This year, I'm actively gathering up a Good Supply of Acorns. (After having really Thought of, but never actually doing it, -over the last few.). They're of course an Outstanding Food Source! Once you remove their Bitterness, as I'll soon talk on.

I'm reasonably sure that I've heard of the existence of only one Poisonous type.

Unfortunately, I'm Foggy as to just what Acorn / Oak species that is. (If it's even True that there is one.).

I'm actively gathering them, for a Backup Food Supply source, -and I'd Really Like to Know! I'd like to get Defogged on this one!, -if I can! Towards such, -Do any of you know anything on this?

I am familiar from general Survival Books and the like, -on how to DeBitter and DeTanninize Acorns. Of the several Good, Long, Soakings in and Changes of Water. Including as the Native American Indians used to do, -with a Basketwork type setup, in a Creek. Not being near a Creek, however, -I'll just use various tubs or containers.

Eaten Unleached and Straight, -One immeadiately won't *Want* to eat an Acorn! Despite it's Nutritive Value and Edibility. That's of course due to it's such Extreme Tannin and Bitterness. So such Soaking Preparation is just a Must!

I've also read about the Two main subdivisions of the Oaks, -

A.) -the more Bitter (I Think), Sharp Edged Leaves, Cylindrical type Acorns,

And B.) - the more Rounded Edged Leaves, Rounder/ Squater/ Fatter, and Less Bitter (I Think again), of Acorns.

The Possible Poisonous one, -I think may be from the First of these groups.

I've also read somewhere, -to NOT Gather or Use those ones, -which have already sprung Roots off, into the ground.

And of the Importance of preventing Mold and such, -on any of your Prepared / Stored Acorns, -thereafter.

I'd Really Appreciate any Information / Links to Oaks and Acorns, -particularly of this Poisonous Kind, -as any of you may have! Thanx for any such here in Advance! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ScottRezaLogan[/email]

There is no inherently poisonous acorn. Livestock may graze on leafs and young acorns and die from tannic poisoning. Cases of people eating unleeched acorns suffering poisoning after several days are also recorded. Virtually all species of quercus require leeching. Taste of individual species varies greatly but all are edible. It is an acquired taste regardless. Acorns are the single richest plant food source known. A paper by Brian Herzog gave a nutritional analysis and comparison to our other main food crops. When you collect your mast ( the correct name for the seed as a crop) don't forget that they support many animals, from a parasitic worm to deer and bear. * this is Chris Kavanaugh. I was working on Fox10s account and failed to relog <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

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The most palatable acorns are from the White Oak, and those seem to be the main ones used as a food source.

See http://www.aaoobfoods.com/acorns.htm for some information that might be helpful.

Sue

Here are some fun facts from http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/natbltn/300-399/nb316.htm

"There are two general classes: the White Oak group, and the Red Oak
or Black Oak group. In the first, the ends of the leaves and their lobes
are rounded without any spines or bristles at the tips. Their acorns,
which are relatively sweet and edible, mature and fall off the same
year they are formed, so that there are none on the branches in winter.
In the Red Oak or Black Oak group, the leaves and their lobes, if any,
have bristly hairs or spines at the tips. The acorns, which are bitter
with tannin, do not mature and fall off until the second year, so that
small ones may be seen on the branches in winter."

Okay, so, what that means to me is that Quercus alba isn't the only White Oak on the Block. Good thing, cause all I got around my house are Quercus virginiana, Quercus macrocarpa, and Quercus prinoides. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I always meant to attempt eating the acorns. Spent hours researching it and drawing up a plan of action for the task, but never actually got around to it. Then, one day, my 9 year old neighbor was helping me weed the garden and got bored, started gathering acorns, and announced that she'd learned in school that native americans used to eat acorns. One minute I was telling her that native americans are not past-tense subjects, and the next minute I was observing that although hitting it with a rock was not enough to crack the shell, "does you mother mind you using a hack saw? I think I'd better do it." Then, we were boiling them in water and eating them. Funny how plans get carried out . . .

Anyway, to wrap up my long winded reply, it's a good idea to identify the trees in your area. If a book isn't helpful enough (oaks have a way of cross breeding themselves and defying the identification guides) ask around. Maybe there's a natvie plants research center nearby, or a biology professor, or your neighbor may be a professional landscaper . . . When you know what the tree is, it's easy to find out if you can eat the acorn. And looking up
Quercus prinoides on the internet is a lot easier than waiting all winter to see if the acorns are still there. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

But they're all edible, more or less. It's just that the white oak acorns are "minute rice" and the red oak acorns are "soak overnight, changing the water before cooking".

They tasted like blanched almonds.

When the burial site of Phillip of Macedonia was discovered, mixed among the cremated bones were acorns and oakleaves. Acorns were placed in Viking windowsills to guard against thunder. You could still see this cultural memory in heavy, ivory white plastic buttons on curtain cords into the 1960s. I caused a minor scandal telling this to my grandmother's next door nieghbor of 40+ years, a very devout Baptist. She immediately cut the buttons off her venetian blinds and threw them out. Problem was the cords slipped out of their channels and the liberated slats all crashed to the floor. So she hangs heavy Pendelton blankets on all the windows until after the Sabbath. Unfortunately, the Methodists across the street saw the temporary milkman without a correct white uniform make a delivery and jumped to conclusions of sinfull activity behind the blankets. By lunchtime the rumours had circled up and down the street faster than our feared pandemic bird flu. My grandmother seized my book of MYTHS FROM THE GOLDEN AGES and had severe words about 5 y/o boys who looked at pictures of half naked Swedish ( harumph, probably Lutheran) harlots. Then she marched out with a fresh batch of preserves as an excuse to talk to and mollify everyone. I slipped out to my friend Aaron's house. His father was peeking out the window laughing and his grandmother was yelling at us in yiddish to come eat. I had a yarmulka put on my head, we said prayers and ate dinner. The moral of my story is to learn the folkore of new foods. Sometimes there are real world lessons in them. Like the classic " keep your mouth shut except for eating."

Thanks, Chris! My dog is outside, looking for acorns to put on the windowsills... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

It's funny how old some of the things we do really are. We consider covering our mouths when we cough or sneeze to be polite, but I understand that it's really a hangover from the Middle Ages, when people did that to keep the Devil from jumping down their throats and stealing their souls.

Sue

Here in Alabama we have the Chestnut Oak. They produce large acorns 1 to 1 1/2 inchs long. Boiling in one, or at most 2 changes of water gets all the tannin out. There is a common type of Red Oak, with very small nuts. You can boil these babys all day and they will still be bitter. Even the deer seem to leave them alone.

Any ill effects from eating any acorn comes only from the tannic acid in the nuts, boil or leach this out, and you can eat them till you pop :-)

Dean

Thanks for providing the link! I've just read it pretty thoroughly. It refreshed my memory on a lot of foggy areas, as well as provided a good deal of Fresh, New Info. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]Susan[/email]

Thanks also for your Helpful and Informative reply! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]GardenGrrl[/email]