Instructions

1. Put on waterproof gloves to keep your hands from getting stained.

2. Look for hickory trees that are full of ripe nuts. Using a sturdy stick, shake the tree branches until the nuts fall to the ground. Also look for nuts on the forest ground in early fall. The nuts fall to the ground and are snatched up by squirrels and other foragers.

3. Scratch the ground with a stick to uncover nuts that are hidden under leaves. Peel off the black hulls with your hands. Place the nuts in a bucket.

4. Dump out your nuts at home and throw out any that have holes or are rotten or damaged. Place the ones that look good back into the bucket.

5. Fill the bucket with water, and take out any nuts that float to the surface, because they shouldn't be eaten.

6. Spread them out on a cookie sheet. Let them dry out for 72 hours, stirring occasionally to get them evenly dry.

7. Lay the nuts out on a brick. Grasp a nut between your thumb and forefinger. Point the stem to the right.

8. With a hammer, crack the nut at a spot that is 1/3 of the way down.

9. Inspect the meat inside for quality, scrape it out with a spoon, and place it in a shallow pan for cooking.

10. Set the oven to 200 degrees.

11. Bake the nuts until they turn golden brown.

12. Add the nuts to salads or eat them as a snack.