They only need to be shelled and roasted. Red oaks have bitter acorns that mature the second year after forming. This will rid them of tannin. Since identifying oaks can be difficult, the cup of the acorn can help determine if the oak is of the white variety or the red. White acorn cups are smooth on the inside and red acorn cups have wooly hairs on the inside.
Many species often have characteristics of another, making field identification a challenge.
Since they grow quite large, it is nearly impossible to examine their characteristic crown leaves. Key factors for identifying hickories are they way the fruit husk splits when mature, how many leaflets per leaf and the type of pubescence on the surface of the leaves. Typical of most hickories, the trunk has diamond shaped bark. The leaves are alternate, compound, odd-pinnate with seven to nine leaflets. Tufted hairs are found on all leaf parts.