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Has anyone here made 'acorn flour' from local acorns? I made a small batch recently to see if I could use the process described in most books & websites. It worked for me.
It's not hard: gather and sort the good acorns from those with bugs or the rotten ones. Then shell the nuts, leech out the 'tannins,' roast them to dry and grind into meal. It took over a week to leech the tannic acid from the nuts. The tannins cause the bitter taste in raw nut meats and can be harmful to you if not removed.
Tannic acid is also found in tree bark and can be used to tan leather. But tannins are water soluble, so soaking the acorns in running water removes the tannins. Boiling the acorns in frequent water changes is faster. When boiling, it is important that the replacement water already boiling.
Acorns were considered a staple in many native american cultures and are available today in some asian food stores. They're high and vitamin A & C and in fat, which is important. As a survival food, they store well and are easily gathered in the fall. And they're an overlooked resource. Some species like white oaks have lower amounts of tannic acid, so are easier to process.
The acorns I processed tasted good with a light nut taste.
It's not hard: gather and sort the good acorns from those with bugs or the rotten ones. Then shell the nuts, leech out the 'tannins,' roast them to dry and grind into meal. It took over a week to leech the tannic acid from the nuts. The tannins cause the bitter taste in raw nut meats and can be harmful to you if not removed.
Tannic acid is also found in tree bark and can be used to tan leather. But tannins are water soluble, so soaking the acorns in running water removes the tannins. Boiling the acorns in frequent water changes is faster. When boiling, it is important that the replacement water already boiling.
Acorns were considered a staple in many native american cultures and are available today in some asian food stores. They're high and vitamin A & C and in fat, which is important. As a survival food, they store well and are easily gathered in the fall. And they're an overlooked resource. Some species like white oaks have lower amounts of tannic acid, so are easier to process.
The acorns I processed tasted good with a light nut taste.