It doesn't take much

to amuse us.

These are mockernuts.

Mockernuts are a species of hickory: Carya tomentosa. I got that from the infallible source, Wikipedia. It confirms what my Plant Book [1] and several tree identification books [2] say.

Mockernuts are A. Leland's gig. He's been collecting, removing the husks, and shelling them. He reports the nut meat is sweet and buttery with a hint of banana.

If he keeps up his current pace of collecting, removing and shelling, we should have at least four or five cups of nut meat by next Spring. That is, if he isn't distracted by the walnuts. 

A. Leland observed that it was cool that we could just walk outside and gather food to eat. He's not one, but it's good to be reminded that some folks think delicate nuts come from Whole Foods. 

[1] The Plant Book: The World of Plants in a Single Volume. Random House Austrailia Pty Ltd. 2001

[2] Trees of North America: A Field Guide to the Major Native and Introduced Species North of Mexico. Frank Brockman. Golden Press, New York. 1979.