1. Select and set the nots to break the shells carefully.
2. Put the nuts in a towel - we have them in parchment for easy handling
3. A good way to crack the nuts is to break them up this way.
4. Be sure to separate the shells from the nuts.
5. Place the smashed hickory nuts and water in a medium pot and bring to a low boil.
6. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low for 30min.
7. Remove from heat and bring to room temperature. Then stir.
8. Transfer the mixture to a blender
9. Blend until the liquid has become opaque and frothy.
10. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, reserving the pulp for another use.
Definitely – you just need a hammer! The shells are quite tough and your decorative nutcracker won’t do the job.
Yes, and here’s a few key things we learned:
It’s tempting to separate the nut meats from the shells, but it’s labor intensive and requires more nuts for the yield, so don’t bother.
Soaking the nuts for any number of days won’t soften the shells, and will actually bring out some of the more bitter flavors. Skip it.
Toasting or dehydrating the nuts won’t make it any easier on your blender, and the extra roasty flavor won’t add anything good to the final product. Don’t do it.
Blending the nuts raw is tough on your blender and produces only a mild flavor.
Stick with the recipe here, and you’re in for a treat!
Not really. If you’re looking for a frothy wild nut milk, try our black walnut milk.