The solution to that is to soak them for an hour before crushing them to flour. 11 of 12. You can eat them raw or add them to beer or smoothies. To identify edible hickory nuts, start by looking for circular, heart-shaped, or oblong nuts that measure between 0.5 to 2.6 inches. Black locust seed pods are poisonous unless carefully prepared by cooking or exploding to heat. Usually the guide will have grouped the plants and pods by their color, size, location and feel. What Are Thornless Honey Locust Seed Pods? 50 or so of these seed pods can be glued together to form a topiary, basket, or wreath . Obtain a copy of a field guide to seed pods that is specific to the area in which you live. Step 2. Deer like them. Deciduous trees drop their leaves in the fall while coniferous trees keep their needles year-round, except for tamarack which drops its needles in the fall. Fruit: Shiny light brown, cylindrical cones; 2 to 4 inches long with thin, long, flexible and irregularly toothed scales; contains paired, long-winged seeds. To learn more, including how to identify specific species of hickory nuts, read on! However, tanning in acorns is toxic to human beings. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/ca\/Identify-Hickory-Nuts-Step-1-Version-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Identify-Hickory-Nuts-Step-1-Version-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/ca\/Identify-Hickory-Nuts-Step-1-Version-5.jpg\/aid1610491-v4-728px-Identify-Hickory-Nuts-Step-1-Version-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"