those are very different looking than the acorns we have here,yours are more a black color Just like when we went to North Carolina theres is so small there funny looking ,I just shell mine and eat them ,have never put them in water ,but i will try that ,Acorn Bread is very good ,so is acorn coffee
@DebShaw An oversight perhaps. That and more are coved in articles on my website. Leaching time varies but generally until the water does not turn color AND the nuts tastes sweet (wait several minutes after to give the bitterness time to develop if it will.)
LOL, I was tabbing between videos of this and foodwishes and this particular video plays the same intro song. I almost went mad trying to cycle through everything to find which foodwishes video was playing without me.
You are such a delight to watch Deane. Thank you for the video. Very very informative. I did not know about the boiling vs cold processing. Great info there. And the size of the cap in relation to the size of the nut. Wonderful! I have recently moved to Oklahoma and know nothing of the edibles here (Oh and when I was in Ohio I did not eat the things that looked like milkweed), I think you saved me with that advice LOL thanks bud. Take care and any info on Oklahoma wild edibles would be great
Personally, Dean, I would like to see you re-do this vid (Acorns), much more in depth, for several reasons. First, many of us, who are interested in wild edibles are hikers and survivalists or are into primitive bushcraft, etc. ...
... I can't fit a food processor into my pack (obviously) and I have about the same tools available to me as primitive Native Americans did. ... This is a very important "staple" and, from this vid, I did not even learn if I should shell before leeching ? !
@phrankus2009 Thanks for the suggestion. When the acorns come around again perhap I will. There are so many ways to do acorns. And of course, I do have a large article on my website, which just this weekend became new and improved, though there is much to improve on it. Oh, and in the vid I do say shell them.
Sorry, Dean (that is an apology) ... I was momentarily frustrated by not having come away with "knowing enough", from this primer ... Dint have room, in that comment, to say how much I do appreciate your very selfless contributions and your presence "here" (on this planet).
Forget my rude comment (if you will) ... You are doing a really fantastic job and you should not change a thing. Your continuous and comprehensive coverage of these subjects is unmatched, here.
On the trail you want to look into hot leaching with large pieces, and yes you want to shell them. However at the home stead I prefer cold leaching and my Davebilt nut cracker.
Oh ... just re-watched this ... Dean *did* say, "shelled, of course".
We have Live Oaks and we grieve for them (Oak Wilt) ... I also am wondering about the physiological consequences of improper or inadequate processing and about how to test for when leeching is reasobably complete.
Thank you for the explanation about the starch and the different ways to leech them! I was wondering why anyone would leech in cold water for days rather than boiling for a few hours.
Is the difference in use very great though? Since you still mix in flour even with the cold processed acorns?
I'm blessed with a white oak in my yard, and they just taste like a raw nut when shelled.
@EatTheWeeds Put your hands together like praying. Then move your fingers in to make two fists. See where your thumb joints and the first joint in each first finger meet? You put the acorn cap there, hollow up, put your lips next to your thumb joins and blow. It takes some practice. The larger the acorn cap the easier it is.
I almost did a double take & had to replay the video to see if what I thought I saw was what I saw. I deed! I deed see a putty tat! So what is the little charmer's name!?
@EatTheWeeds Wow what a quick reply! Live in N. Fl.. I saw something from California & was saying to God "Sure would be nice if there were something like this for Florida. I look & there you are! Answered prayer no doubt though I doubt the Big Guy had to work hard here. You did it for Him & seem to having the time of your life! :)) Am surrounded by pine trees & oak trees. Acorn Grubs I may skip but pine nut tea easy enough I will definitely try!
I am going to begin doing more foraging and eating natural available food like acorns, dandelion, and mulberry. I find your videos very informative. Thanks, I will stop by often.
Came away about as confused about how to process acorns after watching the video as I did before I watched the video. How many times do you move the acorn from boiling to boiling? How many times from cold water to cold water? What was in the video that showed the making of the acorn patty?
@Kentucky338 How many times of either is unknown. You keep changing out the cold water, or the boiling water, until the nutmeat is not bitter. I added sugar to the patty. I think the recipe is on my website.
When I was a kid I would crack them open and eat them just as is I haven't ever tasted on that was bitter. To me they taste like hazelnuts. I live Oregon were they are everywere. Thanks for the great videos.
