Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Hickory Nut Tea

Hickory nuts, though a pain and a half to try getting out of their shell, are some of my favorite nuts.

Apparently they were the favorite nuts for one of my aunts as well. She chose to serve hickory nut tea as a special treat for the bridal party at her wedding.

We used to have several hickory nut trees on our property while I was growing up. We would gather just enough of the nuts to make a batch of tea, and leave the rest for the squirrels to tuck away for winter.

Thanksgiving was made complete by enjoying a cup of steaming hickory nut tea at bedtime, a delectable treat, that never lasted long enough.

Hickory Nut Tea

1/2 cup finely chopped hickory nuts (toasted)
1 cup water

Simmer until water has been reduced to about 1/2 cup and it has a nice golden brown color.

Add:

2-3 cups milk
Brown sugar to desired sweetness

Heat until hot, but not simmering.

Serve.

Personally I think it's better than hot chocolate, but maybe that's only because it takes more effort and it was a once a year treat.

11 comments:

  1. That tea sounds lovely! =) Have a great day. Valerie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If it wasn't so hard to make I would have it much more often!

      Delete
  2. Very unusual, but I would imagine also refreshing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is different from any other tea. I don't even know why they bother calling it a tea. A Hot Nutty Drink would describe it better.

      Delete
  3. This sounds good, I'm imagining it tastes like hazelnut?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is good. Not sure how to describe the taste of a hickory nut. Maybe a cross between a pecan and a walnut with a dash of sweetness mixed in.

      Delete
  4. A pain and a half is putting it mildly. I've only eaten two in my entire life; we have several trees on the property, and The Squire opened some with a hammer. If I ever decide I want more, I'll have to get my own hammer! The tea sounds intriguing. How many is "enough to make a batch"?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are awful to get out of their shells! It still amazes me how easily a squirrel can do it.

      Not sure how many whole nuts it takes to make a half cup of nut meats.

      Delete
  5. Interestingly enough, the phrase 'hickory tea' in some areas describes the desperate need of a young person for a switching to correct some behavior or other...as in "That boy needs a dose of hickory tea!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's funny! I'll have to think of that the next time I hear hickory tea mentioned.

      Delete
  6. I just made this with my 9 year old daughter, she and I both loved it, thanks!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking time to comment. I love hearing your thoughts.