I’m always looking for new and interesting ways to make money. Our latest research has me thinking about planting hickory trees!
Hickory trees are abundant and grow easily in most of North America. Of the 19 known species, 11 are native to the United States. The nuts of some hickory species, such as pecans, are edible, but most are extremely bitter and considered suitable only for consumption as animal feed, if at all. However, the OIL from those nuts does not necessarily carry the same bitter taste, and some enterprising farmers are hoping to create a new market for this ancient but mostly forgotten edible oil.
Hickory nuts were a significant food source for indigenous peoples of the Eastern Woodlands of North America. They were used by the Cherokee in Kanuchi soup, but more often, edible oil would be extracted through crushing the nuts and then either straining or boiling the remains.
Native Americans knew something about these nuts that would take science many more decades to explain – the oil does not carry the same bitterness as the raw nut. That’s because the compounds that give them that acidic flavor, known as “tannins,” are not fat-soluble. In other words, extracting the oil from hickory nuts leaves behind the bitterness.
The resulting oil is described as mild, almost buttery, and with a high “smoke point” of about 450 degrees. Meaning it can be heated to high temperatures without burning, unlike more delicate alternatives like olive oil. At the same time, hickory oil touts many of the same purported health benefits as olive oil, driven by high levels of monounsaturated fats (oleic acid) and antioxidants, such as anti-inflammatory properties and reduced risk of chronic diseases.
One of the highest oil-yielding hickory species is the “Bitternut,” which hints at the unpleasant taste of its acrid nuts. Their oil content can reach as high as 80%, though. Additionally, the nuts are also thin-shelled, making them easier to press than many other hickory species. Add to that the trees produce prolifically once mature and will continue to bear fruit until they’re around 175 years old! The trees can live up to 200 years.
Sam Thayer, a self-described “wild food forager,” has been at the forefront of an effort to create a market for US hickory oil. First, he had to do something about the name. An alternative name for Bitternut hickory is “yellowbud,” and conveniently does not allude to the off-putting taste of the tree’s raw nuts.
As for the oil, fans say it basically sells itself. Zach Elfers, co-founder of Pennsylvania’s Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative, started selling its first run of Yellowbud hickory oil last year. “You barely need to market it. You just need to get people to taste it, and your work is done,” says Elfers.
Making the oil is another matter. It is a labor-intensive endeavor that starts in the wild. There are some operations that are in the early stages of creating Yellowbud hickory orchards but they can take 10 to 15 years to reach maturity. Would-be oil makers for now gather fallen nuts from forest floors and haul them to their makeshift crushing operations.
Yellowbud hickory nuts yield about the same amount of oil per acre – 41 gallons – as sunflower crops in the Northeast. However, experts note that this is coming from wild trees. That means there is potential to improve the species and increase yields.
Massachusetts-based Yellowbud Farms, which specializes in tree crops, is reportedly cultivating a selection of Yellowbud Hickory that produce about five times more nuts than average. Additionally, they’ve learned ways to optimize growth and productivity. For instance, when cultivated in open sunny locations, they can begin bearing fruit as early as six years of age. And it is likely that irrigation would increase yields even more, since pecans, a hickory relative, produce twelve times more nuts when irrigated.
Hickory enthusiasts also tout the virtues of tree oils over seed oils, including their sustainability over row crops. Most row crops, of course, need to be planted every year, and typically require added fertilizers and pesticides. Trees, however, grow taller than weeds, and the understory allows for a multi-layered use of the land. In a system known as silvopasture, for instance, grazing livestock are integrated with trees. The animals fertilize the soil and keep the ground vegetation trimmed to facilitate the gathering of nuts. Trees shade the animals from summer heat and provide them some amount of protection from wind and rain.
A very successful cottage industry has sprung up around hickory oil in recent years, and it is getting easier to find, though probably not at your local grocery store. You are more likely to spot it at a Farmer’s Market, although the easiest way to come by it is to conduct a Google search. There are numerous operations now selling a wide variety of Yellowbud hickory oils online.
If you are interested in learning more about Yellowbud hickory, check out Yellowbud Farms, which also sells bare root trees for pick up and shipment. If you are just looking for hickory oil, check out Fancy Twig Farm and Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative. Also, don’t forget to try an internet search…it might turn up a local producer you didn’t even know about! (Sources: Offrange, Farm and Dairy, Farger Chef, Eat the Planet)
