Author Topic: Eating acorns  (Read 922 times)

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Offline clodbuster

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Eating acorns
« on: November 14, 2005, 11:56:50 AM »
No I'm not a squirrel, but a real person who just learned what squirrels and deer have always known.  Acorns are good food!  First though I wondered why if hickory nuts come from hickory trees and walnuts come from what else, walnut trees; why then do oaks produce acorns and not oak nuts?  Well it goes back to  my English ancestors who called the oak tree "ak" (pronounced awk) and they further thought the nuts on the ak looked like the ornaments on their Christmas tree.  These they called "orns"  hence ak orns--acorns.  It's a good story anyway.  Back to the grub.   Here's how I fixed them:  Shell and coarse grind white oak acorns, because they have less tannin in them.  Tannin is bitter, you have to remove it by rinsing the crushed nuts in boiling water 5 times or until the rinse water stops looking like tea.  Fine grind the nuts in a food processor.  I mixed 2/3 cup of this meal with a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix and prepared per the directions.   Smear them with cream cheese and honey,  man, nothing better :wink:
Preserve the Loess Hills!!!

Offline jvs

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Eating acorns
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2005, 01:34:56 AM »
I have to admit that at one time or another I have bit into an Acorn.  I didn't think it was a very pleasant experience.  No wonder some people  can use them to Tan Hides.

I would much rather munch on the things that eat Acorns.....like Turkey, Squirrels and Whitetails.

Remember what your Mom said about eating Watermelon seeds.....you wouldn't want a Mighty Oak growing in your belly.
 If you want to run with the Wolves, you can't Pee with the Puppies.

Offline ShadowMover

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Eating acorns
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2005, 07:40:05 AM »
Word origins always interest me. The Ak pronunciation of the tree and the 'orns together is very interesting.  The word 'corn' was a generic phrase used for any grain. The phrase corned beef comes from using small grains of salt to preserve the meat. It was in use long before the maize we call corn was brought back to Europe. Thanks for sharing.

The Tannin or Tannic Acid is also found in the bark, wood and even in coffee and tea. When it combines with iron compounds it makes a black stain, which is why you see a black spot around a nail in an oak board. It was also an ingredient in old black ink.

Offline Ranger J

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Eating acorns
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2005, 04:23:42 AM »
Missouri has the best crop of acorns on record this year.  There are so many acorns in the woods this year that you can almost skate downhill on them.  The wildlife should do well this winter and the two deer we shot were as fat as I have ever seen them.  Of course most of our acorns are from black oaks and I have often thought about trying to collect some and leach out the tannin and eat them but haver never had the time.  While I have never eaten them I have used them to dye wool yarn as the tannin acts as a natural mordent.  By them selves they give a light brown and with some alum added they give a darker brown.
RJ