Collecting Acorn Nuts for Recipes

Acorns are a nut that comes from oak trees. We have 12 Oak trees on our property and in the past, I collected them during the fall season to be used as feed for squirrels and deer during the winter months. Feed for animals is good, but using the acorn nuts for food is a better idea because they are rich in B vitamins, protein and are also good for controlling blood sugar levels.

Acorn nuts are a good source of food for wildlife in the winter.  

Ripe acorn nuts

You can collect acorns at parks or from your backyard but before you begin to gather the nuts know that not all oak trees are created equal and some produce acorns that are best left on the ground for wildlife. White Oaks produce a bland tasting acorns. Swamp Oak, Oregon White Oak, Emory Oak and Burr Oak are the best for harvesting for food recipes.

When we collect acorns we look for brown ones because they are ripe. Stay away from green or black acorns or ones with mildew/rotting You want a smooth and firm acorn with no damage to the nut. Toss out any imperfect acorns or leave them for wildlife.

Collect brown nuts only.  Throw out the black or green nuts.

I do not know of an easy way to pick up acorns other than getting the family involved. My husband will rake all of ripe (brown acorns) into a pile then we fill our buckets with the best acorns we can find.

Get your acorns ready for processing by removing the shell (cap on top of the nut) then wash them off to remove any dirt or debris. In order to make the acorn tasty (a sweet nutty flavor) you will need to a water blanching; put the acorns into a stock pot, fill the pot with water that covers the acorns. Bring the water to a boil, turn heat to medium-high and blanch the acorns for 40 minutes. (water will turn brown) remove the brown water from the stock pot and refill the pot with fresh water and bring the water to a boil again. Repeat the process until the water is no longer brown.

When the water is clear (no more brown color) strain the acorns and allow them to dry. It is best to pour them out onto the counter, rather than leaving them bunch up in a pot. Or you can lay them out on cookie sheets.  

When the acorns are dry you can use them for making flour for baked goods, dry them for coffee, pickle them and more learn acorn-recipes here https://honest-food.net/foraging-recipes/acorn-recipes/

Here is an acorn cookie recipe that you may like.