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Outpost:  How to eat an acorn...  |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 12 2006 : 11:13:01 PM
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Since autumn is fast-approaching, I thought I'd post this bit of "outpost" food information:
If you want to eat an acorn, and have it not taste bitter, shell the nuts and boil them in successive pots of water until the water no longer turns brown like tea - this boils out the tannins that make the acorns taste bitter. Then roast the acorns in a slow oven (225F) for about 20 minutes. The nuts will be crunchy and ready to eat - you can even use them in recipes!
I know it's a random tidbit, but who knows when you'll need it !
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Aug 12 2006 : 11:29:08 PM
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When I was a kid and my Aunt's house had oak trees all over we would gather acons and make a paste and make our younger brothers and sisters eat them (My cousin Shelley and I) We were the bosses and they pretty much did what we told them. We did it just to pretend we were cooking and see the awful faces they made. WE didn't eat it ourselves. Of course we also fed them underripe rubarb and raw onions. Nice, weren't we?
It is nice to know a way to use acorns and have them not be bitter...interesting!!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2006 : 08:50:53 AM
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Jenny that is so funny! My sis and I had this BIG rock near a pond in our back woods. We had different areas that were "rooms" and the rock was called Cooking Rock (the kitchen). We mashed up all kinds of nuts and berries though we never ate them cause we didn't know if they we safe or not!
Jewelry, art, baskets, etc.
www.willowtreecreek.com |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2006 : 11:26:34 AM
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acorns are bitter and very harsh on the stomach rubard is poisons. I am glad your cousions are ok. My cousion did things like that too. Mostly to my big brother he was always at the end of a joke. In retro spect that explains alot about him.
If you really want receipes you might try looking under yokut indians or california indians as it was one of their staples in their diet. They had a way of leaching it with water or something else to get rid of the bitterness of it.
I was wondering as a kid I despised those cousions as an adult they are some of my favorite people are you the same with yours.
have a lovely day and may God bless you and keep you safe
www.sunshines.etsy.com
http://sunshinescreations.blogspot.com/
http://sunshine.harbaugh.googlepages.com/home |
Edited by - sunshine on Aug 16 2006 3:29:22 PM |
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ali2583
True Blue Farmgirl
404 Posts
Alison
Winnipeg
Manitoba
Canada
404 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2006 : 3:20:24 PM
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I really had no idea you could even eat acorns wow you learn something new every day.
"God's gift to you is life. What you choose to do with that life is your gift to God" |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2006 : 08:46:42 AM
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| I seem to remember hearing that you can eat the acorns from some kinds of oak trees but not others. I've never tried it because I wasn't sure what kind of tree was which. Anne Elizabeth, do you know what kind of oak tree is OK? I'd love to eat acorns! |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2006 : 12:14:00 PM
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hey Sunshine..rubarb isn't poisonous..ever had rubarb pie?? It is just the leaves that are poison. We knew that..only fed them the underripe stems. We weren't THAT mean..haha
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2006 : 12:23:08 PM
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That is what i ment sorry I wasn't more clear. Funny lots of things are poisonous if prepared wrong. But if prepared right they aren't. Actually I have had rubard and strawberry pie very good. I only had it once my art ceramic teacher made it and brought it to class for all of us. Glad to hear you weren't that mean. Didn't think you were at least I haven't seen that side of you ;o)
have a lovely day and may God bless you and keep you safe
www.sunshines.etsy.com
http://sunshinescreations.blogspot.com/
http://sunshine.harbaugh.googlepages.com/home |
Edited by - sunshine on Aug 17 2006 12:35:01 PM |
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bboopster
True Blue Farmgirl
1140 Posts
Betty Jo
West Bend
Wisconsin
USA
1140 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2006 : 12:28:36 PM
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My father made us acorn pancakes and cat tail root cookies as a kid. Or maybe it was the other way around. But I know I never like either of them as a kid. But I did like romping in the mud to get the roots from the cat tails. The walk in the woods for the acorn always proved to be an experence also. He was always picking up plants and having us try them.
Pray for our troops to come home safe and soon.
Enjoying the road to the simple life :>) |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2006 : 12:55:19 PM
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I just did a search to find out what kind of acorns are edible. According to The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook, by "Wildman" Steve Brill, you want to use acorns from white oak trees rather than red oak trees. The red oak acorns apparently contain too much tannin to leach out by boiling. So they would taste nasty, but I assume they would not kill you or Mr. Brill would have made a bigger deal out of it!
He also says that the way you tell the white oaks from the red oaks is that the white oak leaves have blunt-tipped points and the red oak leaves have pointier, needle-shaped points.
I've heard of Steve Brill before. He has a website that shows lots of common wild plants and tells how to pick and eat them. I am not in hyperlink mode so I can't post the address, but if you are interested, search for his name and you will find him easily. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
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Bluewrenn
True Blue Farmgirl
1122 Posts
Erin
Texas
USA
1122 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2006 : 9:05:22 PM
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my dad wanted us to try all kinds of weird stuff too. Remember in the late 70s/early 80s, when Mother Earth News and the like were talking about grasshopper cake, grub stir fry, chocolate covered ants and stuff? Gross! My dad wanted us to try making some, but luckily he didn't push it very hard.
