• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Forager | Chef
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Interviews
    • Partnerships
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Nuts and Starches

    Shagbark Hickory Nuts

    Published: Oct 7, 2022 Modified: Aug 5, 2023 Author: Alan Bergo

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Around September each year, I'll start to look for Shagbark hickory nuts (common hickory or Carya ovata)-one of my favorite things to forage in the fall.

    They may be smaller than black walnuts and butternuts, but the flavor and versatility in how they can be used makes them more than worth the effort they take to gather.

    Shelled and unshelled shagbark hickory nuts (Carya ovata)

    In this post I'll share everything I've learned about them over the years: hunting, harvesting and processing, and a few of my favorite recipes and uses.

    Freshly shelled shagbark hickory nuts
    A good day's harvest. My foot for scale.

    A Few Types of hickories

    Hickories are related to pecans and are in the genus Carya. There's a number of species in North America. Sam Thayer say about 11, depending on how the species are separated, other resources I've seen say as many as 18. Here's a quick list of a few varieties you might see brought up in conversation:

    • Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra)
    • Shellbark / King Nut (Carya laciniosa)
    • Bitternut (Carya cordiformis)
    • Black Hickory (Carya texana)
    • Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)

    For the purposes of this post, I'm only going to discuss shagbark hickories in depth, but as I have images of some of the others, I'm including them to help if you're new to these. For reference on size and shape between a few varieties see the picture below. 

    Various varieties of hickory nuts
    A few varieties I've had. There are many more. 

    Other species I've had beside shagbarks typically have much thicker shells that make them more difficult to crack open.

    Shellbark hickory nuts
    Shellbark hickory nuts have a very thick shell. I don't pick them.

    Bitternut hickories are the exception as they have a thin shell, but the nut meats are bitter and only really good for pressing hickory oil.

    Shagbarks have a thick husk and shell and taste good. Even so, newcomers often confuse the two, until they eat them. 

    Shagbark hickory nut vs bitternut hickory nut
    Bitternut hickories have a thin husk, thin shell, and bitter taste. They're best pressed for oil or left for the deer and squirrels.

    Special mention: Laney's Hickory: Carya lineyi

    Possibly the ultimate hickory nut, Laney's hickory is a cross between a shagbark and a bitternut.

    Carya lineyi Laney's Hickory
    Laney's hickory nuts resemble bitteruts and have a thin shell, but they're not bitter.

    They have the thin shell of a bitternut hickory, but none of the bitterness. They're the best of both worlds. See the comparison below. Nature is fascinating!

    Shagbark, Laney's Hickory, and Bitternut Hickory Comparison

    Identification

    Shagbark hickory trees are one of the easiest trees to learn to identify. Here's a few quick tips.

    • The bark is shaggy, covering the trunk in scales that are easily broken off. I find noticing the shaggy bark to be the easiest and fastest way to identify the trees in the woods.
    • At a glance, their pinnately compound leaves resemble their cousins in the Juglandaceae (black walnuts and butternuts).
    • Hickory trees are upright trees with a single trunk, and ones you want are typically large.
    • In areas where they get good sun they can easily stick out, as in the picture below. In areas where I know they may be around, I may hunt them by car with a pair of binoculars.
    • The leaves are darker green than many other trees.
    Shagbark hickory tree or Carya ovata

    Hunting

    In order to get a good crop, you'll need to find a good patch of nut trees. To be very clear, I don't bother checking hickory trees in woods as the trees don't get as much sun, which means they won't make as many nuts.

    Scouting for shagbark hickory trees and nuts
    My favorite nut trees are located at the edges of woods.

    Squirrels and deer also get nuts in the woods faster than in open areas. Ideally, you want trees that get lots of sun, and are in a relatively open space. A tree in a friend or relative's yard is ideal.

    Here's two other things I may look for depending on the location:

    1. Trees on the edge of the forest

    Trees on the edges of woods can be great as squirrels will be less prone to take nuts in areas that leave them exposed to predators (like eagles and hawks).

    2. Trees in logged areas

    Trees in logged areas will get more sun, which means more energy for the tree, which means more nuts. Logged woods have been the best producing spots for me so far.

    Scouting for masting trees

    Hickory trees, like their cousins in the Juglandaceae (black walnuts and butternuts) have a variable rhythm in which they produce nuts called a masting cycle.

    Some years trees may not seem to produce any nuts at all, some years there will be large amounts. Your job is to find trees that are masting, at the right place, at the right time.

