• HOME
  • happy living
    • meal planning + prep
    • kitchen basics
    • hospitality
    • foodie finds
    • live happily
  • simple eats
    • appetizer recipe
    • beef recipe
    • chicken recipe
    • dessert recipe
    • drink recipe
    • fish recipe
    • lamb recipe
    • salad recipe
    • soup recipe
    • starch recipe
    • vegetable recipe
    • Pressure Cook recipe
    • Slow Cook recipe
  • NWAFOODIE
  • SHOP
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • CONTACT
Simple Joyful Food

eat happily

live happily

Hickory nuts are the perfect symbol of autumn: beautiful yet fleeting.

November 18, 2011 2 Comments

Hello beautiful Fall.

I watch you change into a myriad of colors and then, one by one… you shimmy off your beautiful coat of many colors.

Your autumn dance is enchanting.

Here in Northwest Arkansas it is breath taking and majestic.

The peak is over and the leaves are almost all down.  It is as if Fall is giving its deepest sigh.

One of my favorite parts of autumn is listening to acorns drop and observing tree nuts still hanging on with all of their might.

Sigh.  Oh happy sigh.

We have a beautiful hickory tree in our front year that shines forth with the most brilliance of yellow gold and drops a bounty of gorgeous hickory nuts.

These hickory nuts intrigue me.  I have often wondered why they aren’t they available commercially. I’ve also wondered what they taste like.

 

So, I gathered up a bucket.  Then another.  Then another.  Until I had four.

I dug out my old-timey trusty nutcracker tongs.  After the first attempt, yikes, they cracked in half!

Next, I used a strong old-fashioned hammer.  It crushed the nut all right… a little TOO much.  Pieces flew everywhere.  No matter how many times I tried to crack them open, their super strength shells were not cooperating.  Stubborn little dudes.

I started asking around.

I got really smart.

I asked my seasoned country-folk friends.

Bingo!

They directed me Lehman’s heavy-duty Get Crackin’ nutcracker.

This baby worked!

Uh-oh.  I was now introduced to the next challenge of the hickory nut.

Did you know that once you crack open a hickory nut, the nooks and crannies are virtually impossible to extract the meat?

I mean, really?!!!  How do squirrels tackle this?

Fast-forward thirty minutes and visualize an every-so-tiny pile of hickory nut meat.

Finally!

I had to know what they taste like.  After all this effort, I was DYING to know!

I had enough for a nibble.

First bite:  Um, wow. Delishy.  They taste like a cross between a brazil nut, a hazelnut and a pine nut.

But seriously, thirty minutes for a nibble?

Not worth the effort.  Sorry.

For me the hickory tree will continue to be a beautiful sight to behold in the Fall as it goes through its metamorphosis and drops its deliciously challenging treats.  The squirrels will gather and bury its bounty and they will wait, and wait, and wait, and wait until it is ready to harvest.

As for me, I’ll use my new nutcracker for walnuts and pecans, thank you.

Enjoy the rest of Fall!

Eat well, my friends.  Eat well.

Lyndi

You might also like...

An autumn-inspired cream of chunky carrot soup. Holding on to autumn. #Bean2Blog: Make your own roasted soybean “nuts.”

Share

Share
Tweet
Email
Pin
Comment
Previous
Next

Comments Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




  1. silja says

    November 21, 2011 at 10:44 am

    Talking about nuts, why are hazlenuts so difficult to get here? They are used in many of my favourite recipes, but practically impossible to buy other than in the shell in assorted nut bags (Ideally I'd be looking for bags of chopped hazlenuts for baking). They are sooooo expensive here, my favourite bakery (Bizzy Bee in Bentonville) even imports theirs from Germany!

    Reply
  2. nwafoodie says

    November 21, 2011 at 12:41 pm

    I KNOW, hazelnuts are difficult to find… but not impossible! I just bought a jar (already shelled, thank you) from the Pinnacle White Oak Gas station (aka the gourmet gas station) in Rogers by the mall. I paid $7 and change for it. Go to the baking aisle, top shelf, marked as "filberts."

    For post Thanksgiving breakfast, I ordered a fresh loaf of Brioche from Jacks Bakery, will cut and toast with butter, drizzle nutella and top with chopped hazelnuts (filberts). Mmmmmm, delishy!

    I'll send you this info via fb so you can be sure to know where to get the hazelnuts.

    Lyndi

    Reply

hellooooo Foodie!

author image of thejoyofeatingwell blogHi! My name is Lyndi Fultz, and I live in the beautiful Ozark Mountains that span Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri.

I’m a foodie on a journey to EAT HAPPILY and LIVE SIMPLY. Learning and encouraging along the way and writing about it here on Simple Joyful Food.

