Acorn flour experiment

[DOC-CANADA]

SUCCESS !!!

Thanks for the support, Doc.

You're welcome - congratulations on the success! Way to stick with it! :thumbup:

Just a little word of advice for those collecting acorns for food...white oak acorns are less bitter and preferencially eatten by animals over red or black oak acorns. Hence it makes sense that white oaks drop their acorns in the spring so they can immidiately germinate and become established by the following winter. Red and black oaks drop their acorns in the fall. Because of the lower risk of being eaten these types of acorns can afford to be dropped and wait until spring until germinating, often being helped by seed disperser like squirrels which will store the acorns for food in the winter but forget about them as soon as other food is avalible. Thus the evolutionary advantage for higher tannin levels in the acorns. At least according to one of my botany proffesors. Regardless of why just remember white oak in spring, red/black oak in fall.

I have never heard this about White Oak dropping in Spring and Red Oak dropping in Fall. Both White and Red mature in the Fall, the White after one season of growth; the Red, after 2 seasons of growth, thus accounting, in part, for the higher tannin levels in the Red Oak. This, of course, does not mean the White Oak acorns drop in the Fall just because they mature, or does it?

Abo4ster, you out there? Or any any other tree professionals?

I would really like to get this cleared up. VT guy, thanks for bringing it up.

Doc

 

[dawsonbob]

Pantyhose, that's the answer.

The answer to what, you ask? Well, something that was said about leaching your acorns in a stream made me think about this. Those of you who have wives or girlfriend's (or even those of you who don't), take note: pantyhose is an excellent very fine mesh nylon bag. Just cut the leg off of a pair of pantyhose, seal the end, put your acorns in the pantyhose and tie off the other end, and put it in the stream. It should allow good water flow around and through the acorns for leaching.

I don't have a woman around anymore (volunteers welcome) to get pantyhose from, but when I did, I used it to hold all kinds of things (pieces of soap, for instance). Just something to keep in mind.

 

[gadgetgeek]

how fatty are acorns compared to other nuts? I wonder if maybe they would supplement your dietary fat requirement in the case of eating lots of lean meat ie rabbit? or is it even the right kind of fat? might have been mentioned already and I forgot.

 

[halo2]

how fatty are acorns compared to other nuts? I wonder if maybe they would supplement your dietary fat requirement in the case of eating lots of lean meat ie rabbit? or is it even the right kind of fat? might have been mentioned already and I forgot.

I'm not sure. I have read - not that I'm an expert after one batch - ahem! - that the fat, vitamin and nutritional amount vary by species. Good question though. And several tribes relied on them for winter food supplement.

I figure, learn the seasons and harvest accordingly. And catch higher fat animals such as porcupine, raccoon or beaver.

I recommend folks try this and report back their results. I'm going to store my acorns. I have over a cup left and I want to see how long they last. I've heard they need to be refrigerated.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for offering ideas.