Hey Greendean have you ever thought of doing a video on making acorn oil? You already did the Vinger, salad dressing, and cider video's. Reason I ask this would be a good way to make salad dressing 100 percent natual and homemade. Just not sure of a few things.
Nut meat whole or grind?
leach in cold water first then boil or Boil only?
How many acorn do you need to get a fair amount of oil? I think if you are going to eat the weeds then you should know how to make dressing naturally.
Great! Glad I found this! I'm a science fiction writer and was planning to use acorns as an Earth food my aliens just love, but I didn't know what species or how to process them. Are acorns used for anything commercially?
@randomnoone Generally speaking, no. Most species are simply too bitter to eat without leaching. You do find a tree now and then that is not too bitter and a few of them could be eaten but for the most part they are a vllage food, not a survival food.
Thank you for the great vids and website. I need your guidance with a question I cannot find an answer to: What should a good acorn meat look like? I collected a bunch of acorns here in Phoenix, AZ. Many are still springy, but even more are shriveled inside, yet tan colored. Are they all good, or only the springy ones?
@romedeiros70 Acorn meat will range from bright orange to light tan. Brown is possible but not preferable and black whiole perhaps edible I think should be avoided.
I would like to thank you for your excellent video uploads. I recently moved from the city to a more rural environment and have just discovered a curious fascination for the plants around me. I picked up a couple of these Live Oak acorns up ( I had absolutely no idea they were acorns until just a few hours ago) and cracked them open. They resembled a shelled peanut. I held back the urge to eat one.
Green Dean, I need your advice. I gathered acorns from a white oak tree, a live oak, and a bur oak. They tasted terrible raw. I boiled them, and plenty of tannic acid seemed to come out (the water was brown). They still tasted terrible. And I baked them and they taste like dirt. What's the matter. I'm very disappointed.
@RAP511 You must leach them of the tannins by either method until the acorns are not longer bitter. Then you can use them. That process can take hours to weeks to months.
@EatTheWeeds Thanks for your reply. I leached them and they didn't bitter, they just tasted like dirt. I also kept leaching them out until the water was... not completely clear but much more reasonable than at first.
@RAP511 I know from working it into a bow that white oak is a very dense wood- the acorns, I imagine, are too. White oak was, like pignut hickory, so tough it took sharpening the tools every hour or so. It's probably an acorn that takes a long time to leech.
@donius22 They are usually too bitter to eat right off the ground. Tannic acid is not that horribly toxic but if you managed to eat enough of it it could hurt you.
Thank you so much! I have always wanted to eat an acorn but every time I tried I got one that was very bitter. I have a live oak and read that the acorns were not edible without leaching but tried on anyway. Yep, still bitter. Then I watched your vid and you said to eat the brown ones (had thought those were too old) . I went out and found some and they were actually pretty good - even a little sweet. BTW, opened one up to find some acorn weevils! Learned quite a bit today - thanks.
@EatTheWeeds - thanks - they aren't quite tasty enough to eat many raw - I only ate one whole one. Was planning to leach some though. BTW, my tree drops a lot of green ones (may have to do with a recent heavy rain) and many of those had a lateral split (also probably due to heavy rainfall - I am imagining the meat swelling and slitting the shell perhaps). But my question is if the green ones will turn brown after falling? My guess is "no."
Great video, ...just about two days ago I found your channel, and although it will take a little while, I plan to watch them all! Very enjoyable to watch!
Great vid as always. When you ring out the meal from the cloth after cold leaching there will be a lot of fine acorn meal that is still suspended in the water. Make sure that does not go to waste. It can be boiled up for an acorn jelly or tofu. Its a Korean staple. Its eaten there all the time called Dotori Muk . One might get the idea that acorns and the good control of blood sugar might have something to do with the lowest obesity rate in the world in Korea.
Another great video and the time of year is here. One thing I might add is after straining out the course meal there will still be small particulates of acorn suspended in the water after cold leaching. You won't get it with the cloth. However boiling it up makes a nice bi-product that sets like jello or tofu or can be used as the thickener mentioned in the video. Nothing goes to waste.
@Jefferdaughter It would be a short video. You hold the cap on your index fingers with your two thumbs covering the hold while makeing a V shape. The blow into the V.
