MISSOURI, USA — As leaves begin to change and temperatures start to cool throughout Missouri, state residents will also see nuts falling to the ground.
Fall is prime time gathering season for the state's "homegrown" nuts, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Numerous nuts, including Missouri's state nut, fruit in September through October.
The most Missouri nut foragers can get their hands on is the black walnut. The name is a bit misleading as the actual nut is covered by a green, tennis ball-looking husk that must be cracked open to get to the good stuff.
"Missouri is the world’s top producer of black walnuts which are used in many baking recipes and are our state tree nut," Peg Craft with MDC said online. "The kernel is oily, sweet and edible. Walnuts are a hard nut to crack and first-timers will need tips to succeed."
Luckily, first-timers can find said tips in this archived University of Missouri article here.
Not wanting to go through the hassle of cracking open the state nut? Pecans may be your next best bet.
"(Pecans) naturally splitting husk and thin shell make it fairly easy to gather and process," Craft said. "Pecans are one of the most important cultivated nuts of North America and are tasty in pies."
A more numerous and varied nut is the hickory, which has nine different species of tree that grow around the state. The nut is denoted by the golden hue it takes on when it's ready to harvest.
"Hickory fruits have the husk split lengthwise for at least half of the fruit length, releasing the nut," MDC's website said. "The nuts often have 4 lengthwise ridges; otherwise, the nut’s outer surface is hard (bony) and either smooth or shallowly wrinkled."
Spooky spots in Missouri
As Autumn makes its way to the 'Lou, come with us as we visit spooky spots around the city.
