How to Make Shagbark Hickory Syrup

It’s late January, and the snowfall is persistent in the Blue Ridge. With temperatures settled at well below freezing, most of the forest is in a state of dormancy. The ground is barren except for a dense blanket of snow. Most animals are tucked away in cozy hiding holes, saving their energy until warmer days return. 

For the human outdoor enthusiast, these cold and short days can be dreary. Fortunately, nature has a way of providing joy in all seasons. It's wonderful weather for making a sweet treat: Shagbark Hickory syrup! If you’re looking for a fun snow day activity, desperately in need of a reason to get outside, or just hooked on foraging, making this sweet and smokey simple syrup will brighten your dark Winter’s day.

This recipe yields approximately two pints of shagbark hickory syrup!

Making Shagbark Hickory Syrup: Step by Step 

This is a fairly simple recipe with three main steps: gathering materials, preparing the bark, and making the syrup. Unlike maple syrup, which is made from refining flowing sap tapped from the interior of a maple tree, this shagbark syrup is made from boiling down a bark-infused tea. Whenever you are foraging materials from nature, remember to prioritize safety (both your own, and the ecosystem’s). Dress warmly, harvest respectfully, and bring a friend!

Gathering Materials 

Collecting bark

To collect the bark needed for this recipe, you’ll have to find a shagbark, bring a bag, and peel off some bark. Half a pound of bark, dry straight off the tree, is plenty.

Shagbark hickories (Carya ovata) are distinctly identifiable by their thick, peeling bark any time of year. The exterior bark is already dead and flaking, and should break off easily without peeling or harming the rest of the tree. Be gentle with the shagbark you find, these trees can live well over 200 years.

For best practices, spread your harvesting around multiple places on the truck or, if possible, across multiple trees. Avoid stripping all of your bark from one spot to help deter potential exposure to pests or disease. Collecting bark from the ground nearby is alright too, but use your own judgement on whether it looks nasty or not. It’s okay to be picky with your bark selection–choose the pieces you’d most want to eat! Pass over bark that’s covered with lichen or insects, taking those pieces would be regrettable for all parties involved (you and the wildlife). Take your bounty home and gather the rest of your materials from around the kitchen.

Shagbark hickories are easily identified by long, flaky strips of bark.

Materials needed:

  • Large Pot

  • Strainer 

  • Baking sheet

  • Brush or dish rag (to clean the bark)

  • Thermometer 

  • Sugar 

  • Clean jars 

  • Half a pound of dry bark

Preparing the bark

Rinse the bark

In preparation for the next step, preheat your oven to 350°F. Then take your humble harvest to the sink, where you’ll gently rinse and scrub each piece. This doesn’t need to be an intense cleaning, the goal is just to remove excess surface residue. Don’t worry, the bark will be well-sanitized throughout the process by baking in the oven and boiling on the stove, and any particles will be strained out. 

Bake the bark

After you’ve given your bark the scrub-down, break it into smaller pieces. Two or three inches is fine; the goal is to maximize surface area and make the pieces easier to evenly distribute. Spread the pieces across your baking sheet and place it in the preheated oven. Bake the bark for 20-30 minutes, or until the bark is fragrant and visibly darker. Warning: this may also make your entire kitchen smell incredible! Remove the bark from the oven and let it cool enough to handle.

Making the Syrup 

Boil the bark

Next, place the bark in a large pot and add enough water to submerge the pieces (four to six cups is usually enough). It’s okay if some pieces float at the top. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let the bark simmer for 30-60 minutes. The longer the bark simmers, the more intense the flavor will grow. 

Strain the bark-infused water

Once satisfied with the strength of your simmered solution, turn the heat off and pour the liquid through a strainer into another container or pot. At this point in the process, the bark has served its purpose and can be used for another project or discarded back into nature. The remaining liquid is your Shagbark Hickory flavored tea.

Add sugar 

With your now-strained tea back in a pot, add sugar equal to the amount of tea you ended up with, for a 1:1 ratio. Stir the sugar into the tea as you bring the mixture to a boil, until the mixture reaches 225°F. Stir frequently and consistently, and keep your thermometer on hand. A candy thermometer is most accurate, but I’ll confess we just used a regular kitchen thermometer. Once the temperature reaches 225°F, cut the heat, and you’ve made shagbark syrup! While still it’s still hot, pour your syrup into clean canning jars, which should seal shut from the heat.

Using Shagbark Syrup

You can use this syrup anywhere you’d use maple syrup, or in place of any other syrup. Get creative! We thought ours tasted a lot like campfire and cotton candy. It was deeply enjoyed on pancakes, stirred into morning coffee, and best of all—as snow candy and snow cream. To make snow candy, pour some room temperature syrup onto fresh, clean snow, and use a spoon or popsicle stick to wind up the solidifying treat like a lollipop.

To make snow cream (a local winter favorite!), collect some snow in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Heat some of your syrup, and stir it well into some milk or sweet cream. Cool the milk and syrup mixture, then add it to the bag and work it into the snow until evenly mixed. Put the bag back outside to refreeze after mixing, and add more snow if needed. You’ll end up with a unique homemade ice cream.

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