Hickory Syrup: The Forgotten American Sweetener You Can Make at Home

Forget maple syrup—hickory syrup is the wild, smoky, buttery elixir that early Americans brewed from bark, not sap. Lost for a century, it's back thanks to a few dedicated makers. Here's the history, the science, and a tested recipe to brew your own.

Not Maple, Not Molasses—Something Else Entirely

Hickory syrup isn't boiled sap. It's a sweetened extract of flavor compounds from shagbark hickory bark (or nutshells). Food writer Ronni Lundy described it as "sharp and buttery, slightly smoky, and in the right setting, even flowery." Commercial producer Hickoryworks sells it at $60+/gallon—and sells out fast.

The Rediscovery

In 1991, an Indiana countryman shared his family recipe with entrepreneurs who launched Hickoryworks. Their process: collect exfoliating shagbark bark, wash, boil, sweeten, bottle. Details remain proprietary, but the core is simple enough for home cooks.

Dr. Lucky Pittman's Home Recipe (Bark or Nutshells)

Shared with permission from the Northern Nut Growers Association newsletter.

Ingredients

• Large pot of cracked shagbark/mockernut hickory shells OR exfoliating bark from shagbark, shellbark, or pignut hickory
• Sugar
• Water

Directions

1. Wash bark/shells thoroughly; drain.
2. Cover with water in a large pot. Boil all day. (House smells amazing.)
3. Strain solids. Measure the brown, aromatic "hickory liquor."
4. Return liquor to pot. Add sugar at 1.5× volume of liquor (e.g., 4 cups liquor + 6 cups sugar).
5. Boil 30 minutes.
6. Pour into sterilized canning jars; seal. Refrigerate for safety.

Adjust sugar to taste—too much crystallizes. The 1.5× ratio yields a shelf-stable syrup.

Identifying Your Hickories

You need shagbark (Carya ovata), shellbark (C. laciniosa), pignut (C. glabra), or mockernut (C. alba). Shagbark is unmistakable: long, curling bark strips. Others hybridize freely—consult a forestry guide if unsure.

• Virginia Dept. of Forestry hickory ID
• Carya ovata (Shagbark)
• Carya laciniosa (Shellbark)
• Carya glabra (Pignut)
• Carya alba (Mockernut)

Tips for Success

• Bark vs. shells: Bark gives deeper, woodier notes; shells are sweeter, nuttier. Try both.
• Pot size: Use your largest stockpot—evaporation is significant.
• Brix testing: Hickoryworks uses a refractometer to hit ~67° Brix. Home cooks: syrup should coat a spoon and form a slow, wide sheet when poured.
• Storage: Refrigerate. No preservatives = mold risk at room temp.

Uses Beyond Pancakes

• Glaze for ham, pork, or roasted squash
• Sweetener for bourbon cocktails (Old Fashioned upgrade)
• Drizzle over vanilla ice cream or Greek yogurt
• Brushed on cornbread or biscuits
• Marinade base for grilled chicken

Hickory syrup connects you to a forgotten American terroir. One boiling session yields months of a flavor no store-bought syrup can touch. Find a shagbark, clear a day, and start a new tradition.

Originally published November 18, 2009. Thanks to Dr. Lucky Pittman for the recipe and DG member melody for the thumbnail.