Autumn is getting very close. Mid September. Beautiful days in the 60s and low 70s. Nights in the high 40s and 50s.
I noticed several deer always hanging out in the same area when I walked through the woods. So I finally went over to investigate.
I found a nice Hickory tree. Still producing many nuts on the ground. Some fresh, some ovee a few weeks old. There are still quite a few still on the tree but it is almost past the normal harvesting for Hickory nuts. I gathered a basket to test which ones are better. The hulls are very easy to remove. I’m told the easiest way to tell the good ones from the bad are to put them in water. The bad ones will float.
I’m not sure I buy that. Almost all of these floated. But then I gathered a lot of overripe black ones so maybe many are bad. About half of the black hulled ones were already rotting inside. We’ll see how they turn out.
Next they need to dry in a well ventilated, rarely warm but not hot, area.
Tomorrow I plan on gathering just fresh ones for eating.
Don’t worry. I’ll leave some for the deer.
