Look out Squirrels

Here is my little hickory nut hunter.

The squirrels beat us to most of them,

but we are lucky to have friends who have very mature hickory trees that allowed us to pick.

This was the result to picking for only about a half an hour.

The process:

-husk the outer shell(usually green or brownish)

-rinse off the inside shell

-put them in a bucket full of water and throw out the ones that float to the top

-Allow "the keepers" to dry outside for 48-72 hours(like the picture above)

-Put in a bowl until your big strong husband will crack them for you:)

(Most instructions say to use a hammer with a brick, but we used an industrial old fashion hand cracker)

-Hickory nuts are very similar to the walnut shape

so you may need picks to get any remainder nut pieces out

(Just make sure you don't have any shell left stuck on the nut- it would crack a tooth!)

-Store the hickory nuts in a freezer-safe container and freeze until use

-Enjoy!