Nuts to you and you and you
December 31, 2000

Nuts... Holiday buffets feature bowls of tempting kinds---pecans from Georgia, almonds from California, cashews from Brazil, macadamias from Australia, pistachios from Arizona via the Mediterranean countries. But it would be rare to find local species though they are equally tasty.

Except for acorns found on a few oak trees, there are no nut trees at Woodland Dunes or other areas along the lakeshore. Shagbark hickories, butternuts and black walnuts can be found in the western areas of Manitowoc county.

Childhood memories include a family farm that sheltered three generations. Hickory trees grew along the country road and fence lines. There were plenty of nuts for humans and squirrels. Youngsters would gather pails of nuts, still encased in their pungent, sectional, green outer covering. Spread out to dry on the sun porch or a spare bedroom, as they dried the heavy coating would split and leave behind the oval, tan, hard coated nuts. These could be packed away in flour sacks until needed, for enhancing cakes, frostings and candies.

Grandparents often participated in getting the woody, hard-shelled nuts to yield their toothsome portions. It was an art to crack them just right so they would come out in halves. More often the pieces had to be extracted with a nut pick. A heavy metal flatiron, with a handle, might be tucked between the knees as a base on which to hammer. Nutcrackers were hard to use. Sometimes the boys would take them to their workshop and crack them with a vise. A point jar filled with hickory nut meats has to be a gift of love.

Black walnuts are in the same category. The papery outer shell, when removed reveals a hard, frustrating rough shell that has to be attacked before getting to the tasty portions. Black walnut trees may not be as plentiful as the wood is more valuable than the nuts. But, one large tree during a good year, can supply wildlife and humans with as many as needed. A cherished three generation coverlet was dyed an ugly brownish color with a solution of black walnut husks.

Butternut, in the same family as the black walnuts, is not classed as a valuable timber tree, but may be retained as a roadside and fence row tree because of its edible nuts. It is suggested that anyone climbing the tree to shake down the nuts should be careful of the weak branches which tend to break easily.

Most of the acorns at Woodland Dunes are of a bitter variety. It is reported that early Indians of the area removed the bitterness by soaking them in water in a special "acorn sweetener". Some species of acorns are edible as found.

Happy nibbling on the imported species, but don't pass up an opportunity to try out hickory nuts if you can find a supply. Try the local farmers' market next fall.