comes time to plant or roast, I water test them again. discard any floaters. etc etc. Germination rates of test-selected seeds should be high, but plant 4 in mid-fall per intended tree by pressing them into the soil with a boot.
Hey Tim, nice video .... great info except for the cut off at the end. I was looking forward to seeing how you shell and prep them. I still liked the video and sub'd to your channel. Happy New Year .... end of 2017 into 2018 DAMN, just noticed this video is from 2013. LOL ;o/
You don't soak them to eat them. You only put them in water to sort the good ones from the bad. After you've done the water test, let the good ones dry for a couple of weeks. I like to dry roast them (out of the shell) for about 10 minutes at 250.
@@trosanelli these come off a tree that everyone says they are hickory including a tree service and county roadside workers. they fall off the tree some still have the husks buy after a frost the husks will open and the nuts fall clean. they look exactly like what you are showing but when i cracked one open to taste it the meat was unbelievably bitter as if it is full of alum. The trees are probably 50 or more years old. It would be great if there was a way they could be used. I have native pecan, black walnut. oak and several other trees which have all self seeded and 1 paper shell pecan about 4 years old. thank you for your response, this is a nice video and I have subscribed to your channel.
Native range of shagbark is from central Maine W to Iowa, S to FL, W to E. Texas. Exclude much of the S coast maybe 40-60 miles. Besides shagbark, there's also shellbark, mockernut, pignut, bitternut and pecan. All native to the E, with pecan in the Mississippi valley and thereabouts. Such info is easily researched online or in forestry pubs. Shagbark reputedly has the sweetest nuts, definitely the most dense wood.
Where are you that there are no squirrels?! I have a hickory tree in my back yard and not one nut hits the ground without getting at least once overed by the family that lives in the tree
The squirrels get eaten by the bald eagle family so I do not have to worry about them. I do have several types of nuts that I need to harvest and process but I have no ideal how to do it.
in the southeast U.S. almost all are HIckories are shellbark. from the pictures i've seen on the internet there is absolutely no way one could mistake one for the other.
I have a hickory tree, and I knew you could eat the nuts, but I never knew how to process them. Thank you for this video. I now think I'm getting the most out of this tree.
This video stirs up a lot of memories for me because I've never been around very many hickory trees other than our neighbors that my sister and I grew up across the street from. The tree sat right on the edge of the field right beside the Elementary school that we attended from the early 70s up through the 80s. My friends and I would pick up hickory nuts on the way home from school, just a hop and a skip away, and look at them and sometimes throw them into the field. We never tried to crack any or eat them back in the day, I don't think we knew if they were even edible but the squirrels loved them. That hickory tree was big as far back as I can remember and I was born in '68 if that gives you any clue! Lol, but my parents moved from Middletown to Owensboro, Ky in 2010 and I was not far behind. As far as I know that tree still stands there and produces nuts. I still visit my hometown from time to time and the next time I visit I'm gonna have to go see if that tree still stands and gather some nuts if there's any there. I also know a few good places to get Buckeye's around there too...Miami University for one!
Thanks for the interesting video...
O-H!
I'm near peace valley park. I have a bunch of hickory trees on our property which I plan on harvesting this year
The wood from hickory is excellent for bows, very flexible wood. great woodsman tree.
@Frankie Teague Black Locust trees produce an edible seed pod. They're in the legume family and fix nitrogen into the soil.
Thank you for sharing this knowledge.
There are hickory trees on this homestead. I did not know how to harvest and process them.
I was looking for Hickory nut information and I found this video. And I went to college with Tim. YITBOS!
have you ever tried a laundry bag in a pillow case in the electric dryer to dry them?
You're a good teacher. Straight and to the point. Good video-thank you.
John Sayre - Thanks John, I try to keep my videos short and to the point so I don't waste my fans time and provide the information they are looking for.
These are Squirrel’s most favorite nut to eat beside walnuts and acorns.. we always look for these hickory tree in the forest when come to squirrel hunting..
They are awesome for slingshots too!
Damn! That's a great idea. I have another video on making a sling.
It looked is like a golf course. I work on one and we have hickory trees too. Acorn....that's funny...not even close. Acorns have caps on them where they attach to the stem.
How do you mistake a hickory nut for an acorn?
Good question. Probably a volunteer with no experience regarding nature.
adamDaj LP ymugshot
LOL
Lack of experience in the woods of the northeast united states.
Can I overwinter a 3 inch just sprouted hickory tree in my house until Spring and then plant it outside. It is currently in a pot.
Did not know the float check, thanks!
If that instructor thought that was an acorn he shouldn't be instructing
Absolutely!
Ok, before watching this, I would have guessed buckeye, but not acorn. Huge difference.
