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acorns and chestnuts?

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I have been finding acorns on my dog walk and chestnuts in my park.

Can I cook them and eat them?

If so, how do I know they r ripe? Is ripe the right word?
:j got married 3rd May 2013 :beer:
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  • Pink.
    Pink. Posts: 17,650 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    These threads may help:

    Acorns?

    Sweet Chestnuts

    Pink
  • boultdj
    boultdj Posts: 5,334 Forumite
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    Acorns are very bitter, not realy worth it.
    And then a question- are you finding horse chestnuts or sweet chestnuts?
    Horse chestnuts have a few blunt outer spikes and 1 large nut in it, use to play conkers with 'em
    Sweet chestnuts has lots of sharp spines and 2/3 flatish nuts inside and are the one's you see roasted at christmas. hth
    £71.93/ £180.00
  • pigpen
    pigpen Posts: 41,152 Forumite
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    sweet chestnuts you can eat.. not conkers though. .. I like them roasted in the oven with a slit in the skin so they done explode.. scoff hot.. delish!!

    Acorns.. are you a squirrel? :p .. I don't think you can eat them
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  • Gigervamp
    Gigervamp Posts: 6,583 Forumite
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    You can eat acorns, but they have a lot of tannin in them and need a fair bit of processing to make them edible.

    Somebody posted a thread here a week or so ago and was having a go at using acorns.
  • danih
    danih Posts: 454 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    Maybe not the acorns then :D

    And from the description they r horse chestnuts :(


    May stick to blackberries for my foraging I think
    :j got married 3rd May 2013 :beer:
  • GreyQueen
    GreyQueen Posts: 13,008 Forumite
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    :) Acorns are edible and have been a staple food but they require lengthy processing to leach out the tannins which make them so bitter. Not really worth the effort unless you wanted to experiment or were actually starving.

    The sweet chestnut tree isn't native to the UK. The Romans introduced it as the flour ground from the nut was a staple food in Italy (esp in Tuscany where this flour was the staple carbohydrate into relatively recent times).

    It doesn't like our climate and died out and was re-introduced centuries later but doesn't grow much further north than about Cambridgeshire from what I've read.

    If you can find one, the husks for the nuts are bright green and densely-spiked like a porcupine and there are several nuts to most husks, from plump to skinny. I've seen them being gathered commercially in the mountains of Andalusia at the end of October.

    Conkers are great kiddies' toys and reputed to deter spiders, if you want to leave them around you home for that purpose. Not edible. My Dad tried to eat part of one as a child as an experiment. He got a bellyache but nothing worse, but he didn't eat very much.
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  • We found that our degues loved acorns last year if anyone else has them, and they freeze well too. We've since lost our couple so we won't be collecting them this year :o
    Now thanks to Tommix & Queen Bear, now Lady Westy of Woodpecker :)
  • boultdj
    boultdj Posts: 5,334 Forumite
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    GreyQueen wrote: »
    :) Acorns are edible and have been a staple food but they require lengthy processing to leach out the tannins which make them so bitter. Not really worth the effort unless you wanted to experiment or were actually starving.

    The sweet chestnut tree isn't native to the UK. The Romans introduced it as the flour ground from the nut was a staple food in Italy (esp in Tuscany where this flour was the staple carbohydrate into relatively recent times).

    It doesn't like our climate and died out and was re-introduced centuries later but doesn't grow much further north than about Cambridgeshire from what I've read.


    Come up to Clumber park in Nottinghamshire, there's a load of sweet chestnut tree's.
    £71.93/ £180.00
  • boultdj wrote: »
    Come up to Clumber park in Nottinghamshire, there's a load of sweet chestnut tree's.
    Just up the road from me, now wondering if i know you lol x
    I will save my tesco £1 savings stamps this year! .......so far = £50 (full card#1)
    Card #2 £6. I will not be skint at Chistmas this year!

    Total £56
  • Seakay
    Seakay Posts: 4,269 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    horse chestnuts make a great leg gel:

    http://www.jameswong.co.uk/#/horsechestnut-gel/4548320274
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