Our latest find on our property are hickory nuts!! We have 2-3 different kinds, and it appears they are all the sweet kind. We have been gathering and husking them. They will need to dry for a few days before we can crack the shells and dig out the meats. This might be too much of a task for most people–hickorys have a bad rap for being hard to open–but there is an article in Mother Earth News that shows us where the sweet spot is. Since we have over 500 (I’m guessing) I bet we can get the hang of it.
The husks themselves smell delicious. We have half of a 5 gallon bucket filled with the. They would make good potpourri, but they also lend a great smell to a fire. K tossed a couple into the fire and their aroma carried all over the yard.
I am not sure what all I’m going to do with the nuts once I get them. I want to try to make nut butter for one, and maybe a hickory nut pie (hickory’s and pecans are in the same family). I may just keep them for hand eating.
We are excited about finding more “free” food on the property. First the blackberries, now this. The Lord does provide!
The weather has been autumn perfect for nearly 2 weeks. Warm and colorful, most of the trees still have their leaves, and we had a late “peak”. We are supposed to be getting a cold snap in the next few days though, so we are preparing for winter to set in. I still can’t get used to it being dark so early!
Keith has finished his chicken coop, and today I dragged it into place with the tractor. Other then the roosts and the fencing we are good to go for spring. The pen will be down by the hickorys. I keep imagining a nut falling off the tree and clonking a chicken on the head! Brrrraaaakkk!!
That’s all for now!