Those look like commercial nuts, wild ones have smaller nuts?
You did nan really nice job explains all this. Thank you very much!
yea that is a good video thanks
the frame with hardware cloth I call my caveman grill it saved us during hurricane Irma in Lee county Fl. when my wife was dying for coffee after 5 days no power thanks
That's a cool story.
@@trosanelli yea man after 5 days no power no coffee my wife need a java so I said time to go caveman I took a galvanized trash can turn the lid upside down built a fire put that kinda frame over it we not only had coffee she made bacon and eggs the best breakfast I ever had
I found some five leaf hickory trees, and they have the exact same nuts. I was worried they were buckeyes.
FYI, almost all of my shagbark hickory nuts float and when I open them up they are identical inside to the few that sank so disregard that bit of info in the video, none of mine had any insect damage
I checked your YT channel and didn't see where you showed how to extract the meat. Hickory nuts are a pain to crack and get anything out of, was hoping you had a good method of doing so.
What should I do to prevent cracking during the drying process?
How do I get to the meat to eat them?
What are the ones that don't have quarters they're just one solid round ball.... The squirrels have been hiding them around my property
This is so cool. Thank you!!!
I just found a bunch of this shagbark nuts, but i cant get the husk off too easily. should i let them dry and age a bit first? Should I take a hammer to them and tap them lightly or slice with a knife? Thanks
adamdajlymugskot
I have Hickory and Walnuts on my property. I really liked the video. I have just one question and excuse me for asking a dump sounding question, but after they dry, do you just crack them open at that point and enjoy, or is there another step in the curing process? Thanks in advance!
LiL Hank yeah that's about it
In Southern Ohio we call shellbark hickory nuts: pig nut hickory.
All my hickory nuts have dried up seeds in them ..why is that
I'm just curious, for husk, does it have any use at all? I had a bad the other day, used the bark, and oh smells heavenly!
some people use the shells and the husks for smoking meats. Claiming that these fruit remnants have more of that 'hickory flavor' than the bark or the wood chips. I read a comment from a guy who said he pays the neighborhood kids to bring him the nuts by the 5-gallon bucketload. Personally, as I have Mockernut Hickories, i just leave them for the squirrels and compost the shells and husks. The husks make a damn fine mulch for potted plants (quite aestetic, aromatic and last A LONG TIME) but they should to be crushed a bit first.
I wrapped some in an old sheet and just lightly crushed them with a sledgehammer on concrete as a trial, for anything bulk or commercial that's far too tedious w/o machines so i just compost them.
Gavin TheGamer52 I’ve heard they are a good fertilizer as well.
Where's part 2? I wanna see him crack the little buggers.
😂 u need a hydraulic press
I did the water test and all the nuts float. are they all bad? cracked some open and some had what i call nut meat and some were empty. some had little " meat " is that ok to eat ?
Use the discarded nuts in with the charcoal. Notice I didn’t say the bad nuts. If something has a use it is not bad nor trash.
hm there was hickory in europe too, but it couldn't migrate over the alps like beech when it got cold during the last ice age. guess nature wasn't kind enough to carya ovata alps!
Do you think we could get a hickory tree to grow in Southern Utah?
I follow the instructions, put them in the water and some of them are floating, most of them don't have holes. I roasted them anyway, they are good nuts. So, this method is not working for me.
I've never had hickory nuts before and am curious to try one. There's not a lot of hickory trees in California.
They are 100% identical to the flavor of pecans, just way harder to pick the meat. You need a nutcracker and metal pick to remove the meat piecemeal.
Its because they are not native to cali. But you could order them
It's that time again.
Is there a use for the bad nuts?
Not sure about hickory nuts, but uou can burn the bad acorns as a mosquito repellent. May work with these..
thank you! great video and great music!
wow you even showed how to cure them and tell them apart! this video is much more than i hoped for!
The best nut I have ever tasted. I like them unroasted.
Thanks for making this video. Gave me more information than I already knew 🙂👍🏻🇺🇸
how do I grow a new hickory? my gf is upset because her huge hickory fell after Matthew. we have thousands of nuts but we want a new one!
plant the whole nut just below the top of the soil, kind of like if the soil was wet and soft and you walked by and stepped on the nut pushing in to the ground, you should get a few to grow, if you put them in a flower bed and dig them up after the sprout you can then plant them where you want them
@@wardcollins9574 I wouldn't recommend transplanting hickories. They're a tap-root species. They expend almost all of the nut-meat putting an 6-10" taproot down before there is even a hint of sprouting on the surface. I much recommend deciding where you want the tree first, then pressing no less than 3-4 husked nuts into the ground in the same spot . My recommended method for finding viable seed nuts is not dissimilar from my method for divining If they're edible or not.
