Acorns

Food, Nutrition and Agriculture
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Acorns

Post by Arzosah »

I mentioned foraging acorns a while back on another thread, and when jansman asked me more about it, I was horrified to find out how bad my notes were :oops: so this year, I'm taking action :mrgreen: Until they're ready to harvest, I'll take a pic every month, and then write and photo the processing. As well as noting any good links I can find. There are dozens and dozens of oak trees where I live now, so technically they could provide a useful survival food. Realistically, its just an interesting internet research project :mrgreen:

First photo was taken on 3rd June. It actually looks like there's something wrong with the tree, unless you know its a baby acorn:
The attachment 1006.jpg is no longer available
Sorry it's a bit blurry, it's just a phone photo. And something's gone wrong with my editing. Ignore that!
Attachments
1006.jpg
jansman
Posts: 13623
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Acorns

Post by jansman »

Arzosah wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 11:13 am I mentioned foraging acorns a while back on another thread, and when jansman asked me more about it, I was horrified to find out how bad my notes were :oops: so this year, I'm taking action :mrgreen: Until they're ready to harvest, I'll take a pic every month, and then write and photo the processing. As well as noting any good links I can find. There are dozens and dozens of oak trees where I live now, so technically they could provide a useful survival food. Realistically, its just an interesting internet research project :mrgreen:

First photo was taken on 3rd June. It actually looks like there's something wrong with the tree, unless you know its a baby acorn:
1006.jpg

Sorry it's a bit blurry, it's just a phone photo. And something's gone wrong with my editing. Ignore that!
We have a lot of oaks here too,and I have often toyed with the idea of making ' Ersatz ' wartime coffee,or acorn flour.oddly enough,I am currently reading a book about the Lewis and Clark expedition across North America,and their interactions with native Americans. Their use of acorns as a staple food is mentioned quite a few times.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
Rusty74
Posts: 284
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 9:35 pm
Location: hidden away in the welsh hills...

Re: Acorns

Post by Rusty74 »

didnt the germans ground down acorns in ww1 and use them as coffee???plentyful around here thou id prefer my nescafee in the morning lol
Remember the rule of the 7 P's, proper planning and prepperation prevents piss poor performance...
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Acorns

Post by Arzosah »

Hi Rusty, yes, now you mention it, I've heard of acorn coffee :) I too prefer the branded experience :mrgreen: I did manage to hop out yesterday, and having focussed in on the acorns a bit, here's an extreme close up of how they look right now
Acorns July growing from their cups.jpg
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Acorns

Post by Arzosah »

And here's the slightly wider shot of the same photo to give them context, for the sake of size. The cups obviously grow first, probably to keep it stuck to the tree and to give it some protection.
Acorns July growing from their cups context.jpg
daylen
Posts: 249
Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 12:12 pm
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Acorns

Post by daylen »

I made acorn "coffee" a few years ago. It was horrid! Unless someone else has good results and can convince me of a decent process / recipe, it isn't something I want to try again!
jansman
Posts: 13623
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Acorns

Post by jansman »

It would seem that acorn coffee is still being consumed:

http://www.tasteofbeirut.com/acorn-coff ... t-balloot/
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
grenfell
Posts: 3952
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: Acorns

Post by grenfell »

Not being a coffee drinker i've never tried making coffee with acorns although i did make some dandelion root coffee which my wife tried and found not as good as real coffee but drinkable. I might give roasting or acorn flour a go though.
I tend to be of the opinion that for a country with a large number of oak trees , at least historically , not to consume acorns on a regular basis they would fall into the catagory of famine foods , something that one can eat if there's nothing else but not something one chooses if there is "nicer" foods available. Either that or people have decided the process isn't worth the result.
Doesn't mean i won't give it a go if only to say i've tried it. I like Arzosah's idea of a photo diary from the forming of the acorns onwards.
jansman
Posts: 13623
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Acorns

Post by jansman »

grenfell wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:31 pm Not being a coffee drinker i've never tried making coffee with acorns although i did make some dandelion root coffee which my wife tried and found not as good as real coffee but drinkable. I might give roasting or acorn flour a go though.
I tend to be of the opinion that for a country with a large number of oak trees , at least historically , not to consume acorns on a regular basis they would fall into the catagory of famine foods , something that one can eat if there's nothing else but not something one chooses if there is "nicer" foods available. Either that or people have decided the process isn't worth the result.
Doesn't mean i won't give it a go if only to say i've tried it. I like Arzosah's idea of a photo diary from the forming of the acorns onwards.
I am not a coffee drinker either.Definitely tea! I did dandelion coffee some years ago,and it was passable. I agree that acorns come under 'famine food'.

https://www.tyrantfarms.com/diy-how-to- ... %20More%20
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Acorns

Post by Arzosah »

Very interesting links, thank you both. Very different! The life of a refugee, and the knowledgeable people at tyrantfarms, they're amazing. Finding the equivalent based in the UK will be my task over the next few months, simply for the different oak species. I haven't seen a post as detailed as that one before, they're really good - interesting about a hand-turned nut grinder "but a simple mallet or hammer will work". I like that :) and I certainly have one or two nice big hammers.