Acorns?

Jolaaled

Well, I've now collected a decent amount of acorns in, what look like, good condition (many that I'd picked up had holes or were a bit 'soft', so discarded).
I've taken the acorns all out of their little crinkly cups, so next job is to remove the hard husk and the inner softer skin (i understand that this bit tastes trully yuk). Not sure of the best way to get rid of the hard skin, but thought i'd try to dry them out on my (new!) woodstove, when it's next lit (altho the current unseasonal 'heat wave' at the moment is getting in the way!).
Then I'm going to try 2 different methods of getting the tannin out and see what works..first method: boiling 3 times in water, and my second method: grinding up in the processor and then rinsing thro water a number of times.

Will return to this thread to let you know my results, if I survive!

thanks for all your tips, folks. An absolute gold mine of information, as usual. THANKS

zippychick

I've merged this with a previous thread on acorns
good luck
Zip

otterspasm

Hi all,
My husband has just been on a bit of an acorn adventure :-) This is what he did...

Collected acorns and peeled them.

Put them in a fastened muslin bag in our toilet cistern for two weeks.
This is a good source of fresh clean water and every time you flush the loo the tannins are washed out of the acorns. After two weeks they are ready to dry.

He laid them out on a baking sheet and put them in the oven after I had finished baking bread and turned the oven off...he did this 2 or 3 times until they were dried out.

Then he ground them in a coffee grinder.

He used some just like coffee grounds to make coffee which we had with milk...interesting taste....:rotfl::p

Then he put some into a loaf of bread (acorn flour)....40% white flour, 40% wholemeal and 10% acorn. It was lovely and made a nice dark 'nutty' loaf.

My husband has a nut intolenrance and had a mild reaction to the bread though....cleared up with one of his usual anti-histamines.

I hope that helps.

ceridwen

Jolaaled wrote: »

Well, I've now collected a decent amount of acorns in, what look like, good condition (many that I'd picked up had holes or were a bit 'soft', so discarded).
I've taken the acorns all out of their little crinkly cups, so next job is to remove the hard husk and the inner softer skin (i understand that this bit tastes trully yuk). Not sure of the best way to get rid of the hard skin, but thought i'd try to dry them out on my (new!) woodstove, when it's next lit (altho the current unseasonal 'heat wave' at the moment is getting in the way!).
Then I'm going to try 2 different methods of getting the tannin out and see what works..first method: boiling 3 times in water, and my second method: grinding up in the processor and then rinsing thro water a number of times.

Will return to this thread to let you know my results, if I survive!

thanks for all your tips, folks. An absolute gold mine of information, as usual. THANKS

Wondering what the sequel to this was?

I'm working my way through cracking some acorns now - to see if I can make anything useful with them.

Errrm....to date...its taking about 10 minutes per ounce of acorn (and thats before removing any "off" bits, grinding, leaching.....).

I have the feeling this little experiment isnt going to work out worthwhile - even if tastes fine. A phrase one expert forager used to me about some foods is "negative calories" - as in "Don't bother to collect that - its negative calories - it will use up more calories getting it than you'd get from eating it".

Gillby1

Hi all,

I've just started developing an interest in foraging, and whilst out picking blackberries and sloe berries last weekend i came across several oak trees groining with acorns. I picked a small bag full, and am vaguely aware that they can be eaten once roasted and soaked. Has anyone else tried doing this, and if so, how did you prepare them and what recipe did you use them in?

Thanks,

Gill

Anne_Marie_2

Thought that acorns were something that squirrels ate.
If you really want to do something with them, have a look at this blog.
http://www.eattheweeds.com/acorns-the-inside-story/

Gillby1

Squirrels also love corn on the cob, but that's not going to put me off eating them!

Seriously though, thanks for the link. I also found this if anyone is interested: http://rosesprodigalgarden.org/articles/processing%20acorns%20step%20by%20step.html

Gill

Gillby1

Just done another search on the forum and found this thread, for info:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6404

happenstance

No they are not really for eating, bitter. They ate them during the war when times were very hard. Much nicer things to forage.

Gillby1

I've run out of things to forage for the moment, though (I still have lots to learn!!), and am looking for a challenge (and some almost free food!). So i'm giving it a try!

I dried them out in the warm top oven for an hour, whilst the main oven was on for baking, then shelled them. I only had about 300g worth, so it didn't take long at all. I am now soaking the nut meat in water, to be 2 or 3 times a day for 3 or 4 days, until all the tanin is leached away and they are no longer bitter. Although i must say i did try a tiny bit and it wasn't very bitter anyway...

I'll try grinding and baking with them on Saturday, and if it works i shall go and pick loads more! I'll come back and post about how i get on, if anyone wants to know.

Gilly x