1: Collect the fallen nuts daily, keep in milk crate under a covered poarch or breezy area.
2: every other day, husk the nuts. remove any bits of husk. (if husk is still green and watery, set it aside until it is brown)
3: float-test husked nuts in a FLAT BOTTOM bucket or tray. Exactly as you might for an Egg in the kitchen. A viable nut is one that is resting on it's side and comes to rest quickly if you jossle the bucket or put waves in the water. Any floaters have be compromised by bacteria or weevils. They are inedible and unsproutable. Discard them. (I save mine for the barbecue pit). Any that 'dance' or seem 'light' in the water, or appear to lay in the water at an angle or vertically are compromised. These (may) still be good for eating if prepared that day, otherwise discard.
4: remove the viable nuts from the water. Inspect these for cracks, fractures and weevil holes. Cracked/fractured nuts may still be fine for eating, but not planting. Separate out any dead nuts that have weevil holes.
5: air dry in a milk crate or mesh laundry bag.
6: (optional) refridgerate viable nuts for a few days to kill off possible weevils.
7: store in mesh laundry bag.
When it comes time to plant or roast, I water test them again. discard any floaters. etc etc. Germination rates of test-selected seeds should be high, but plant 4 in mid-fall per intended tree by pressing them into the soil with a boot.
Hey Tim, nice video .... great info except for the cut off at the end. I was looking forward to seeing how you shell and prep them.
I still liked the video and sub'd to your channel.
Happy New Year .... end of 2017 into 2018
DAMN, just noticed this video is from 2013. LOL ;o/
You have to let them dry for two weeks thats loooong
What time of year are the nuts on?
Mine are on the ground right now. I have about 12 wild ones in my woods next to the house.
Great info!
How long do you soak them when you want to eat them?
Thanks!
You don't soak them to eat them. You only put them in water to sort the good ones from the bad. After you've done the water test, let the good ones dry for a couple of weeks. I like to dry roast them (out of the shell) for about 10 minutes at 250.
This are the tiny ones. I purchased very large [1 1/2" to 2" wide]. on ebay. The tiny ones are p-I-t-a to shell.
Will green nuts still in the husk ripen off the tree?
I have Hickory trees but neighbors tell me these are called Pig Nuts. What is the difference please?
A pig nut is a perennial herb that has a root that looks like a chestnut when dug up.
@@trosanelli these come off a tree that everyone says they are hickory including a tree service and county roadside workers. they fall off the tree some still have the husks buy after a frost the husks will open and the nuts fall clean. they look exactly like what you are showing but when i cracked one open to taste it the meat was unbelievably bitter as if it is full of alum. The trees are probably 50 or more years old. It would be great if there was a way they could be used. I have native pecan, black walnut. oak and several other trees which have all self seeded and 1 paper shell pecan about 4 years old. thank you for your response, this is a nice video and I have subscribed to your channel.
Isnt there a specy of hickory that is called pig nut?
Shellbark, bitternut,shagbark and there is a pig nut. No?
Where do hickory nuts grow
walter ontiveros throughout the north east
Native range of shagbark is from central Maine W to Iowa, S to FL, W to E. Texas. Exclude much of the S coast maybe 40-60 miles. Besides shagbark, there's also shellbark, mockernut, pignut, bitternut and pecan. All native to the E, with pecan in the Mississippi valley and thereabouts. Such info is easily researched online or in forestry pubs. Shagbark reputedly has the sweetest nuts, definitely the most dense wood.
Tons in Arkansas
Where are you that there are no squirrels?! I have a hickory tree in my back yard and not one nut hits the ground without getting at least once overed by the family that lives in the tree
Me and my cat eat all the squirrels
The squirrels get eaten by the bald eagle family so I do not have to worry about them. I do have several types of nuts that I need to harvest and process but I have no ideal how to do it.
Mendoza Tree Service
Champlain, Urbana Il.
Mendoza Tree Service
Champaign, Urbana Illinois
612-703-0437
I hate it critters screw with my nuts that's why I where tight shorts.
can't you just tell a shag bark hickory from the rest because of its Shaggy Bark?
Shellbark Hickories look very similar with the bark.
in the southeast U.S. almost all are HIckories are shellbark. from the pictures i've seen on the internet there is absolutely no way one could mistake one for the other.
I live in the Uk, and had never even heard of hickory nuts until I saw this video. But how the fuck could anyone mistake them for acorns?
2:00 that’s what she said
hickory is good stuff smokey BBQ
An acorn?!?!?! Womp, womp, womp...
They taste like banana bread
The "music" is just awful.
CHECK M FOR HOLES RITE AWAY U NUT
Deees nuts
What time of year are the nuts on?
September in our area