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It's that time of year when acorns are falling for you to gather them to store, process, cook and eat. Yes, eat acorns. Evidence of acorns being eaten goes back roughly 750,000 years ago to the Jordan valley.
In what later became Europe, acorns were a preferred food crop quite simply because there were so many. Annual family consumption among tribes later approached 2,000 lbs. a year!
Today, most people aren't aware that acorns can be eaten. Don't eat them raw, but all acorns are edible. About 30 oak species drop acorns that are best for food, but there are still some items about which to be concerned, such as processing.
If you just pick up an acorn and eat it, you'll probably find it so bitter you'll wonder why a squirrel would ever eat one! Once processed, their taste considerably improves. Of all the oaks, live oak acorns are said to be among the mildest.
Carbohydrates make up about 50% of acorn meat, but it also contains water, protein, fiber, and fat. To begin processing, dump your acorns in water, and then remove any that float. Most acorns, with the exception of the white oak and live oak, drop with their caps intact. Those without caps probably have a beetle grub in them. Dry in an oven at 150° for 15 minutes. Now they can be stored in a cool dry place until you're ready to further process them.
After shelling, ground them into a meal and soak in cold water, changing often until the drained water is clean. If the mixture still tastes bitter, add some milk, which when drained, will remove that bitterness. Now, what's left can be put in a blender and ground into a fine flour and used in baking. Google acorn eating and recipes.
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