Beech nuts (Fagus sylvatica)

It is now September and the beech nuts are ready for picking so we thought we would revisit the beech tree and provide some photographs of these little beauties. See beech (Fagus sylvatica) for the main article about these lovely trees.

Beech nuts hanging on the tree

We have very many beech trees of all ages from the very young saplings to the very large mature trees. Many of the larger trees are producing copious quantities of nuts at the moment. Others are producing absolutely nothing at all.

When the time is right, the burr opens up and drops the beech nuts onto the ground. Luckily some of the the nuts drop out onto tarmac and they can be easily swept up with a dustpan and brush! Those that fall into the long grass are lost to us. Some will be eaten by animals such as deer and squirrels, others will take root and grow into small trees or rot into the ground. nb a tarpaulin or other large sheet can be laid down under the trees to collect the nuts.

Here we have a bag of freshly picked beech nuts together with their fuzzy outer burr. The burr is closed and is very difficult, if not impossible, to prise open by hand. However, once the burrs have been left in a warm room for a few hours or days, they will peel open of their own accord. After opening, the two little nuts can easily be popped out.

Freshly picked beech nuts with outer casing or burr

The triangular shaped nuts are covered with a leathery casing which, thankfully, are not as difficult to remove as the casings from a sweet chestnut! One side of the casing can be fairly easily prised off with a long finger nail and the nut popped out. The nuts are small and the task a bit fiddly and time consuming. Some of the skins will contain a nut (seed) and others will often be empty.

Beech nuts with their leathery skin

Beech nuts have a brown furry astringent covering which can be eaten in moderation but is best removed.

Beech nuts with the brown astringent skins

We soak the nuts overnight and then just slide the brown skin off. Nuts can then be eaten as they are or dried for later use.

Beech nuts soaked and skinned

Don't forget that now is the time to sow the fresh beech seeds. Sow in pots outside in a coldframe or in a seedbed and they will germinate in the spring. Seeds are not viable for very long. When the seedlings are big enough prick out into individual pots and grow on for a year before planting out into their final position. Beech trees are very very large so be prepared to find a suitable final planting site for them.

UPDATE: November 2017

We stored a quantity of beech nuts in a plastic container in the kitchen cupboard. We'd love to say we were doing a three year study on storing them. To be truthful we forgot they were there! That said, it was a useful exercise. They were stored minus their outer burr but with their leathery skin. The container was not airtight. The kitchen is rather humid. Warmish in the summer and cold in the winter.

We removed the leathery skin and the brown astringent layer underneath had turned black and dry. Around one in ten of the nuts tasted and smelt stale. The odd one or two were empty. None of them were rotten or contained any pests. The flesh of the 'good ones' tasted sweet and almost as fresh as when we picked them. We were happy to eat them. Not a scientific study. The oil may well have been rancid! Our taste buds may be poor! Interesting all the same.
 

Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is a deciduous tree native to the British Isles. It is also known as common beech or European beech. Beech trees are one of the largest trees in the British Isles and are typically identified by their smooth grey bark and copper coloured leaves in the winter which hang on the tree until just before new spring growth emerges.

Young beech leaves are edible raw and used in salads

Hedges are often made of beech and can be treated as evergreen and used as screening. The dense shade and carpet of leaves from these trees often prevents plants underneath from growing. This is particularly the case in a beech wood.

Beech planted as hedging

Growing methods

Sow fresh seeds when they are ripe in the autumn in pots outside in a coldframe or seedbed and they will germinate in the spring. Seeds are not viable for very long. When the seedlings are big enough prick out into individual pots and grow on for a year before planting out into their final position. Trees are slowing growing in their first few years and can be susceptible to frosts. Beech trees are shallow rooted and do well in a woodland position.

Other uses

Beech wood can be used to make tools, furniture, flooring and for turning. It is an excellent fuel burning with a great deal of heat. It can also be made into charcoal. It has been used as a source of creosote, tar, methyl alcohol and acetic acid.

The dried leaf buds picked on the twigs in the winter months can be used as toothpicks. The nuts can be used as a food for wild and domestic animals including squirrels, mice, voles, dormice, deer, boar as well as pigs and goats. Horses and ponies enjoy the young spring leaves and buds. Oil from the nuts can be used as lighting fuel, for polishing wood and as a lubricant. The dried leaves can be gathered in the autumn and used for stuffing.

Beech has certain herbal medicinal uses and is used in Bach flower remedies.

Mature beech trees

Raw edible parts

The buds with the young leaves just emerging in the spring are edible raw and are good for salads. They have a slight lemon flavour. Leaves can become chewy as they mature so catch them early on (about now).

New growing tips in the spring are edible raw

The triangular shaped nuts may be eaten raw but can be small and fiddly to prepare. They are best soaked to remove toxins if eaten in large quantities. They can be dried and used as a flour. They can also be pressed for a very good edible oil which stores well. The nut residue is not edible.

Every five to ten years there is a 'mast' year and a huge number of beech nuts are produced. Inbetween mast years the tree may produce empty shells. Other trees such as oak and pine also have mast years. To eat the nut (seed) remove from the green prickly burr or case and then peel the hard skin away to reveal the nut.