BY CHRISTOPHER NYERGES
PREPPER PLANTADV
TRADITIONAL PROCESSING: First, shell the acorns, then grind them while still
raw. I typically do this on a large fl at-rock metate. Then, I put a cotton tea cloth inside a
large metal colander, put the acorn fl our on the tea cloth, and pour cold water over the
acorns. The water takes a while to trickle out, and it may require 2 or 3 or 10 pourings of
water before the acorn meal is no longer bitter and can be eaten.
I have had modern acorn products of chips, pound cake, and pasta. They are delicious.
I would say that products made with acorn fl our have a subtle graham cracker fl avor.
There are at least three cookbooks entirely devoted to making acorn food products,
such as puddings, bread, cakes, pancakes, pasta, cookies, and drinks.
NUTRITION: How good are acorns for you? Here are some details from a chart that
was published in "Temalpakh: Cahuilla Indian Knowledge and Usage of Plants," by
LowellJohnBeanandKatherineS.Saubel.Name: Acorns (Quercus sp.)
Acorns are the fruit of the oak tree. Oak trees are the Quercus species, and there are
about 600 species of oak trees world-wide. In the United States, we fi nd about 90
di erent species of the oak tree.Description
Oak trees are very diverse, most being large trees, but some being bushes. There are
species that are evergreen and those that are deciduous, meaning they drop their
leaves as winter comes. They are all recognized by their fruit, which is a nut set into a
scaly cap. The acorns are also diverse in shape, some being small and narrow, others
being squat and fat. Despite their diversity, the trees are universally recognized by their
distinctive fruits, the acorns.Areas Found
These are generally native to the Northern Hemisphere and are found throughout the
world, where there is a long tradition of using the acorns for food. Nearly every state of
the U.S. has at least one type of oak tree, and most have several. Due to their diversity,
some species of the oak can be found in nearly all environments, from low to high
elevations, and wet to dry surroundings.When to Harvest/Availability
Acorns begin to mature in autumn, and then fall from the trees. Sometimes you
can harvest as early as September, but generally harvesting will occur from October
through November. Once it rains or snows, the acorns will either start to mold or sprout.Uses
FOOD: Acorns have been used for millennia for food, but because of the presence
of bitter tannic acid, they must fi rst be leached in any of a variety of methods. After I
collect acorns in the fall, I typically dry them by placing them in one of my dehydrators,
or laying them in the sun. Drying removes the moisture so the acorns will not get moldy.
Once they are dried, you could keep them for a few years before you process them.
MODERN PROCESSING: The neatest and quickest way to process acorns is to
boil them, changing the water repeatedly until they are no longer bitter. After drying
the acorns, I prefer to process them through a hand-crank meat grinder to produce a
coarse meal. Ground fi ner, which you can do in a co ee grinder or food processor, the
meal is perfect for any product calling for fl our. I typically mix the acorn fl our 50-50
with wheat or other fl ours. This is partly for fl avor and partly because acorn fl our
doesn’t hold together as well as wheat fl our, for example.OTHER USES: Oak is a hardwood, and the long straight branches make excellent
walking sticks and long bows. The acorns and oak bark have been boiled to create a
tannic acid-rich water, in which animal skins are soaked in order to tan, or soften, them.
Oak is also a great fuel for hotter and longer-burning fi res.Advice For Growing
It’s not hard to grow an oak tree. Collect an acorn when it drops and plant it in a
one-gallon pot. Water it, and there’s a high chance that it will sprout. They grow
somewhat slowly, and they are long-lived, and eventually you’ll want to transplant
your seedling directly into the ground. You can also just plant an acorn directly into the
ground in an area that you know you will want an oak tree “forever.” They can live manyVITAMINS
Nutrient Amount DV
Folate 87.00 mcg 21.8%
Folic acid 0.00 mcg 0%
Niacin 1.827 mg 9%
Pantothenic Acid 0.715 mg 7%
Riboflavin 0.118 mg 7%
Thiamin 0.112 mg 7%
Vitamin A 39.0 IU 1%
Vitamin A, RAE 2.0 mcg 0.002%
Vitamin B12 0.00 mcg 0%
Vitamin B6 0.528 mg 26%
Vitamin C 0.0 mg 0%MINERALS
Nutrient Amount DV
Calcium, Ca 41.0 mg 4%
Copper, Cu 0.621 mg 31%
Iron, Fe 0.79 mg 0.79%
Magnesium, Mg 62.0 mg 16%
Manganese, Mn 1.337 mg 67%
Phosphorus, P 79.0 mg 8%
Potassium, K 539.0 mg 11%
Sodium, Na 0.0 mg 0%
Zinc, Zn 0.51 mg 3%88 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE [OCTOBER 2019]