Photo by Tami Gingrich
A favorite of foragers, shagbark hickory nuts can be used in recipes ranging from granola and cake to cookies and fudge – or simply, as Tami Gingrich notes, for snacking straight from the hull. “Of course, not every nut is useable,” Gingrich says. “Many of them host hickory nut weevils. These smooth, beige grubs emerge through small holes shortly after the nuts fall to the ground. I have watched as many as four of these larvae crawl from a single nut in a matter of minutes.” Gingrich saves the weevils – stored in her refrigerator – and offers them as treats to overwintering eastern bluebirds, which, she says, “happily gulp them down, relishing the fatty treat!”