Homemade Hickory Bark Syrup
You all know we love foraging and finding things right here on the farm that we can eat—and turn into something tasty. So when my husband started seeing people make syrup from hickory trees, it was a total no-brainer.
We grabbed our coats, picked up the garden basket, and headed out to the woods.
Finding Shagbark Hickory Bark
Shagbark hickory trees are super easy to identify thanks to their peeling, shaggy bark. We didn’t strip the trees—just gently picked up a few dry, loose pieces from each one.
What You’ll Need
- Shagbark hickory bark (dry, loose pieces)
- Water
- Sugar
- Lemon juice
- Canning jars (jelly jars work great)
- Water bath canner
- Scrub brush
- Cheesecloth or straining bag
- Candy or clip-on thermometer (very helpful!)
How to Make Shagbark Hickory Syrup
1. Clean the Bark
Wash and scrub the bark pieces well to remove dirt, lichens, or anything you don’t like the look of. No need to overthink it—just get them clean.
2. Roast the Bark
Place the cleaned bark on a baking sheet and roast in the oven on low heat for about 20–30 minutes. This step really brings out that deep, smoky flavor.
3. Simmer into Tea
Add the roasted bark to a pot of water and simmer on low heat for at least 30 minutes.
I let mine go for about an hour.
Tip: Don’t let it boil hard—people say that can make it taste bitter.
After simmering, turn off the heat and let the bark sit in the water for several hours or even overnight.
4. Strain the Tea
Remove the bark and strain the liquid to catch all the little crumbs. I used a cheesecloth bag over a gallon jug and strained it back and forth several times until I had a beautiful, clear tea.
5. Turn Tea into Syrup
Measure your hickory tea and use a 1:1 ratio of tea to sugar.
Bring the mixture to a rolling boil until it reaches 220°F.
A thermometer that clips onto the pot is so helpful here.
Use a large pot—once it starts boiling, it really climbs up the sides.
6. Can the Syrup
Add a dash of lemon juice to each jar to raise the acidity level, then ladle in the hot syrup.
Process jelly jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes at a rolling boil.
How We’re Serving It
We poured ours over homemade waffles, and let me tell you—it’s delicious. We were honestly shocked that bark could turn into something this good. The whole family approved, and we’re already looking forward to the next weekend breakfast with waffles, sausage or bacon, and our new favorite syrup.
Have you ever tried making shagbark hickory syrup?
Do you have family stories of foraging or making syrup like this? I’d love to hear them—drop a comment and tell me your story. 💛
