Page 195 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Pignut Hickory, Carya

glabra (JUGLANDACEAE)

PIGNUT HICKORY grows from 50 to 100 ft. (15-30m)
tall with a trunk diameter to 3 ft. (1m).
FLOWER AND FRUIT: In April-May, male flowers are
borne in light green catkins to 3 inches (7cm) long.
Female flowers develop on short spikes. Nuts are em-
bedded in pear-shaped, yellow-green husks to 1 inch
(2.5cm) across. At maturity, husk splits into 4 sections,
exposing the ovoid, hard-shelled nut.
LEAF: Alternate leaves are pinnately compound with
5-7 toothed leaflets. Lanceolate and 3-6 inches (7-15cm) Shaun C. Williams, CC-BY-2.0 Kristel Schoonderwoerd, CC-BY-SA-2.0
long, leaflets are arranged on a central stalk of 6-12 HICKORY NUT SOUP: Ingredients: ½ cup raw shelled
inches (15-30cm). hickory nuts, 1-quart water, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. maple
EDIBLE PARTS: nut, sap syrup, 1 cup hominy cooked and drained (or 1 large
sweet potato peeled, diced, and roasted). Grind nuts
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Pignuts, while edible
raw or cooked, vary in quality. Some are sweet, while into a thick paste. In a saucepan add nut paste, water,
others are bitter and unpalatable. You can leach out the and salt. Bring to a boil and whisk until combined.
bitterness by soaking the nutmeat in repeated changes Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 30
min., stirring occasionally. When reduced by half,
of hot or cold water. Nuts can be dried and ground into
add maple syrup and bring to a quick boil for 5 min.
flour, or boiled for oil. Gather in autumn and dry for two
weeks before storing. Sap can be boiled into syrup. Ladle soup into bowls of hominy or sweet potato.

Pin Cherry, Prunus
pensylvanica (ROSACEAE)

PIN CHERRY, also known as Bird cherry, Fire cherry,
and Red cherry, is native to woodlands with rich, moist
soil in North America, across much of Canada from New-
foundland and southern Labrador to British Columbia,
and the southern Northwest Territories. It is also found
in New England, the Great Lakes region, and the Appa-
lachian Mountains. Pin Cherry is found scattered in the
Rocky Mountains, south to Colorado and in the Black
Hills of South Dakota. Typically, trees grow 15-50 ft. (5-
15m) tall, with much taller trees found in the Appala- Superior National Forest, CC-BY-2.0 Rob Routledge, CC-BY-3.0
chians, and the tallest found growing to 100 ft. (30m)
eat only the fleshy part of the fruit. The fruit is usu-
tall in the Great Smoky Mountains.
ally too sour to eat raw, so it’s used mainly for pies
FLOWER AND FRUIT: Flowers occur in small clusters of
and jellies.
5 to 7, with each flower having 5 white, round petals and
PIN CHERRY JELLY: Bring 6 ½ cups Pin Cherry juice
measuring 0.5 inch (1cm) across. Small, bright red fruits
with 7 cups sugar and 6 tbsp. pectin to a rolling boil
are drupes 0.15-0.3 inches (4-8mm) in diameter.
for 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat,
LEAF: Green, hairless, serrated leaves are 1.5–4.2 inch
pour off foam, and pour into hot sterilized canning
(4–11cm) long and 0.4-1.8 inch (4.5cm) wide.
jars.
EDIBLE PARTS: fruit WARNING: Pin Cherry Seeds and leaves contain hy-
KEY MEDICINAL USES: A decoction of the root has drogen cyanide, a toxin that can be detected by its
been used for stomach pains. bitter taste. Any very bitter seed or fruit should not
be eaten.
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Harvest ripe berries and
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