Roasted Pecan Bark Syrup
Who needs the nuts when you have bark?
My buddy, Josh, was somewhat confused by my request to harvest pecan bark from his property instead of the plentiful pecan nuts. Explaining I wanted the bark for syrup didn’t lessen his confusion but, him being a well-known chef, he was intrigued. I doubt I’m the first to make this as it’s just traditional roasted hickory bark syrup with our pecan (Carya illinoinensis) bark replacing shagbark hickory (Carya ovata). That being said, more people need to do this!
Across North America, the shagbark hickory is much more common, with a range stretching from Texas, north into the Dakotas, and east through Canada, whereas the pecan grows mostly just across the southeastern states of the US. This is just more proof that the South is a great place to live because pecan nuts are much tastier than hickories. While I’ve never tried roasted hickory bark syrup, I can’t believe it’s better than the heavenly version made from pecan bark!
The process is simple. First find a pecan tree. I won’t repeat all the details necessary for proper identification since I already did that here. Once yo found one, you’ll want to collect a bit more than a pound of the peeling, scaly bark. Focus on gathering the loose, thinner strips, spreading the harvest across multiple trees to minimize any risk of damage.
Back in your kitchen, carefully scrub the pieces of bark with an old toothbrush to remove any dirt, insects, or any other non-pecan material. Toss out any pieces with lichen. The lichen isn’t toxic, but it can impart off flavors to the finished syrup. Once clean, it’s time to roast the bark. Pre-heat your oven to 350F, and lay the pieces of bark out on a cookie sheet. Roast them in the oven for 20-30 minutes, giving thicker pieces more time than thinner strips. Over-cooking the bark isn’t a problem unless it actually chars/burns.
