Acorns from the red oak group (pointed leaves) are bitter raw because they contain tannins. Some white oaks (rounded leaves) have fruit that is sweet enough to use without leaching. Leached acorn meal has almost the same nutritional analysis as corn.
Leach acorns by shelling the nuts, and boiling them whole in several waters, discarding the water when it becomes yellowish (tannins). Dry them in the oven, leaving the door ajar. Alternately, acorns can be leached by being coarsely ground, put in a burlap sack and submerged in a flowing stream for a couple of days or so. Acorns store like flour.
As food, they can be eaten whole, or used coarsely chopped, or ground into a fine meal.
Acorn Muffins
1 cup fine ground acorn meal ¼ tsp sugar 1 cup wheat flour 1 egg 4 tsp baking powder 1 cup milk ½ tsp salt ¼ cup melted butter
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Sift together the dry ingredients. Mix together the eggs, milk, and melted butter. Combine all ingredients and mix well until smooth. Spoon the batter into well-buttered muffin tins. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops crack or the edges pull away from the tin. Serve hot or cold with butter or jam. Try different spices each time for a variety of flavours.
Valley Acorn Pancakes
This recipe can start your day with a wilderness breakfast. It serves two. Leach the acorns first, or just pull some meal already prepared from stock in your freezer.
1 cup fine acorn meal 1 cup wheat flour 2 Tbs sugar 3 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 1½ cups milk 2 eggs 2 tsp liquid shortening
Mix all the ingredients together. A slightly lumpy batter is preferred as over-mixing makes tough pancakes. Cook in a skillet over a hickory or oak camp fire (or your stove if you are at home) until golden brown.
Forest Acorn Griddle Bread
If you process your acorns in the fall, and freeze them, you can make this bread in the spring, using fresh wild leeks.
1 Tbs butter 3 Tbs white ends of wild leeks 1 cup corn meal 1 cup acorn flour ½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 Tbs wheat flour 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg, well beaten 1 tsp Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
Melt the butter in a small skillet over low heat and cook the leeks until wilted but not yet browned. Cool. Sift together the cornmeal, acorn flour, soda, salt, baking powder and wheat flour. Add buttermilk and leeks to the dry ingredients and stir well. Then stir eggs and Tabasco sauce into batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto hot, greased griddle and bake until the bubbles at the edges begin to break. Turn and bake until the other side is golden brown.
Camper's Acorn Cakes
This simple recipe will start your fall or early winter day with wholesome, tasty breakfast. It serves an intimate two.
2 cups acorn meal ½ tsp salt ¾ cup water 3 Tbs cooking oil
Mix first three ingredients. Beat lightly, remembering that a slightly lumpy batter will make lighter pancakes. Heat the oil (over an oak or hickory camp fire). Drop the batter from a tablespoon, making the cakes about 3 inches in diameter. Brown slowly, turning once. Serve hot or cold.
Jimmy Acorns
¼ cup semisweet chocolate pieces 2/3 cup white acorns 2½ ounces chocolate shot (jimmies)
Place the chocolate pieces in a pan over hot water. Let stand until soft, then stir to a smooth paste. spread the acorns in a shallow pan and heat in 350°F oven about 20 minutes. Alternatively, the acorns can be deep fried at 265°F about 1 minute until light brown. Spread, closely packed, on waxed paper. Pour the chocolate over, then quickly sprinkle with the jimmies. Separate as they cool.
Provided by SONG. Feel free to copy with a credit.