Wonderful video. Iv'e always known that acorns were edible, but I wasn't 100% sure how it was possible to eat them. And now I know! It's enredible to think that things around us, either from the ground, or in a tree, can be eaten and used for many things. Thank you so much for the video!
Oh, and can you pick acorns from trees that are near scociety?
Like near homes and roads? Would it affect the acorns, or tree over all?
Is there anything particularly useful the shell or cap can be used for? I've had the pleasure of being taught "tribal" uses for many fruits and nuts once separated into their components (processing seeds/shells for making fishing poison, tea, paint and whatnot), but oddly I've never heard of anyone doing more with an acorn than eating or rudimentary tanning. I can only hope that acorn shells would have at least a few tricks to share.
Frugal gormet has nothing on you you put frugal on a whole new level that can not be surpassed unless you would dig from the trash.
You didn't eat this as I have seen you do in the past is this food too tart for your taste?
I ownder if you could make acorn alcohol and run a car with it. You know a lot about the plants what wild plant would you use to make alcohol to run an engine with?
@cdltpx Didn't cross my mind to eat it... as for fuel... acorns do contain a lot of starch and oil. I think price would be the only reason not to make it into fuel.
@EatTheWeeds I can't tell you how much I enjoy your program and you have me looking at the things growing in the yards a lot diffent. We came across a place where they were cleaning out the ditches we cast some turnup seed and came back later and the things were growing everywhere all we had to do was throw the seeds out and we were able to fill the car up over 3 times going back and forth on govt land.I expect gas to be $10gal in 5 years.
@cdltpx What wild plant around 70769 would you say is comperable to turnup greens or mustard greens? If you already did an episode which one is it? I have been watching them and there are plenty.
Deane this is realy a great series of videos..and thankyou for this great source of information about our natural and ancient food sources...wonderful..:)
I was wondering if anyone could point me towards the proper books. In particular, I need a guide that that gives me all the information to "itemize" the plants i find as well explain how to use any parts that are edible. I also need to be able to find a plant, "itemize" it and read about any medicinal purposes it might have. I have had almost no luck trying to find reading material on this subject much less in the form of a feild guide.
A general book is Edible Plants of North America by Elias and Dykeman 2008 edition (2008 is important.) That said, an author who writes in depth about the edibility of a few plants is Sam Thayer. Ninety percent of the plants he covers are in your area. His books are The Forager's Harvest and Nature's Garden.
When you roast or bake the acorns what temp you set the oven for and how long before cracking the shell? Plus, I seen people leach acorns in a stream or on a sandbed. If you don't leach the tanic acid is the tanic acid dangerous? When I was a kid a friend of the family who was Native American used to process them on a sandbed and she told us to leave them alone there posionious. I think she told us that where we wouldn't mess with it.
I lightly dry them at aroun 120F for a few minutes. Tanic acid is bitter and the kidneys don't like it. Put shelled acorns whole or ground up in a bag in the back of the toilet for a few weeks. Using sand and water is a way to leach the acorns. What is "poisonous" is a bit of a debate. Unleached acorns can give your a tummy ache, or if you manage to eat a lot of them, hurt your kidneys. So when does tummy ache cross over to being poisonous?
At 3:22 exactly it takes on -- upper left -- the profile of what looks to be a long-faced woman, though just to the right of her there is an animal-like face as well. Without the ability to stop these videos one would never see such things clearly.
There more of him on the second Apios video... and now he has a roommate.... I don't know what to call her, Cous Cous.... or Kolla (which is Greek for glue because she is always on my lap if possible. )
Where I live, Many of the brown acorns are spongy and full of fungus. I collect green acorns, leach them and have no problem. Is this unussual and particular to my area?
I was picking up white acorns last weekend and noticed many have began to sprout. Are they OK to use and is that normal?
Also, what is the storage life of unshelled acorns? Is it better to process them right away, or can they be left in there shells and processed when needed? Thanks
Like the vid, I was playing around last year with acorns on the sidewalk, I was able to put some presure on them and roll them and they shucked their hulls fairly easy. Going to do it this year with clean shoes. Thanks for the cold/cold & hot/hot info. John.
Got about 3/4 of a cup processed today from doing like I mentioned in the above comment. Could have had more but the little ones were weary of it. Started with about 22ozs, most loss was due to removing the moving protein. Got leaching in a bowl now, great project for me and my three boys. Great video. John.
