How can acorns be used

These high calorie nuts were a staple crop to many of our ancestors around the Northern Hemisphere and we can still rely on them for food today. Coming in at 2, calories per pound, this abundant of a food crop is too valuable to ignore.

You can even use them to make medicine. Then soak these acorn chunks in cold, warm, or even hot water to remove the bitter and irritating tannic acid.

Note that some books instruct us to boil acorns, but this locks in some of the bitterness. Soak the acorns for a few hours. If the water was safe to drink, taste a piece of acorn to see if it is still bitter. Once they taste okay in other words, bland , let them dry out for a few hours.

Then you can run them through a grain grinder, flour mill, or use the classic mortar and pestle to make acorn flour. Add this flour to existing recipes; or try your hand at making acorn porridge, cookies, crackers, or biscuits. Remember the brown tea-like water you poured off the first soaking of acorns? You can use the first water you pour off from the process of soaking described above. A handful of crushed acorns in one pint of water will make a small batch of strong medicinal fluid.

Soak a clean cloth in this dark brown water, and apply the wet cloth to rashes, ingrown toenails, hemorrhoids, and any other inflamed skin ailment. Leave the cloth in place, and repeat this treatment as needed. For tooth troubles, simply swish the bitter water in your mouth, holding it in there as long as you can. Repeat as need, but do not swallow, as this acidic water will give you an upset stomach. Ever try to eat acorns without leeching the bitterness? Or perhaps used them as a flour or animal feed?

Please tell us about your experience in the comments. When I was a kid I'd bring books home from the school library. I remember one in particular had all sorts of recipes for living off the land, using dandelions, violets, cattails, acorns, etc. Well, I had literally copies all those recipes by hand I still have those hand-written copies, and always wondered about trying some, but have been skiddish. After coming across this article, and reading the comments, I have decided I really do want to try this.

And a huge thank you to all the commenters who gave advice and instruction I'm printing those out too, for reference! We do most of our shopping at a farm stand on Long Island. It's good, as far as the standard fruits and vegetables go, but last week I realized that the range of what we all eat is actually quite limited. There are many more wild edibles out there that have amazing complexity and taste and nutrition.

So when I got home I pulled the purslane growing wild in the front garden and made a salad out of it--best salad I've eaten in decades.

The Native Americans practiced permaculture in addition to regular agriculture, and most of their cultivated species persist all around us now, except nobody knows it. We're literally surrounded with an abundance of food and herbal medicines that almost no one takes advantage of. I processed Live Oak acorns, it was my first time processing acorns.

I opted for the cold water method, after 5 to 6 days, they were ready to go. I dried the acorn pieces out in the oven at about degrees. Then ground them up in my food processor. I made these acorn pancakes today, and they tasted amazing! The only thing I did, is I added the tsp. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing! I've processed acorns and made some really delicious bread with the flour. The taste is sweet, similar to a chestnut, and it is VERY filling. When processing acorns, patience is NOT optional if you want to eventually see, and taste , the fruits of your labor.

When it is all said and done you will find that was worth it. The "Tannin Water" can also be used for various medicinal needs as well. During the Winter, some early Native-American tribes would use acorns as a source of protien to supplement their diets when wild game was scarce, or exclusively when meat was non-existent.

Of these tribes, many were able to meet their nutritional needs and make it through a hard winter with the help of acorns. Acorns from the White Oak group of oaks are lower in tannins than those of the Red Oak group. Look for rounded- lobed leaves as opposed to spike-lobed leaves. Over 40 years ago, my parents were collecting, grinding and de-tannin-ing acorns for flour.

My mom would make muffins and pancakes that were nutty and delicious. Since my parents' passing, I have been meaning to collect acorns and prepare them. This article re-energized me to do so, now.

Acorns contain a lot of tannin which can cause severe stomach upset. According to Kansas State University, acorns do become safe to eat when they are roasted; the tannin content is reduced considerably by heating.

My first attempt to leach the tannins out of white oak acorns was a disaster because I tried to boil them out. The heat locked the tannins in and I could not get them out afterward. My second attempt was two days ago with leaching tannins out with cold water. While no studies exist on the toxicity of raw acorns in humans, these nuts are rarely eaten raw 1 , 4.

In fact, people have been safely consuming acorns for thousands of years 5 , 6 , 7. While raw acorns harbor high amounts of potentially harmful plant compounds called tannins, properly cooked acorns are low in tannins and generally safe to eat.

Though the exact nutrient profile depends on the species of acorn, all are packed with essential nutrients. Acorns are especially high in potassium , iron, vitamins A and E, and several other important minerals 8. Plus, these nuts are low in calories. Most of their calories come in the form of healthy unsaturated fats 9. A 1-ounce gram serving of dried acorns contains the following nutrients 1 , 10 , 11 :. Scientists have also identified over 60 beneficial plant compounds in acorns, including catechins, resveratrol , quercetin, and gallic acid — potent antioxidants that can help protect your cells from damage 1.

These antioxidants are linked to numerous health benefits, such as a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer 12 , Acorns are packed with healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds. They are particularly good sources of vitamins A and E.

The bacteria in your gut play a key role in your overall health. An imbalance of these bacteria has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and bowel diseases 14 , 15 , 16 , Acorns are a great source of fiber, which nourishes your beneficial gut bacteria 18 , Additionally, acorns have long been used as an herbal remedy to treat stomach pain, bloating , nausea, diarrhea, and other common digestive complaints In a 2-month study in 23 adults with persistent indigestion, those who took mg of acorn extract had less overall stomach pain than those who took a cornstarch capsule However, this study used highly concentrated extract.

Antioxidants are compounds that defend your cells from damage caused by potentially harmful molecules called free radicals Research suggests that diets high in antioxidants may help prevent chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes , and certain cancers 22 , 23 , Acorns are rich in antioxidants like vitamins A and E, as well as numerous other plant compounds 1 , 25 , 26 , One animal study noted that an antioxidant-rich acorn extract reduced inflammation in rats with reproductive damage Over species of oak worldwide produce acorns.

The acorns of English oak — also known as pedunculate oak - grow on stalks or peduncles. Acorns on a sessile oak are stalkless. Acorn size can vary from tree to tree. Environmental factors will play a big role. Seed production takes a lot of energy so a good growing season and good habitat is essential for bigger acorns.

But a study at the Croatian Forest Research Institute found that bigger acorns produced taller saplings with more bio-matter in other words, they weighed more. This was confirmed in a follow-up study by the Serbian Institute of Forestry. So it seems acorn size does matter - larger acorns lead to larger saplings. Growth rates likely even out as the trees mature and are subject to fewer selection pressures. Some people swear by conkers though — read more in our blog Do conkers keep spiders away?

And more conker facts. Acorns are the fruit of the oak tree. Having reached the ground, the acorns can grow into new oak trees or be carried off to new locations by wildlife. Our A-Z guide to British trees from native species to naturalised and widely planted non-natives. Are acorns edible?

And other acorn facts. Public enquiries officer. Leaching Acorns can be ground to make flour for bread, pancakes, pastries, cookies and even pasta. Shell your acorns. This can be fiddly and some claim it helps if you freeze them first, or use acorns collected in previous years.