Dinghy
Veteran Member
Me and Hubby went for a walk in the woods today. For the first time ever I found a large amount of acorns on the ground. I decided to fill my pockets and bring them home and experiment with them. I figured if TSHTF they would be a terrific source of food for us. I know this isn't the right time of year to be gathering them, but thought I'd try them any way. I also wanted to see if I could eat them since I'm allergic to a lot of trees. I shelled them, picked out the bad looking ones, and put the good ones in water and boiled them. I changed the water at least 4 times to get out the tannin. Then I drained them and rubbed the peanut type skin off of them, and put them on the dehydrator trays. While I was doing that I started to feel a little funny. I had them about 3/4 done when I noticed my nose was running. Then I realized I was breathing a little harder. I smelled something that smelled like mushrooms. I tasted one of the pieces left in the pan, and it tasted like mushrooms. It was then that I decided there must be some mold somewhere, which I am allergic to. I had tasted several pieces before and didn't notice anything, but I was starting to feel worse. I ended up throwing the whole batch away after spending so much time fixing them. I was so upset, but I couldn't take a chance on getting sick. I don't know how there could still be anything like mold left after boiling them for so long. I decided to end the experiment for the time being, and wait until fall when I can get them before they have had a chance to lay on the ground. I don't know if the reaction was because of the tree allergy or the mold allergy, but I'm guessing it's the mold. If it was just the acorns I should have started to itch or something while I was shelling them or when I tasted the first few pieces. I really had the air let out of my balloon!
Have any of you foragers ever eaten acorns, and if so how did you fix them? I had thought I could use them like regular nuts. Everything I've read says to use them as a type of flour, and that it can't be stored for more than a few days or it will get rancid. I always wondered why nobody ever eats them any more. After seeing how much work is involved, I don't really wonder any more!!! Since they are so nutritious you would think somebody would have come up with a better way of being able to use them!
Have any of you foragers ever eaten acorns, and if so how did you fix them? I had thought I could use them like regular nuts. Everything I've read says to use them as a type of flour, and that it can't be stored for more than a few days or it will get rancid. I always wondered why nobody ever eats them any more. After seeing how much work is involved, I don't really wonder any more!!! Since they are so nutritious you would think somebody would have come up with a better way of being able to use them!