Nice that you finally give Oliver Whitecat credit for his work on EatTheWeeds series. So how about greenlighting his catnip salad recipe video project?
Hey i have a question. You say that generally the bigger the cap, the more bitter. Well, bur oaks have really big caps but they are closely related to the white oak which is not as bitter. So, is the bur oak bitter or not as bitter?
I just ate them warm like oatmeal with a little honey drizzled over them. ;-)
I found some that were huge! Black oak, I think.
Collected some this year, white oak, I think.
I believe it would be better to mash the acorns somehow, with a molcahete (mortar & pestle) to break down the structure of the nuts to let the tannins out easier. The "Natives" used rocks to pound them.
I ground them in a blender and boiled them a few times (10+!) until the water ran clear. Didn't know about the cold/cold, hot/hot thing, I rinsed them with cold water between boilings. The tannins stained the **** out of the sink! CLR rust/lime remover cleaned it up good.
Yes I was adding flour, but some sugar could have been use, or not flour at all if the acorns were cold processed. Remember, acorns must be leached of tannins and that can range from no tannins to loaded with tannins and requiring weeks or months of soaking. It varies from species to species and tree to tree.
why do we have to grind them up? cant we leach the nuts whole, then roast them just like other nuts? and can we dry them after leaching to keep like other nuts? O.o
It takes a long time to leach them whole, on the order of months. They can be dried after leaching. To get whole acorn look for a white oak that has little or no tannins. They are around, you just have to look for them.
Acorns have tannic acid that makes them too bitter to eat. Water, however, can remove the tannic acid. Tannic acid is not a poison per se but the body does not tolerate a lot of it well. Once the acid is removed acorns are sweet. The acid level varies species to species, tree to tree. Some acorns have little or no tannic acid.
This reminds that I still have lots of acorns to pick up..I have collected about 25 lbs this year,..I save the 50# dog food bags for my acorns and my pecans. Now if I could just find some help! Our white oak tree is around 150 yrs old. I can hardly wait to go get some usnea and saw palmetto too. Today I hope to go looking for those..ummm.."potatoes on a string"?" sorry I have to go back..I forgot the name.
Thanks-- it's hard to find folks with info on Chestnuts, as most of the ones we eat now are Chinese-- or some other foreign variety. But ours are legit-- and edible, if you don't mind "the protein" as you call it. :D
As a vegetarian, i'd rather do without the animal protein... LOL
Here's a related question to your web-site's entry on acorns. I have access to some chestnut trees (very old!) at a local park. We've collected them and roasted them, but EVERY one of them had a worm inside. Any ideas about that?
Part one: My first question is are you sure you have an edible chestnut tree? Chestnut trees with edible nuts are on their way to extinction (make sure you don't have a horse chestnut or a buckeye.) If the chestnut tree is on private property you can clean up under it leaving the weevil less ways proliferate. Picking them one or two days after falling decreases weevil spoilage by taking infected nuts away. Over time the stops the infestation.
Part two: Spraying the tree early in the season will also reduce the problem. Don't pick the nuts off the tree before they leave the bur because the starch won't sweeten. You put the chestnut in water at least 120 degrees for 20 minutes to kill the weevil but not the chestnut.
I live in Iowa and the bur oak is the dominant species of tree around here. It is also the state tree. I have never eaten them but i plan to. I was wondering what the oil from acorns can be used for? You have great videos
Thanks for this video I experimented leaching acorns earlier this year but I added the acorns to the pot and brought it to a boil. I did that about a dozen times and the water turned brown like tea each time so I was never confident enough to eat them. Nice to know what I was doing wrong. Most of my acorns had dark brown spots inside them that never faded. I read somewhere the Indians would put acorns in a sack and let them sit in a stream for a few days to leach them.
They can have a huge amount of tannin in them and turn a lot of water dark. The surface of the acorns can also turn dark. One last soak in milk can sometimes lessen that. Sometimes the Indians let them leach for weeks, if not a year with some species.
I mention that very thing on my website. It is Acorns are quite nutritious. For example, the nutritional breakdown of acorns from the Q, alba, -- the white oak -- is 50.4% carbohydrates, 34.7% water, 4.7% fat, 4.4.% protein, 4.2% fiber, 1.6% ash. A pound of shelled acorns provide 1,265 calories, a 100 grams (3.5 ounces) has 500 calories and 30 grams of oil.
