I tried acorns.

GARANDNUT · 11-11-2012, 07:02 PM

I know the native indians ate them and so I gave them a try. I boiled them through several changes of water, keeping two pots boiling so I could move the nuts from one pot of boiling water to the other. I then pour off the tannin infused water and repeat. The water never did clear. I then put the nuts on a paper towel and dried them. I coated the nuts in olive oil and kosher salt and baked them at 350 just until they started to brown. They were surprisingly good. All of the bitterness was gone but they were way over cooked and dry in the middle. The flavor was nutty, meaty and a little like a chestnut but not so sweet. For some reason I really liked the flavor. Next time I will not boil them so much. I don't think they needed more than maybe 10 min of boiling in maybe two to three changes of water of a total of 30 to 40 minutes.

Eightball · 11-11-2012, 07:51 PM

Did you boil the acorns whole or did you crack and peel them first?

GARANDNUT · 11-12-2012, 03:22 PM

I cut them in half with a knife and pulled the shells off before boiling. For the ones that still had some skin on them I rubbed them with a towel after they were boiled.

Sanders · 11-12-2012, 03:55 PM

I had a friend in the Army who was nutty for acorns. Whenever we'd get close to any oak trees, he'd start filling his pockets on his BDU's with as many acorns as he could find.

I never did get to taste them, though.

I believe he was from Tennessee.

baboon · 11-12-2012, 04:03 PM

Sure are lots of them on the ground here this year.

DirtySteve · 11-13-2012, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baboon

Sure are lots of them on the ground here this year.

I noticed that too, Georgia has whiteoaks and redoaks putting out, and the pinoaks down here in Fl are raining too.

hangfire · 11-14-2012, 09:45 AM

Keep the water and boil it down and keep it for making leather.

ESSOHBE · 09-18-2013, 09:29 PM

It's coming up on acorn time near me.

You shouldn't boil them, that cooks the starch in them before they are leeched of their tannins so that's how people get overcooked acorns. Wait for the water to boil then turn the heat off at least.

What I do is just leech them in cold water for awhile, like a week. Try one then leech longer if need be. Put in a bag in a running creek even but don't be alarmed if the squirrels watched you (they know) and stole a bunch when you left.

You can roast them but I don't, sometimes I find them on the ground and they can be eaten right there if it's been wet outside - the rainwater leeches them naturally but they are more rare in this state.

10 Bears · 09-18-2013, 10:22 PM

Pigs like acorns, in the shell.
Folks I used to know, lived in Oak country.
One of their outbuildings was full of acorns, every year.
They would buy a couple of weaned oinkers,
feed them rolled oat mash with acorns.
Didn't take much oatmeal either.
Pigs grew fast, and got fat, on that recipe.

ESSOHBE · 09-19-2013, 03:07 PM

Yea, like the squirrels. They fatten up on acorns and walnuts. Then you can shoot htem and nom nom noms!

ErikD · 09-22-2013, 10:54 AM

I have been told that oak trees need to be at least 50 years old to produce acorns. We don't get oak trees naturally this far north, but I have contemplated planting a few just to see how it goes.

Pogo · 09-24-2013, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ErikD

I have been told that oak trees need to be at least 50 years old to produce acorns. We don't get oak trees naturally this far north, but I have contemplated planting a few just to see how it goes.

Not true. I have two oak trees that I planted. They started producing acorns at about the 5th or 6th year. I get way more acorns than I want/need now. I'm glad the squirrels carry them off. But they plant too many of them in my yard.

10 Bears · 09-24-2013, 10:37 AM

Squirrels are the best propagators of oak seedlings.
Rooting hogs keep those numbers down though.

mr-ak-47 · 09-25-2013, 08:50 PM

I have tons of them if anyone wants, Hell I'll even split the shipping.....

Anyone ever make "butter" with them,....I think my grandma use to make something that was GOOOOD MMM Mmm ...maybe that is cause it was after the depression...

flopshot · 09-25-2013, 11:02 PM

i think i have at least three varieties of acorn producing oaks here. been cutting them down for firewood for the past five years but leaving them on the fringe for the deer. never tried eating them but i probably should.

