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| They’re ready! |
We were so excited when we moved onto our property and began to discover all of nature’s bounty that we’d be able to enjoy. Honey bees in our walls (and pounds and pounds of resulting honey). Wild plums. Apple trees. Grapevines. Wild blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. Even the garden did surprisingly well. And now, the walnuts and a new favorite are ready: hickory nuts.
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| Never too young to help. |
Not only has Jack been thrilled to have a new wood to smoke his meats, he’s had us out enjoying family time scouring the ground for the nuts. At first, a few half green, half brown nuts still encased in their shell tumbled heavily from the treetops. Now, they fall by the dozens at the slightest breeze and crack open when they hit the earth. I’ve been awoken more than once thinking some heavy-footed thief was stumbling through our backyard. Nope. Just falling nuts.
The neighborhood has been inundated with squirrels but there are more than enough nuts to go around. We’ve collected our fill and though we haven’t figured out how to crack them without shattering them (either our nut cracker isn’t well designed or we’re just too strong for our own good), the remnants are still delicious.
I’ve seen them sold at a local orchard for $4.50 a pound so I guess that means we’re slightly ahead thanks to the nut trees. Score one more for the rundown acreage with the abundant hickory harvest.
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| Forest nut gathering family time… |
