PDA

View Full Version : Acorn flour



Schleprok
04-16-2009, 06:37 PM
I have beaucoop acorns in my back 40, anyone know how to turn them into flour? I have heard it can be done, but found nothing on it. Should I roast them and then grind??? Any recipes?

tennecedar
04-16-2009, 06:42 PM
I tried it a few times after seeing a PBS program that showed it. I boiled mine twice after hulling them. Boil, wash, boil, wash, dry, grind into flour. Made a flat bread out of the flour. Not great but edible. Used acorn flour with wheat flour and mollasses to make a sweet bread. Real good.

crashdive123
04-16-2009, 06:43 PM
Here's a thread that may give you some ideas. http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=452&highlight=acorn+flour

canid
04-16-2009, 07:09 PM
it's very easy.

the first step should be cracking/shelling and leaching.

you want to crack them first, so that not only the shells are removed, but the acorns are broken up somewhat but the pieces are large enough to be retained by a basket, mesh bag, seive, etc. this will minimize small particles being lost during the proccess.

for leaching, the best option is cold water immersion, but this can be a bit lengthy. the reason you should prefer cold water is that the tannins [bitter compounds] are still pretty soluable in cold water, but the oils and fats [which are one of the great dietary benefits of nuts] are not.

this is often done by placing the cracked acorns in a water permeable container and leaving them in the flow of fresh water for several days. historically it has also been done by burrying them in the sand or mud next to a stream [for large amounts] and leaving them for longer, up to a season, as in that context, the water flow through them is much less.

you can also put them into a mesh bag or basket in a sink and put them through a repeated soak/rinse cycle untill they are no longer bitter.

you can also use a much quicker hot water method where they are steeped in near boiling water, which is poured off after it cools to warm, and repeated. this method works faster because the tannins are much better soluable in hot water, and therefore leach away faster. the downside is that many of the fats/oils will be leached out as they are soluable in the water once it is hot enough.

after they are leached and not bitter, they should be spread out and dried before grinding, unless they will be consumed right away. grinding wet acorns will yeild mush rather than flour/meal.

once dry, you can grind them into meal with a morter and pestel, grain mill or food proccesser to your desired fineness. they will keep in a cool, dry place for as long as any other nuts [several weeks to several years, depending on taste :P]

Rick
04-16-2009, 07:13 PM
For an irregular meat sprocket, that was a pretty darn good post. Thanks!

canid
04-16-2009, 07:16 PM
i've been getting into acorns for a good while now.

one thing i've learned is that if you have the patience to prepare them well, they are good food. if you don't, they are merely something to survive on if you have to. kind of like nopales.

LowKey
04-16-2009, 09:21 PM
If you can identify the trees the acorns come from you can save yourself some time.
Acorns from the white oaks (lobed leaves) have less tannins than the red oaks (spiny leaves). I've yet to get anything passable from red oak acorns. Guess I'm not patient enough when it comes to the leeching.

Ole WV Coot
04-16-2009, 10:37 PM
Either, white, black or red oak all seem the same to me. You can use any for food. Nothing to brag about but very plentiful in this area and the hogs love them. Leaching is almost necessary but can be roasted and eaten.

jessielavon
04-16-2009, 10:46 PM
Gather Y'all Up A Big Wash Tub Of Good Looking Acorins,put Them In A Wire Container. To Leach The Bitterness Out Of Them Sat Them In The Creek Or River For Several,syir Then Several Times,then Lay Them In The Sun A Spell To Dry,shuck Of The Hull And You Can Grind Then Down By Putting Them In Batches On A Big Rock And Use Another Rock To Grind Them On Down

Rick
04-17-2009, 07:37 AM
Just be sure to keep your fingers out from between the big rocks.

Ole WV Coot
04-18-2009, 12:12 AM
Gather Y'all Up A Big Wash Tub Of Good Looking Acorins,put Them In A Wire Container. To Leach The Bitterness Out Of Them Sat Them In The Creek Or River For Several,syir Then Several Times,then Lay Them In The Sun A Spell To Dry,shuck Of The Hull And You Can Grind Then Down By Putting Them In Batches On A Big Rock And Use Another Rock To Grind Them On Down

You are talking about a #2 washtub I hope. Anything smaller just ain't worth it and chicken wire lets the little ones out and unless you want extra protein don't get the ones that sink.:tongue_smilie:

Trouble
05-30-2009, 05:52 PM
Yeah, you're going to have to spend some time leaching them in water to remove some of the biterness...
But hey, why not make some passable coffee out of it? :D

lanahi
06-03-2009, 06:12 PM
You are talking about a #2 washtub I hope. Anything smaller just ain't worth it and chicken wire lets the little ones out and unless you want extra protein don't get the ones that sink.:tongue_smilie:

I use an old pillow case and set the pillow case of acorns in a large kettle to leach. I use cold water usually but sometimes hot or boiling water. Keep changing the water until it runs fairly clear. Dry in very low oven or sun until it is dry enough to be ground into flour or meal. I've never used a stream to leach acorns, but it seems it would work over a couple of days, same as leaching them in the kitchen in cold water. The leached acorns can be ground easily between stones if you don't have a hand grinder. ALL acorns are mildly sweet once the tannin has been leached out, they just have different levels of tannic acid.
I freeze acorn meal or flour because of its high oil which can turn rancid quickly. In a SFTF situation where you don't have a working freezer or way to keep them cool, leave the acorns whole and unprocessed so they keep longer. Acorns mold quickly in a zip lock type container at room temperature also. You can store meal or flour in a bug-proof container in a cool place over winter. The Indians often buried unprocessed acorns so they would keep cool. BTW, acorns quickly absorb moisture from the air after they are dried and ground.