Shagbark Hickory Syrup

This roasty, toasty, and smokey syrup is made from an infusion of roasted shagbark hickory bark (Carya ovata). This recipe can be made year-round as shagbark hickory is pretty much always available.

I first learned about the culinary delights of shagbark hickory on a plant walk with jim mcdonald in Michigan. We were in a forest with plenty of shagbark hickory trees, and as the plant walk ended near the parking lot, a thunder storm was rolling in. I figured I had enough time to head back and snag some bark to try the syrup at home, but once I started harvesting, it started pouring, and I grabbed a few more strips as lightning began to strike nearby. I ran out of the woods with the bundle beneath my arm, pelted by the warm summer rain and the thickly layered aroma of a freshly showered woodland. I made it back to my car and drove four hours back to Chicago, just a little damp, and made the syrup the following day–I happened to have maple sugar in the pantry which plussed it up quite a bit.

When I finally tasted the syrup, I knew it was worth it, but couldn't tell if the zap of flavor was from the lightning striking nearby or if the syrup was just that damn good.

Next time I made the syrup, sans lightning storm, I discovered it was probably a little of both.

How to harvest Shagbark Hickory

While many barks are harvested in spring and fall, when the sap is running up and down the tree, shagbark hickory syrup can be made any time of year, because the outer peeling bark is what is used to make the syrup (most medicinal and edible barks require the inner bark - shagbark hickory is an exception).

Shagbark hickory trees tend to offer up a lot of shaggy bark, but over-harvesting is always something to avoid. Typically when you find shagbark hickory, you will be in a forest setting surrounding by oaks, other hickories, wild cherry, linden, maples, and hawthorns, so there should be plenty of individual shagbark hickory trees to harvest from. Choose the bark that is already peeling quite a bit and harvest a one or two from each tree until you have enough to make the syrup, instead of all of the bark from one tree. Your harvest shouldn't be noticeable to the naked eye.

Generally, I make syrup with about a quarter of a pound to a half pound of bark for around a quart of syrup.

How to make Shagbark Hickory Syrup

1. Take home the bark and scrub off the dirt in a basin of warm water. You'll be straining it out at the end so don't worry too much about a little leftover grit.
2. Let the bark soak in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400ºF.
3. Drain the water from the bark and lay flat on a baking sheet or pan and roast for about 25-30 minutes – specifically when the aroma gets good.
4. Remove the bark and allow to cool, and then break into 3 inch pieces.
5. Add the roasted bark into a pot and cover with water (typically around a half pound : 6 cups of water)
6. Bring to a boil and then back off to simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Allow to cool without removing the bark.
8. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (you can add a layer of cheesecloth if you want to make sure to remove all the grit).
9. Measure the roasted shagbark hickory infusion before pouring back into a pot.
10. Add equal parts sugar (so if you end up with 2 cups shagbark hickory infusion, add 2 cups sugar).
11. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10-20 minutes, stirring with a whisk incorporate the sugar.
    1. It's possible that you can crystallize the syrup if you allow it to simmer too long or beyond 225ºF – if you have a thermometer, use it to avoid cooking past this temperature. If your syrup does crystallize, just warm the jar up to melt it after removing it from the refrigerator.
12. Pour still hot into clean mason jars, top with a lid and allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator.
13. This syrup has a long shelf life, I've always used it within a few months and have never had it gone bad, but keep an eye out for mold if storing for longer than 3-4 months.

Use the syrup in place of maple syrup or in cocktails, beverages, or bitters blends of your own creation!