Read more…

SJF social links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Newsletter signup

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

search categories

Search by Year

TRENDING POSTS

FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

simplejoyfulfood

On a journey to EAT HAPPILY and LIVE SIMPLY. Learning and encouraging along the way and writing about it. Local eats @nwafoodie

Lyndi Fultz
Simple isn’t just about food.⁠ ⁠ It’s a mi Simple isn’t just about food.⁠
⁠
It’s a mindset.⁠
⁠
Planning.⁠
Preparing.⁠
Organizing.⁠
Dreaming.⁠
Planting.⁠
Storing.⁠
Design.⁠
⁠
Joyful isn’t just about being happy.⁠
⁠
It’s a mindset.⁠
⁠
Details.⁠
Senses.⁠
Taste.⁠
Good taste.⁠
Uplifting.⁠
Encouraging.⁠
⁠
Food isn’t just about eating.⁠
⁠
It’s about 360-degree touchpoints.⁠
⁠
Laughter.⁠
Joy.⁠
Experimenting.⁠
Sharing.⁠
⁠
What would you add?⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Ever wonder why a crackling fire draws you towards Ever wonder why a crackling fire draws you towards it like a moth to a flame? The fire’s warmth is more than just heat; the foods you cook on a flame add more than nourishment.⁠
⁠
One of my favorite memories as a kid growing up in the Research Triangle in North Carolina was the annual church hayride at the country home of our friends, the Barbours. We lived in a suburb of the state capital, close to physically yet far away from life on the outskirts of town filled with Tobacco fields, cotton patches, and red dirt roads. ⁠
⁠
The Barbours had some farm that my little self couldn’t comprehend. In reality, they may have had just land, yet to me; land meant a farm. And besides, they had a big ol’ barn, tractors, and hosted the annual hayride.⁠
⁠
My favorite part of the memory was the firepit, where everyone gathered around, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s company. It didn’t matter if you were a kid or elderly. ⁠
⁠
You may think, “But I don’t have a fireplace or firepit! What can I do?” ⁠
⁠
Improvise.⁠
⁠
Youtube a crackling fireplace video or a firepit on a beach. Dim the lights and turn the crackle up. Invite yourself to a friend’s home with ample backyard and offer to bring ‘smores. Go to a park.⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Food and drinks are necessities of life that susta Food and drinks are necessities of life that sustain us, and small, simple touches can make our meals some of our happiest moments of the day. ⁠
⁠
If you know anything about me, you already know that I think that simple things are the best.⁠
⁠
A favorite pepper grinder.⁠
⁠
The mug that reminds you of your happy place.⁠
⁠
Fresh-picked wildflowers.⁠
⁠
Honeycomb.⁠
⁠
First cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.⁠
⁠
What are some of yours?⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Webster’s Dictionary has two excellent definitio Webster’s Dictionary has two excellent definitions for the word nourishment. One is “to provide with food,” and the other is “to provide for,” to provide support.⁠
⁠
I love that.⁠
⁠
Just as food sustains and keeps us alive, feeling supported sustains us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s how we build bonds, friendships, and hope for the future.⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
“Stop sneaking the spiced candied pecans!” I s “Stop sneaking the spiced candied pecans!” I said this not once, not twice, but almost three times before Dennis beat me to say those words again. “I’m sneaking some more,” he happily declared.⁠
⁠
I’m delighted that he was enjoying them! I assured him that he could have allllll that his little heart desired… he just had to allow me to take a few photos for you!⁠
⁠
You see these spiced candied pecans are simple and easy go-to appetizers that we should always have the ingredients on hand. For those “just in case” moments when… ⁠
⁠
…Oh forget it! Every day is the perfect moment!⁠
⁠
Link in bio for the recipe!⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
here’s a special bonding moment when you raise a here’s a special bonding moment when you raise a glass and give a toast, followed by that happy clink. Here’s why I think giving thanks and appreciating everyday moments are essential.⁠
⁠
Salud!⁠
⁠
To Your Health!⁠
⁠
Cheers!⁠
⁠
Did you know that folks in the UK will use the word “cheers” as “thank you?” From wedding toasts to praising someone for remarkable achievement, raising a glass with a special someone is a special bonding moment.⁠
⁠
I love that part about “cheers” and “thank” can be the same. ⁠
⁠
Have you ever wanted to become more thankful? More grateful? More appreciative of, well, everything that we take for granted?⁠
⁠
Why not give thanks and cheer a little more often?⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Load More... Instagram

contact

lyndi@thejoyofeatingwell.com

inspiration

“Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.” – Julia Child

Copyright 2023 thejoyofeatingwell