Posts Tagged ‘are acorns edible’
The acorn is one of the most important of all survival foods. The American Indians used the acorn heavily as a food source. The acorn is also one of the most abundant and most overlooked of all survival foods. You may even have an oak tree in your back yard or nearby. Acorns are not only for squirrels.
The acorn can be used in many ways and is a very nutritious trail food. Acorns are packed full of important vitamins, nutrients and healthy fats. There are different types of oak trees with different acorns. Some are more bitter than others. Some can be eaten right off the ground while others may have to be soaked or boiled in water to remove some of the bitterness first. The bitter taste is from Tannic Acid, which is the same ingredient used to tan animal hides in making leather. You can tan leather with oak leaves and oak tree bark.
Generally the white oak variety is less bitter and sort of sweet. The acorns from the white oak can usually be eaten fresh.
If you find a bitter batch of acorns, you can either boil them in fresh changes of water until they are no longer bitter or place them in a mesh bag in a flowing stream for a few days. Then dry your acorns and eat them fresh or roast them and eat them. You can also roast the acorns and then grind up the nuts and use the meal as flour in making bread just like you would with wheat flour. If you grind the acorns coarsely then you can use them as a breakfast cereal. Prepare as you would with oatmeal or grits.
See the video here:
This knowledge can save your life one day. Remember, acorns are not just for squirrels.