My Homesteading Journal
http://toomyvara.livejournal.com
My craft journal
http://bluewrenn.livejournal.com |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2006 : 9:44:14 PM
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I'm so glad to learn the white vs. red oak differences! I didn't know that one was any different than the other, but as far as I know, neither one will make you sick, apparently from Amie's post, however, one will make your face pucker!!!
Erin - GRUB STIR FRY?!?!?!?!?!? I'm afraid even a BakeOver couldn't make that one appealing!
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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ali2583
True Blue Farmgirl
404 Posts
Alison
Winnipeg
Manitoba
Canada
404 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2006 : 8:52:10 PM
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I remember being force fed chocolate-covered ants once (it was a stupid childhood prank). But to this day, I still don't recall tasting any "ants". I think they were just making it up.
"God's gift to you is life. What you choose to do with that life is your gift to God" |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2006 : 07:44:02 AM
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There was a candy store where I used to live in CAlif who produced (and sold nationwide) lollipops called Hot Lix..one of their claims to fame was their suckers with the worm in them.
Yep..worm. They were so gross looking! It was a rectangular shaped clear reddish sucker with a worm in it. Seems like they were supposed to be tequila flavored or some such thing. I sure never tried one. They were even on some tv show one time..like real people or something like that.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2006 : 7:23:57 PM
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Hey, folks. I just tried eating acorns. I found what I'm pretty sure is a white oak tree in the park (rounded leaves, not pointy) and I've been watching it for the past few weeks. Yesterday there were finally acorns on the ground below. I boiled them for a few minutes to loosen the shells, shelled them with a paring knife, chopped them up and boiled them in about five baths of water.
They are not terribly tasty. Tomorrow or Friday I'll try to dry them in my oven at a low setting. I'll let you know if they taste better roasted...or if they make me sick! |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2006 : 7:56:41 PM
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wowzer .. i think i'll leave 'haycorn' eating to winnie the pooh and friends. xo
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2006 : 11:11:10 PM
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Amie - WOW! If it takes more than five water baths, I'm not sure it's a worthwhile endeavor! Are they just really bitter, or are they really yucky? I wonder if they'd be good candied, like almonds?
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2006 : 08:41:52 AM
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They are a little better when roasted in the oven, but still no competition for an almond or a cashew in my opinion. They are not bitter anymore (so I guess my tree ID was correct!) Only slightly yucky, not terrible. Some people might like them.
I guess people who used to eat them regularly (or still do, for all I know) would have known the tricks to make them taste really good. Like, maybe it was too early in the season...if I have a chance I may try again in a few weeks.
Anyway, I'm glad that I know how to do this and that it works. You never know when you'll need to find something to eat. If I was really hungry these acorns would probably taste pretty good.
And so far they haven't killed me! |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2006 : 11:05:44 AM
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Amie - ya' still alive after the acorns? No "repercussions," so to speak?
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2006 : 4:50:42 PM
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If you are really into wild foods I highly recommend Bradford Angier's Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants (Stackpole books, 1974) It has the following to say about acorns:
"The acords of the white oaks mature in one growing season, the inner surfaces of the shells being smooth and the kernels sweet...
The acorns of the red oaks do not mature until the finish of the second growing season, the shells' inner surfaces generally being coated with wooly hair and the kernels ordinarily being bitter....
All acorns are good to eat. Some are less sweet than others, that's all...
Indians leached their bitter acorns in a number of ways. Sometimes the acorns would be buried in the mud of a swamp for a year, after which they would be retrieved for roasting and eating whole. Other tribes let their shelled acorns mold in baskets, then buried them in clean freshwater sand. When they had turned black, they were sweet and ready to use.... (YUCK! Comments mine)
Incidentally we think of antibiotics as modern developments, but some of the Indian tribes used to let their acorn meal accumulate a mold. This was scaped off, kept in a damp place, and used to treat sores and inflammations."
There's lots more... I don't know if this book is still in print but I'm sure it would be available at any number of used book stores on line, through Alibris, Barnes and Noble or Amazon's affiliates and resellers.
I like the book in part because it helps me identify the weeds in my garden!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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Norskema
True Blue Farmgirl
98 Posts
Candace
Central Indiana Area
USA
98 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2006 : 8:31:01 PM
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Early settlers made flour from acorns to stretch their supplies but that had to be so much work! We are having a bumper crop of acorns this year. I feel like I should wear a helmet in the back yard. Our border terrier, Carl, got beaned in the head yesterday. Very funny!
Every way of a man seems right to himself but the Lord is the tester of hearts. Proverbs 21:2 |
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Outpost: How to eat an acorn... |
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How to eat an acorn...