11-11-2012, 07:02 PM	#1
GARANDNUT Pontificator Maximus Join Date: May 2006 Location: between the hills Posts: 8,718	I tried acorns. I know the native indians ate them and so I gave them a try. I boiled them through several changes of water, keeping two pots boiling so I could move the nuts from one pot of boiling water to the other. I then pour off the tannin infused water and repeat. The water never did clear. I then put the nuts on a paper towel and dried them. I coated the nuts in olive oil and kosher salt and baked them at 350 just until they started to brown. They were surprisingly good. All of the bitterness was gone but they were way over cooked and dry in the middle. The flavor was nutty, meaty and a little like a chestnut but not so sweet. For some reason I really liked the flavor. Next time I will not boil them so much. I don't think they needed more than maybe 10 min of boiling in maybe two to three changes of water of a total of 30 to 40 minutes.

11-12-2012, 03:55 PM	#4
Sanders Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 66,447	I had a friend in the Army who was nutty for acorns. Whenever we'd get close to any oak trees, he'd start filling his pockets on his BDU's with as many acorns as he could find. I never did get to taste them, though. I believe he was from Tennessee. __________________ "The truly dangerous man dresses inconspicuously and is soft- spoken. He walks away from most confrontations. The only time you learn that the truly dangerous man is mad at you is a split second before you die, for he never fights. He only kills. The truly dangerous man knows that fighting is what children do and killing is what men do." - Charley Reese 1986 3

11-14-2012, 09:45 AM	#7
hangfire Home on the range Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: S. Indiana Posts: 17,283	Keep the water and boil it down and keep it for making leather. __________________ "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure of the universe" -Albert Einstein-

09-22-2013, 10:54 AM	#11
ErikD Mzungu Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In the land of socialist nepotism and corruption. Posts: 6,340	I have been told that oak trees need to be at least 50 years old to produce acorns. We don't get oak trees naturally this far north, but I have contemplated planting a few just to see how it goes. __________________ ------------------------------------------- Cut along dotted line, discard top part.

09-25-2013, 08:50 PM	#14
mr-ak-47 Massa di Avatars Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: In another Galaxy, another dimension, another time Posts: 25,604	I have tons of them if anyone wants, Hell I'll even split the shipping..... Anyone ever make "butter" with them,....I think my grandma use to make something that was GOOOOD MMM Mmm ...maybe that is cause it was after the depression... __________________ . One person says something stupid, and the other stupid people hear him, and the next thing you know, you're getting tortured in a gulag. Welcome to democracy, where your rights depend on the howling of the mob. .

11-11-2012, 07:51 PM	#2
Eightball Proud WECSOG graduate Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Louisiana Posts: 3,601	Did you boil the acorns whole or did you crack and peel them first?

11-12-2012, 03:22 PM	#3
GARANDNUT Pontificator Maximus Join Date: May 2006 Location: between the hills Posts: 8,718	I cut them in half with a knife and pulled the shells off before boiling. For the ones that still had some skin on them I rubbed them with a towel after they were boiled.

11-12-2012, 04:03 PM	#5
baboon slug Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Out by the lake in central Texas Posts: 18,306	Sure are lots of them on the ground here this year.

09-18-2013, 09:29 PM	#8
ESSOHBE Deplorable Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Space Station Posts: 801	It's coming up on acorn time near me. You shouldn't boil them, that cooks the starch in them before they are leeched of their tannins so that's how people get overcooked acorns. Wait for the water to boil then turn the heat off at least. What I do is just leech them in cold water for awhile, like a week. Try one then leech longer if need be. Put in a bag in a running creek even but don't be alarmed if the squirrels watched you (they know) and stole a bunch when you left. You can roast them but I don't, sometimes I find them on the ground and they can be eaten right there if it's been wet outside - the rainwater leeches them naturally but they are more rare in this state.

09-18-2013, 10:22 PM	#9
10 Bears Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: E-Da-How Posts: 137,846	Pigs like acorns, in the shell. Folks I used to know, lived in Oak country. One of their outbuildings was full of acorns, every year. They would buy a couple of weaned oinkers, feed them rolled oat mash with acorns. Didn't take much oatmeal either. Pigs grew fast, and got fat, on that recipe.

09-19-2013, 03:07 PM	#10
ESSOHBE Deplorable Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Space Station Posts: 801	Yea, like the squirrels. They fatten up on acorns and walnuts. Then you can shoot htem and nom nom noms!

09-24-2013, 10:37 AM	#13
10 Bears Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: E-Da-How Posts: 137,846	Squirrels are the best propagators of oak seedlings. Rooting hogs keep those numbers down though.

09-25-2013, 11:02 PM	#15
flopshot Constitutional bigot Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: North Carolina Posts: 5,812	i think i have at least three varieties of acorn producing oaks here. been cutting them down for firewood for the past five years but leaving them on the fringe for the deer. never tried eating them but i probably should.

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