    Shagbark hickory nut hulls
    Be on the lookout for spent husks from the previous year.

    To hedge my bet, I often scout for nuts before they're ready to drop. I take a pair of binoculars and go to my patches, scanning the canopy of the trees for nuts which will appear as yellow-green orbs on the branches.

    When I find trees that seem to have a good crop, I set a reminder to come back in a few weeks when the nuts begin to drop.

    I harvest hickory nuts mid-to-late September through October where I live, although I've read they can start a month later in the south.

    Harvesting

    When I suspect the nuts are ready, I go to my patches I've scouted. In a perfect world I'll see freshly dropped nuts still in their green outer husk as I walk through the woods, and I'll probably hear nuts falling from trees all around me as I pick.

    Unlike black walnuts and butternuts, hickories won't stain your hands when harvesting so there's no need to wear gloves.

    Foraging shagbark hickory nuts
    Look for green, freshly fallen nuts.

    Avoid early nuts

    Some nuts will fall early-avoid all of these. Trees may reject nuts for a number of reasons, typically the ones I see that fall early are nuts that have been aborted for some reason, or those that have insect damage.

    An illustration showing differences between early and ripe hickory nuts

    While you're harvesting, it can be tempting to pick up all the nuts you see, but you should resist the urge. Carefully inspect the nuts as you pick. Over time, you should be able to see the differences between freshly dropped nuts and those that may have dropped earlier and aren't good for eating.

    Old / early drop shagbark hickory nuts
    Early nuts mixed into my good ones. They're dried out, light weight, and should be discarded.

    Look for healthy, living nuts

    Hickory nuts are a living thing, and living nuts that could make a tree are the ones you want to eat. Look for nuts in a green husk that remove easily when handled. It's common for good nuts to fall out of the husk on the impact of hitting the ground, so grab those too.

    Foraging shagbark hickory nuts or Carya ovata
    Picking nuts in the field. I live to bring bus tubs or polycarbonate containers.

    One rule to always live by is to always avoid discolored nuts, any nuts with holes in them, or nuts that don't dislodge easily from their husk. If you pick everything you see you'll probably have to throw half of your harvest away. 

    Shagbark hickory nuts with bug holes
    Discard any nuts with visible holes.

    Floating

    After the nuts are harvested, I bring them home and remove them from their outer husk. After all the nuts are removed from their husk, I will float them by putting a gallon of nuts in a bucket with about 4 gallons of water. Any nuts that float I will discard as they're probably compromised in some way.

    Floating shagbark hickory nuts in water

    It's important to understand that only fresh, and not dried nuts should be floated, as dried nuts will always float.

    This can be confusing since some nuts can dry naturally on the ground as they wait to be harvested, which is another reason to try and get the nuts as they're falling at the same time from the tree.

    Bugs

    As you harvest avoid and discard any nuts that have holes in them, as that means bug damage and no nut inside. Hickory grubs (Curculio caryae) are the most common pest I see.

    Shagbark hickory grubs

    Bugs and pests can move through a harvest of hickory nuts if they're not processed quickly, so make sure to process your nuts quickly after harvesting to avoid loss. Once the nuts are dried and stored I've never had any issues.

    Processing and storing

    After the nuts are removed from their green husk, I set them out to dry on sheet trays in my garage with a fan blowing on them.

    I find drying the nuts quickly helps to curb any bug damage, and is much faster than allowing the nuts to dry in a bag or gunny sack.

    Drying shagbark hickory nuts
    Drying hickory nuts. After they're dried the nuts should fall easily from their husk.

    Using drying racks takes a little space, but if you harvest wild food it's a great setup for drying things quickly and efficiently, and that goes for any nut I harvest-not just shagbarks. 

    Freezing

    Once the nuts are dry, which takes about a week, I put them in a bus tub and freeze them. From there they will last indefinitely and I pull them from the freezer to crack and process as needed.

    Storing shagbark hickory nuts in the freezer
    One season's harvest of nuts, floated, dried and frozen.

    Storing at room temperature

    Unlike other nuts I harvest like black walnuts and acorns, dried hickory nuts can only be stored at room temperature for a few months-potentially longer if you have a cool dark place.

    If you've stored hickory nuts at room temperature, crack them and they smell rancid, discard them as it only takes one to ruin a dish.

    Rancid shagbark hickory nut
    This nut is spoiled and discolored. Just one rancid nut can ruin a dish. Give these to the squirrels.

    Cracking

    Most shagbark hickory nuts I see are about an inch wide, but some are smaller. Whatever size you have, know that getting them to crack them open without crushing the nut meat is a learned skill.

