Thread: Acorns.

Is anyone else processing acorns this season for storage and food ?

I'd thought about it once, but then decided it was a squirrely idea.

Sorry. I couldn't help myself.

I am. Love the acorn flour griddle cakes and the occasional acorn soup.

I do. I use them only for soup or as a nutty additive to things like bread or meatballs. The flour has no gluten and won't rise.

The ones I get here have so much tannin in them that I have to leach them several times or they really taste bad and pucker the mouth, LOL. After shelling (with a hammer) I put them in the biggest pot we have. I fill the pot about 2/3 full of water and about 1/3 full of acorns. Then I bring it to a slow boil. The water turns dark and I pour it off, add more water and bring to a boil again. Sometimes I have to do that 4 or 5 times before the acorns taste good. (determined by tasting, LOL.)

After the tannin is gone, I dry and roast them on cookie sheets in the oven at 300 degrees for about an hour until they are, well, dry and roasted. Too long and they will burn. Then when they cool I grind them up in a meat grinder (they are hard to grind) and then a large coffee grinder. I sift and get flour for soups and chunks for the nutty additive to other dishes.

For those into survival, we know that starch is the hardest thing to find in the wild to eat. This is one good source.

When collecting toss any that have a tiny hole (a larvae has formed into a worm which chewed it way out and the meat is ruined) and toss any that are missing their "tops." After that it's the luck of the draw as to whether any you crack open will still have a larvae in it.

You leech before drying? I've always done the opposite. 's how my uncle taught me.

Originally Posted by darkminstrel

You leech before drying? I've always done the opposite. 's how my uncle taught me.

I don't know which is correct or why. But, you do boil them to a completely soaked state when leaching so... ?????

It's just what I was taught and it works for me. If there's a reason to dry them first, I'd be the first to want to learn about that. I just don't know.

My full blood Cherokee uncle is the one who taught me, as I said, and he'd set the harvest up in the attic of his house right next to a window. They'd dry out eventually and then they'd be processed and ground. After he had a meal-sized grain then he'd cold water leech with a bit of vinegar. I'd guess that it was about a 6 or 8 hour process for the leeching. The water would get changed out when it wasn't clear anymore. Though I was sorta young I can still remember how heavy that damned pot was when we poured off the mash for drying. It's pretty involved but it's one crop you don't have to tend or feed, just harvest and process.

Originally Posted by darkminstrel

My full blood Cherokee uncle is the one who taught me, as I said, and he'd set the harvest up in the attic of his house right next to a window. They'd dry out eventually and then they'd be processed and ground. After he had a meal-sized grain then he'd cold water leech with a bit of vinegar. I'd guess that it was about a 6 or 8 hour process for the leeching. The water would get changed out when it wasn't clear anymore. Though I was sorta young I can still remember how heavy that damned pot was when we poured off the mash for drying. It's pretty involved but it's one crop you don't have to tend or feed, just harvest and process.

Hmmm... I like all of mine better roasted. Like nuts, I like them better roasted. Mine works, so maybe there are two ways?

If the shtf, your way wouldn't require any energy so then it would be better. I'm glad to know about it.

And if the SHTF wouldn't the larvae just be a bonus bite of protein ?

Originally Posted by eldbillbo

And if the SHTF wouldn't the larvae just be a bonus bite of protein ?

If you've never seen one, you might think so, LOL. I'll roast those for you too.

BTW, we have lots of oak trees on our property.

I guess if you look at my method you can see how it was used in the way-back times I suppose. Modern ovens could probably do the leeching faster! Hmph, gonna have to try that this year.

The way I do it (Leaching only) takes elapsed time due to several boilings, but the work itself is tiny. Classic hurry up and wait, so I do other things at the same time.

Acorns were a staple across the US and pioneers used the same methods. As a child I saw many rock holes where the acorns were ground and Leached along water courses. The finished product will fill a belly but I would opt for other fare. Fatty meat is always the preffered meal in a survival situation. If the wife wants a salad, cook the stomach.

Originally Posted by kenno

Acorns were a staple across the US and pioneers used the same methods. As a child I saw many rock holes where the acorns were ground and Leached along water courses. The finished product will fill a belly but I would opt for other fare. Fatty meat is always the preffered meal in a survival situation. If the wife wants a salad, cook the stomach.

Your body needs starch and it's next to impossible to find enough in the wild. Your body converts it to sugars (carbs) for energy. Acorns are a great source of starch.

How to Make Acorn Flour: 5 steps (with pictures) - wikiHow

Oak: The Frame of Civilization

I love acorn crackers! Very low-energy processing: shell the acorn by simply smashing it and remove shell bits--pliers work well; grind or smash the soft green acorns into a coarse mush--it's not hard when they are not dried; pack into cheesecloth bags and soak in a clean flowing creek for a day, or some equivalent---maybe a rain downspout?; spread on a cookie sheet, score break lines, and bake until brown. If they are too hard make them thinner, or soak in milk. Scrumptious!............................elsullo