Acorn flour pancakes9/17/2023 ![]() ![]() If you are getting your acorns from a few trees of the same variety, this is not an issue. Mostly, if I separate acorns at all, I separate them by size. I may separate red group and white group acorns if I have a substantial number of either or both. I rarely differentiate them in the field, as they will all require processing. ![]() I collect acorns from a variety of species, some large, some small, some red, some white. Here in Southern Indiana, acorns start falling in mid-late September and continue through early November, depending on species and environmental factors. If you follow the path of your ancestors and learn how to remove the tannins from acorns, you will find that this bitter little nut can become quite edible. This is the same substance found in many foods such as the skins of wine grapes and is referred to as tannin. Even in lesser amounts, it can cause nausea and digestive distress. This substance is not only extremely bitter tasting to humans, but also toxic in high doses. Why so bitter?įor ancient humans, this seemingly perfect food had but one caveat - tannic acid. Though there are some places in the world where the acorn is still eaten as a sort of novelty, it has all but fallen out of grace with the pallet of modern man. Before any European or African set foot on this continent, before America ever knew the likes of horses or metal, the inhabitants of this continent were “paleo” before paleo was cool. Long before the primitive grain that would one day be called maize made its way from South American tribes to the farms of indigenous North America, it was the simple yet ubiquitous fruit of the oak tree that provided the natives of this continent a staple food source from which to live and thrive. Rendering acorns edible allowed humans to subsist over barren winters and conquer new lands where food sources would have otherwise been uncertain. Early Homo sapiens recognized the potential of a tree that produced nuts in massive quantities, were easy to crack and shell, and easily stored for long periods of time. Developing a process by which to turn the bitter nut of the oak tree into a viable and nutritious food staple was one of the greater innovations of mankind. ![]()
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