    Using a nut pick on cracked shagbark hickory nuts

    Admittedly, I'm not very good at cracking them yet, but the Grandpa's Goody Getter nut-cracker has a hickory nut attachment some of my friends have used with good results.

    Whole Hickory Nut (Carya ovata)
    Yes, whole nuts are possible with time, and patience.

    Getting the X

    The old-school method Sam Thayer described to me for cracking hickory nuts involves striking the nut shell on the wide side in a way that makes an X. Using a hammer, put the nut on a flat surface and strike it lightly.

    Ideally, there will be three or four fissures, which will make removing the nuts from the shell easier. 

    Cracking foraged shagbark hickory nuts
    Cracking nuts on the flat side to make cracks in an X shape.

    Using a nut pick and snips 

    If you want to crack them the old-school way, you'll also want a nut pick and a snips. Sam Thayer showed me how to make a homemade nut pick by flattening a nail and putting it into a piece of wood.

    The thin, flat blade of the homemade nut pick is ideal for removing delicate meats from many wild nuts. 

    Using a snips to crack shells of shagbark hickory nuts
    Using a snips to crack shells of shagbark hickory nuts
    Using a snips to crack shells of shagbark hickory nuts
    Using a nut pick on cracked shagbark hickory nuts

    Cooking and Enjoying

    When cracked and perfect, hickory nuts should tastes buttery and delicious like a pecan-never rancid, stale or musty. Fresh from the shell, there's no need to toast them.

    As they have a short shelf life, after shelling they should be stored in a fridge or freezer (a glass mason jar or bag is fine) if they won't be used right away. If I'm pulling shelled nuts from the freezer, I'll usually toast them lightly to refresh them.

    A jar of shagbark hickory nuts

    The cracked nuts can be used anywhere you'd use pecans. Hickory nut pie is a classic, but you'll need a couple cups of nuts. If you only have a few, they're great just eaten out of hand or sprinkled on a salad. 

    Japanese violet greens salad with hickory nuts
    Japanese gomae salad made with hickory nuts.

    A few ways I use the finished nuts 

    • Lightly toasted and sprinkled on a salad
    • As a garnish to desserts where you would use pecans
    • In savory dishes, anywhere you would use pecans 
    • On top of your favorite breakfast cereal, like oatmeal
    • In cookies, especially buttery shortbread (think pecan sandies)
    Buttercup squash ravioli with shagbark hickory nuts and birch syrup (10)
    Buttercuup squash ravioli with shagbarks and birch syrup.

    Kanuchi and Hickory Nut Milk

    Kanuchi, an indigenous method of bashing the nuts, shell and all to a rough mash before simmering in water to make nut milk is the most ingenious method of processing hickory nuts I know of as you get to bypass the tedium of shelling the nuts. It's by far my favorite hickory nut recipe. 

    foraged hickory Nut Milk or Kanuchi
    Hickory nut milk is a pecan-scented nut milk of the gods.

    This is my go-to method for enjoying hickory nuts since I usually have other nuts to shell that are easier during the winter. For more on Kanuchi and traditional hickory nut milk see the link at the bottom of this post. 

    Shagbark Hickory Syrup

    Besides the delicious nuts, shagbark hickory wood and bark is also used in cooking, typically for making hickory syrup or smoking.

    Roasted shagbark hickory bark for syrup
    Hickory bark, washed, scrubbed, and toasted before making syrup.

    The syrup is so well liked by some people for it's smoky, hickory flavor that small farms and companies have started to sell it and you might even see it at farmers markets. Harvesting the bark is another thing to keep in mind if you visit your patches and don't find any nuts.

    Hickory Bark Syrup surrounded by bark
    Hickory syrup tastes a little smoky, like hickory. It's a decent substitute for maple syrup.
    Shelled and unshelled shagbark hickory nuts (Carya ovata)
    Print Recipe
    5 from 6 votes

    How to Harvest and Dry Shagbark Hickory Nuts

    A quick tutorial of how I harvest and process shagbark hickory nuts.
    Drying time14 days d
    Total Time14 days d
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • Large tubs or buckets for collecting nuts
    • Sheet trays as needed
    • 1 Fan for drying the nuts

    Instructions

    • Harvest shagbark hickory nuts that have fallen from the tree within the last few days.
    • Bring the nuts home and remove the green husk.
    • Submerge the fresh nuts in water and discard any that float.
    • Set the nuts on trays out to dry with a fan on them for 2 weeks, then store in the freezer or in a cool dark place. If the nuts aren't frozen they will last 3-4 months.

