Acorns

[Oatmealer]

You can eat them. But they take a lot of preparation.

1. Shell them
2. Boil the meat for 15 minutes
3. Dump the water, save the meat
4. Boil in a new change of water for 15 minutes
5. Repeat step 3
6. Repeat step 4
7. Repeat step 3
8. Repeat step 4

This will take most of the bitter flavor out, that is caused by the high levels of tannin. Tannin is not a good thing to ingest as it can lead to kidney failure. Hence the repeated boiling in multiple changes of water.

I have tried acorns just to say that I have tried them, but it really is a lot of work, and they really are not that tasty on their own. But it's calories!

[Professor Weno]

I have tried acorns as well. I boiled, changed, boiled, changed, boiled, changed etc etc etc. Mashed them up, put some salt and pepper on it and it tasted like a spoonful of dirt with the same consistency. I guess they could be made tasty but it sure was a lot of work.

[cbprice797]

Make sure to save the water. The nasty tasting tannin from the acorn will help you tan the hides you will be getting, if you don't p[lan on brain tanning that is.

[PT945]

Saving the water is a good idea for many reasons. Drinking after filtered, washing up, other cooking needs.

[coxmw]

Make sure to save the water. The nasty tasting tannin from the acorn will help you tan the hides you will be getting, if you don't p[lan on brain tanning that is.

Brain tanning... I did that years ago with my grandpa, it works and you had to do it about 3 times and the smell is bad. But it is a good way to tan.

[Gatesvilleguy]

I know this is kinda an old thread but a neet way to leach the tannin out is by running it through several times in a coffee maker. You can roast them and make flour after that.

[manddoutfitters]

Here is a link after the tannin has been blended and strained out. This is part 3 part 1 is gathering kinda slow still good info. Part 2 is how she gets the tannin out it explains alot about acorns. I found it pretty intersting. I dont know these folks nor have I tried this, yet,found them surfing bushcraft on youtube but it looks pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BushcraftOnFire?blend=7&ob=5#p/u/49/X48zTVasE7o

[johnnie l.]

Best way is to rake up in big pile let deer eat then eat deer.Works for me anyway.

[countryboy6685]

Best way is to rake up in big pile let deer eat then eat deer.Works for me anyway.

I agree ! I have tried them in several ways but they always taste like dirt to me . unless you process them through a deer first .
Robert W

[Solarman]

You can eat them. But they take a lot of preparation.

1. Shell them
2. Boil the meat for 15 minutes
3. Dump the water, save the meat
4. Boil in a new change of water for 15 minutes
5. Repeat step 3
6. Repeat step 4
7. Repeat step 3
8. Repeat step 4

This will take most of the bitter flavor out, that is caused by the high levels of tannin. Tannin is not a good thing to ingest as it can lead to kidney failure. Hence the repeated boiling in multiple changes of water.

I have tried acorns just to say that I have tried them, but it really is a lot of work, and they really are not that tasty on their own. But it's calories!

Thanks for the info. I did not know about the tannin.

[Curdog]

Shell them, break them up- put them in a cofee can with holes punched in the bottow. Set the can under a trickle of water- like a spring. Adjust until the in-flow and out flow are pretty close. After 3-4 days, check the taste. If the bitter is not gone, check again later. Once they are good, cook like oatmeal, or dry, toast, and grind for meal. It makes a heavy bread (best if mixed with wheat flour) that has protein, fat, and carbs.

[Jamie]

You mentioned Tannin... Tannin also prevents your body from absorbing Iron, so you will develop an iron deficiency if you ingest it regularly. You get Tannin from regular Black Tea too. I found this out by accident when all I drank was tea, and then the Red Cross alerted me when I donated. After stopping the tea, my iron count returned to normal after a few weeks.

[krink545]

good squirrel bait

[rcsaxby]

Thanks for posting I've bookmarked it.

[JLBIII]

Yeah I've tried this before, not my first choice if hungry but it's better than starving.

Joe