Lyndsi’s farm is called Butternut Bend for a reason: it is hosting a bunch of butternut trees. Akin to black walnut, sometimes called “white walnut”, the fruit is a creamy nut that is edible and has been eaten by Native Americans for centuries. Butternut trees produce rich and delicious nuts. The butternut is an oily nut that can be eaten as is when mature or prepared in a variety of ways.
But the butternut tree is dying from Butternut Canker which is a fungal disease that spreads quickly and can kill a tree within a few years. This fungus has already had a devastating impact on North American Butternut populations. Surveys in eastern Ontario show that most trees are infected, and perhaps one-third have already been killed.
As far as pies go, old-timer recipes are reported to treat the butternut like an English walnut pie or a pecan pie. Lyndsi is interested in producing a pie from this year’s harvest or finding a historical/local recipe. Help her out!