Or black walnuts, which as you probably know have a VERY distinctive (to me, a bit strong) flavor very different from a regular walnut. Southerners love them. Not me.
Since I didn't recognize the name, I opted to use an Internet search engine to identify this plant. Short answer: it's a hickory nut.
The longer answer: it's a type of hickory nut tree that is slow-growing and long lived. The Wikipedia entry appears to be entirely cribbed word-for-word from the USDA Forest Service document:
Based on the document's description of the tree, I am not surprised that this tree is not a commercially viable nut tree species. It grows slowly, is difficult to transplant, and probably worst of all for a commercial farmer, it takes forty years after germination before the mature tree will yield fruit (edible nuts). Also, the tree is apparently prone to insect infestation.
Thus, the only people who probably eat these are those within foraging distance of the tree's usual habitat, which is apparently shrinking due to deforestation/development and harvesting for wood.
Both the Wikipedia article and the original Forest Service document have a map that shows the native area for this tree, mostly Ohio and neighboring states, particularly in the lower Ohio River region.
My guess is that you can find some sort of hickory nut for sale online and use those as a replacement for many of your grandmother's recipes. People of her era often cooked with what was available in their area.
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The longer answer: it's a type of hickory nut tree that is slow-growing and long lived. The Wikipedia entry appears to be entirely cribbed word-for-word from the USDA Forest Service document:
https://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/carya/laciniosa.htm
Based on the document's description of the tree, I am not surprised that this tree is not a commercially viable nut tree species. It grows slowly, is difficult to transplant, and probably worst of all for a commercial farmer, it takes forty years after germination before the mature tree will yield fruit (edible nuts). Also, the tree is apparently prone to insect infestation.
Thus, the only people who probably eat these are those within foraging distance of the tree's usual habitat, which is apparently shrinking due to deforestation/development and harvesting for wood.
Both the Wikipedia article and the original Forest Service document have a map that shows the native area for this tree, mostly Ohio and neighboring states, particularly in the lower Ohio River region.
My guess is that you can find some sort of hickory nut for sale online and use those as a replacement for many of your grandmother's recipes. People of her era often cooked with what was available in their area.
Good luck.