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    Home » Pickles, Preserves, Etc

    Shagbark Hickory Syrup

    Published: Oct 12, 2022 Modified: Feb 20, 2023 by Alan Bergo This post may contain affiliate links 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    A smoky, sweet syrup made from toasted hickory bark, shagbark syrup has been a forager's secret for a long time. It's a bit like a hickory nut recipe without the hickory nuts, which also means it can be something useful to make on years when the trees aren't producing enough nuts to gather, since bark is always available. 

    Shagbark hickory syrup
    Hickory syrup is made from an infusion of roasted hickory bark.

    I've been seeing the syrup creep its way into farmers markets as an interesting value-added product in recent years. Today I'll describe how it's made, and what you can do with it.

    Shagbark hickory tree or Carya ovata
    A shagbark hickory tree is easy to identify with it's shaggy bark.

    Known as a kind of maple syrup substitute, shagbark syrup, unlike other tree syrups made from sugar maples and others, is made from a tea or infusion of roasted hickory bark (Carya ovata is the only species I use) and sugar. The finished syrup tastes good, but I think it's important for me to tell you it's more of a "poor man's maple syrup" and definitely isn't worth as much as the real deal.

    Harvesting tree bark as food

    Bark isn't something that we often think of as food, so it's important to go over a few things. Here's a quick list.

    Harvest living bark

    You must harvest bark from a living tree to make this. It should look clean, and be free of moss, spiders, mold, and other things you wouldn't want to eat.

    Hickory bark for syrup
    Your hickory bark should be clean, and from a living tree.

    Cooking and cleaning

    After you've harvested your pieces of bark they should washed and scrubbed with a brush to remove any excess particles that could get into the syrup (you'll strain it too so don't worry too much). After cleaning, the bark is roasted which gives it a nice toasty, slightly smoky flavor.

    Avoiding overharvesting

    I don't think this is a huge issue, but it is worth mentioning. Shagbark trees have lots of shaggy bark to spare, but I think it's good to mention that you shouldn't harvest heavily from a single tree. Make sure that you're harvest isn't noticeable to the naked eye, and that you're not harvesting heavily that could leave the tree vulnerable to pests and molds.

    How to make the syrup

    To make the syrup, you take your cleaned, roasted bark (half a pound of bark is plenty and will make about 4 cups) broken into pieces a few inches long, add water to cover in a large pot and simmer for an hour to make a smoky hickory bark tea.

    Roasting hickory bark
    Adding water to toasted hickory bark to make tea
    Straining shagbark hickory tea for syrup
    Cooking shagbark hickory syrup

    Afterward the tea is strained, mixed with an equal volume amount of sugar, and simmered until the simple syrup reaches 225 F on a candy thermometer. That's it.

    After the syrup reaches the proper temperature, you can pour it into mason jars, top them with a lid and store in a pantry. The finished syrup is great and a good way to start using it is in place of maple syrup on pancakes or used to flavor custards and ice cream.

    Ice cream made with hickory syrup and toasted hickory nuts
    Ice cream made with hickory syrup, hickory nut milk, and toasted hickory nuts.

    Dealing with crystallization

    Crystallization can happen in the syrup if it's cooked too long and reaches a temperature over 225 F. Some people will tell you to use corn syrup to help it not crystalize (long story it's an invert sugar and helps things to not crystalize).

    I can't stand corn syrup and try to avoid it whenever possible, so I only use cane sugar here. If your syrup crystalizes after it's chilled, just microwave or warm the jar up to refresh and melt it.

    Shagbark hickory syrup in a jar
    Shagbark hickory syrup
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Shagbark Hickory Syrup

    A light, slightly smoky tasting syrup made from an infusion of hickory bark. It’s popular as a poor mans maple syrup and often sold at farmers markets as a value-added product. Use it wherever you’d use maple syrup. Makes 4 cups or 2 pints jars
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Hickory
    Servings: 60 Servings
    Calories: 347kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • 1 Pint mason jars

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz shagbark hickory bark
    • 6 cups water
    • 4.5 cups white sugar

    Instructions

    Harvest the bark

    • Harvest hickory bark from a living tree that looks fresh and clean, without any evidence of mold, moss, fungus, or discoloration.
    • Bring the bark home and scrub it in a sink of warm water. After the bark is cleaned, put it in bowl with warm water and allow it to soak for 15 minutes. Next, drain the bark and put it a pan then into a preheated 400F oven for 25 minutes.
    • Remove the bark and allow it to cool, then break it into 3-4 inch pieces.

    Hickory infusion

    • Put the bark into a pot with high sides, add the water to cover, bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, then allow to cool with the bark still in the water. If you cook it too much and the water level gets low, add another cup of water to keep it submerged-it’s not an exact science.

    Making the syrup

    • Once the hickory bark tea has cooled, strain it through a fine strainer to remove any particles, put it back into a pot, preferably 8 inches in diameter that you can simmer it in, add an equal volume of sugar (one cup sugar for each cup of bark tea) bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until it reaches 225F on a candy thermometer. This should take about 20 minutes.
    • Once the syrup hits the proper temperature, pour it, boiling hot into two clean pint mason jars, screw on the lids, and allow to cool.

    Storing

    • You can keep the finished syrup in a pantry for a long time, but it should be refrigerated after opening as it will eventually turn to vinegar if left out.

    Serving

    • Use the finished syrup anywhere you use maple syrup, but know that it’s lighter in volume. It’s not maple syrup, but it’s cheap, and fun to make.

    Video

    Notes

    I use shagbark hickory bark here, but many different species of hickory can be used. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Tablespoon | Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 2mg | Sugar: 90g | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.04mg

    More 

    Forager's Guide to Shagbark Hickory Nuts 

    Hickory Nut Milk (Kanuchi)

    « Hickory Nut Tea
    Sam Thayer's Bitternut Hickory Nut Oil »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dave

      January 27, 2023 at 7:21 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing...I live on a friend's hobby farm with a 16 acre hickory bush...looking forward to the syrup

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        January 27, 2023 at 10:52 pm

        Let me know how you like it. I'm here if you have any questions.

        Reply
    2. Roger

      March 19, 2023 at 2:30 pm

      5 stars
      Is it possible to substitute white with brown sugar that’s made with pure cane sugar? If so, any difference in boiling ( amount added, time or temp).

      Lastly, does it matter what time a year the bark is harvested? I know with taping maple trees you only want the sap prior to bud break. Not sure if that pertains to bark too, specifically with the shagbark hickory.

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        March 20, 2023 at 12:35 pm

        Hey Roger, you can use any sugar here. The bark can be harvested any time, just make sure the tree is alive.

        Reply

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    Chef Alan Bergo

    HI, I'm Alan: James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Show Host and Forager. I've been writing about cooking wild food here for over a decade. Let me show you why foraging is the most delicious thing you'll ever do.

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