A Foragers ROI

Having given ChatGPT the day off, I pen this note myself in late summer, and I cannot wait for fall. Not just because school buses begin to roll again. And not just as a harbinger of the end of New Jersey’s withering heat and humidity.  These are pedestrian concerns.  The cause for my excitement is that this year will be a masting year for the Shagbark Hickory Tree. As such, September will be magical.

But perhaps some background is in order…

On a golden October afternoon about ten years ago, I first became aware of the shagbark hickory and more to the point, the fruit that it occasionally bears. My discovery was made in Newtonian fashion while hiking in a nearby forest where a barrage of wind-blown nuts struck me on the head. Unaware of the significance at the time, I pocketed a few of the large green projectiles and brought them home for inspection.

September’s harvest as seen in August

Scientifically known as carya ovata, the tree is an iconic native of the eastern United States. Distinctive for the peeling bark that gives the tree its “shaggy” appearance, it offers more than just aesthetic appeal. The shelter of the bark itself is the habitat of several species of bats. The hardwood is renowned by woodworkers for its density and flexibility, and the shells themselves (once soaked in water), are much sought after by outdoor grilling enthusiasts for the flavorful smoke they provide when burned. And yet, despite the utility of the wood, the fruit (technically the “mast”) begs further discovery.

Historically, hickory nuts served as a significant food source for many Native American tribes who also used them to make syrup, butter, tea, and medicine. Today, these benefits continue to resonate. As reported in the New York Times, recent JAMA studies have proven that people eating 5 servings of nuts per week live 20% longer than those who abstain. The same study also states that shagbark hickory nut oil has been shown to help prevent erectile dysfunction. Truly, there is nothing this nut can’t do!

Enjoying hickory nuts, however, is not straightforward; these fruits present a challenge for even the most seasoned forager. The tough shells – thick and irregular in shape – have resisted all attempts at commercialization (which is why you won’t find them at your local Whole Foods). To the amateur enthusiast, however, this resilience presents an irresistible challenge that has given rise to various and often inspired cracking methods. These techniques include being run over by pickup trucks, struck with hammers and rocks, crushed in industrial presses, and slowly squeezed in hydraulic vises. One dusty corner of the Internet sells a cambered lever device with the unfortunate sobriquet of “Grandpa’s Goody Getter,” and I grudgingly admit to this particular tool’s utility. But whatever methodology one employs, I find the valiant effort is to some degree its reward, as there is more to the challenge than merely the challenge itself. Unlike, say, investing – where “past performance does not guarantee future results,” and regular success in that field inevitably relies to some degree on Fate – successfully shelling the hickory nut is one of Life’s few endeavors where there is a direct and guaranteed correlation between Herculean effort and divine success. This is fortunate, as a good harvest will yield 40-50 pounds of challenges, each pound requiring about three hours of diligent manual extraction. In the past, I used to be able to count on my children to help in this task, with four hammers, football on TV, and the promise of a scratch-off Lottery ticket to the most prolific sheller being all that was required.  Now they’ve grown (and left for more viable endeavors working on autonomous vehicles, fintech, Search, and television comedy), progress is much slower.

A journey down the online rabbit hole yields a trove of rapturous praise for this nutritional and culinary marvel. One famous chef maintains “What truffles are to mushrooms, the shagbark hickory fruit is to all other nuts,” and I would be hard-pressed to argue.  The roasted nut has a rich, buttery texture that’s complimented by a sweet, almost maple-like taste. The expression of wonder that spreads over the face of a person eating hickory nuts for the first time can best be equated to that of a child successfully riding their two-wheeler without training wheels. That feeling of being on a ‘people mover’ at the airport? It’s like that. In your mouth.

their husks removed, nuts drying in the sun

Significantly, it is important to note that the production of shagbark nuts is an intricate dance of nature. While the trees can produce nuts annually, their yield varies dramatically. Hickories begin bearing fruit when they’re ten to twelve years old, but substantial production often doesn’t kick in until they’re around 40 years of age. Environmental factors, from moisture levels during kernel formation to wind patterns for pollination, all combine to influence their yield. This unpredictability adds to Shagbark’s allure, making a good harvest year – as this year (see pic above taken last week in the fields), promises to be – all the more precious.

My family and I will be celebrating the ephemeral nature of this windfall by Thanksgiving: Roasted hickory nuts (bathed in lightly salted water and baked at 350 degrees for 8 minutes – no more, no less) on yogurt in the morning and on ice cream at night. As a glass of chardonnay go-with (for me) or a martini chaser (for my Dad). What? Did I hear you say that you’ve never been served a pecan pie made with shagbark hickory nuts swapped in? Well, that is tragic…and a life half-lived in my book.

Let your creativity be your guide.  The last time we had a fall harvest like this one is sizing up to be, my wife (ex-Paris-trained pastry chef, ex-engineer, and now bicycle mechanic), created an amazing treat that we called ShagBars and sent to clients with the following note and advisory:

Each of these confections represents approximately 7,000 man-hours of labor – an investment we think is well worth the effort and hope that you agree. Enjoy – albeit with one word of prudence. Authenticating their natural origin, each ShagBar® contains at least one small piece of genuine and indestructible shagbark hickory nutshell. As such caution is advised in their consumption.

But what is Life without Risk? Is it even a Life? And if Investing involves Risk, does that mean then that Investing is Life?  Gosh. I hope not…but it does give one pause.  I will leave you to mull over these philosophical conundrums on your own time and in your own way, while I do the same. In late September on the deck, with the smell of falling leaves in the air, my wife doing the KenKen, and a bowl of roasted hickory nuts by my side.  And maybe a dog or three.