    Video

    References

    Samuel Thayer: Incredible Wild Edibles 

    Mike Krebill: The Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles 

    More

    Hickory Nut Milk / Kanuchi 

    Bitternut Hickory Oil 

    Recipes 

    Wild Rice Cooked in Hickory Nut Milk 

    Shagbark Hickory Milk Pot du Creme 

    Shagbark Hickory Syrup 

    Hickory Nut Rice Pudding 

    Hickory Nut Tea 

    Hickory Smoked Ice Cream 

    « Pasta alla Checca with Wild Mushrooms
    Chefs vs Wild: Behind the Scenes »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Janet Hayman

      September 19, 2023 at 8:21 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for all this info! I now know that I have both a shagbark hickory and a bitternut hickory growing right next to each other in my front yard, both fruiting prolifically this year. I have some shagbark nuts drying now and I’m excited to try them.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        September 19, 2023 at 9:17 am

        That's great.

        Reply
    2. Don Blackert

      September 16, 2023 at 7:58 am

      5 stars
      Thanks Alan. Very comprehensive. I have a lot of shag and shell bark trees, and have SLOWLY learned most of what you covered here in one fell swoop. The only add I would have is that, if you only have a small quantity, try them sprinkled over vanilla ice cream.

      One question - What's wrong with shell bark hickory nuts?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        September 18, 2023 at 3:19 pm

        Hey Don, thanks. I love them on ice cream. Just put 5 lbs in apple crisp for 200 people two days ago too for the Midwest Wild Harvest Festival. Nothing wrong with shell barks at all, they just take up a lot more space than hickories. Since I keep them in my freezer it isn't economical, I also don't have them near me. The shells are like steel too, and shagbarks are going to be much more approachable for people learning about them. If you have them though, feel free to send me cracked nuts meats all you want!

        Reply
    3. Katy

      August 29, 2023 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      Are the hickory nuts that are falling now from the chipmunks chewing them off the trees good to save? Or is it too early to harvest them? So many are chewed up right now. This just started in the last two weeks

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        August 29, 2023 at 3:40 pm

        Too early right now.

        Reply
      • Tim Tedeschi

        September 16, 2023 at 8:13 am

        Thank you for another amazing post!

        Along with the wild Black Walnuts and one Butternut tree (as well as oaks, sugar maple, etc), I have Shagbark and Pignuts on my property. My problem is that every year I've tried to gather them, they virtually all have bugs and worms in them.

        Are the trees diseased (permanently), or do you think there's something I can do to save these nuts? I gather black walnuts with almost none of the bugs or worms. When I was little and we'd go mushroom hunting with my dad, my mother would ALWAYS gather bushels of nice, healthy Hickory nuts. Do you think it's just my trees that are bad? They're way too tall to spray the canopy.

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          September 18, 2023 at 3:17 pm

          You can have some hickory grubs sometimes. I never get them in black walnuts or butternuts. One thing you can do, as I mention in the post is to float the nuts and discard floaters. The best advice I have is to make sure you are harvesting them as soon as possible when they hit the ground, and that the nuts are then dried and frozen ASAP.

          Reply
    4. Kristen

      August 24, 2023 at 9:56 pm

      Can you dry nuts in the sun? Rather than with a fan/indoors?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        August 26, 2023 at 10:11 am

        Sure. As long as they get dry and are sheltered from rain.

        Reply
    5. Adriana

      June 10, 2023 at 10:46 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for all the great information. I have a shag bark hickory in the back yard of the house I just bought. I can't wait to harvest some nuts this fall.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 11, 2023 at 7:08 am

        Oh you're so lucky. I have to travel an hour as I'm a little north of their range.

        Reply
      • Rene Ehrhardt

        July 30, 2023 at 2:12 pm

        5 stars
        Thank you so much for the wealth of information! I just found you today! I have 40 acres with many shag bark hickory trees. I will say that when scouting for them, I would also favor the ones growing along a stream as all the ones growing beside the stream have fatter nuts. I can't wait till the nuts start dropping this year so that I can try your recipes!

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          July 31, 2023 at 9:24 am

          Thanks Rene.

          Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    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.

    More about me →

    Get The Book

    the forager chef's book of flora
    The Forager Chefs Book of Flora

    As Seen On

    Footer

    Privacy

    Subscribe

    Be the first to hear what I'm doing

    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Forager | Chef® Accessibility Statement