Again, great video! I'm envious of your low or no leaching acorns. Our California live oaks are extremely high in tannin. As with the larvae, I've eaten them on a few occasions (from Q. lobata acorns) and enjoyed their flavor (after dry roasting.)
Spoken by a man who ate ants on video...the larva I had were bitter... didn't think about how to leach them alive... might be an interesting project and food source. As for the acorns, there are several Live Oaks here and there that have no tannin but I can find quite a few that do should I want to work harder.
Ant larva need to be soaked in water for at least an hour before cooking. They can then be saute'ed or stir fried with lemon grass and garlic and thai fish sauce.
Thumbs up if you typed in Acorns cause you were bored.
AKArainkit 5 days ago
those are very different looking than the acorns we have here,yours are more a black color Just like when we went to North Carolina theres is so small there funny looking ,I just shell mine and eat them ,have never put them in water ,but i will try that ,Acorn Bread is very good ,so is acorn coffee
katjr1010 1 month ago
Very informative... and Congratulations on Video 50!
gogogardener 1 month ago
@gogogardener Thanks... I've done 83 more since then.
EatTheWeeds 1 month ago
you didn't itemize! (kidding)
semi recent subscriber here, love your channel. Thanks for sharing with us.
Atoyota 1 month ago
Thanks for this video! I didn't know that you can't use the green ones.
zagamaphatoadis 1 month ago
The only thing I don't see you address is this: How do you know when the acorn is properly leached? Does the water change colour?
DebShaw 1 month ago
@DebShaw An oversight perhaps. That and more are coved in articles on my website. Leaching time varies but generally until the water does not turn color AND the nuts tastes sweet (wait several minutes after to give the bitterness time to develop if it will.)
EatTheWeeds 1 month ago
LOL, I was tabbing between videos of this and foodwishes and this particular video plays the same intro song. I almost went mad trying to cycle through everything to find which foodwishes video was playing without me.
iLetDie 1 month ago
You are such a delight to watch Deane. Thank you for the video. Very very informative. I did not know about the boiling vs cold processing. Great info there. And the size of the cap in relation to the size of the nut. Wonderful! I have recently moved to Oklahoma and know nothing of the edibles here (Oh and when I was in Ohio I did not eat the things that looked like milkweed), I think you saved me with that advice LOL thanks bud. Take care and any info on Oklahoma wild edibles would be great
FacetsOfTruth 2 months ago
3:15
Mine, nya?? =^..^=
WildBuck007 3 months ago
@WildBuck007 That was my surpervisor and quality control expert, Oliver Whitecat... Ollie...
EatTheWeeds 3 months ago
@EatTheWeeds
Everyone needs an authority. Mine is my stomach and my stomach's is the acorn.
gwynedd1 3 months ago
NEAT!!!!! very fun videos thank your for taking the time to expand my eating adventure. I love trying new things
and heathy at that
11dancewme 3 months ago
@11dancewme Thanks visit my website, got about 1000 edible plants there
EatTheWeeds 3 months ago
i saw a white cat!
voodoosboy 3 months ago
I love your videos, and thank you for sharing them.
SurvivalistCrutch 3 months ago
Personally, Dean, I would like to see you re-do this vid (Acorns), much more in depth, for several reasons. First, many of us, who are interested in wild edibles are hikers and survivalists or are into primitive bushcraft, etc. ...
... I can't fit a food processor into my pack (obviously) and I have about the same tools available to me as primitive Native Americans did. ... This is a very important "staple" and, from this vid, I did not even learn if I should shell before leeching ? !
phrankus2009 3 months ago
@phrankus2009 Thanks for the suggestion. When the acorns come around again perhap I will. There are so many ways to do acorns. And of course, I do have a large article on my website, which just this weekend became new and improved, though there is much to improve on it. Oh, and in the vid I do say shell them.
EatTheWeeds 3 months ago
@EatTheWeeds
Sorry, Dean (that is an apology) ... I was momentarily frustrated by not having come away with "knowing enough", from this primer ... Dint have room, in that comment, to say how much I do appreciate your very selfless contributions and your presence "here" (on this planet).
Forget my rude comment (if you will) ... You are doing a really fantastic job and you should not change a thing. Your continuous and comprehensive coverage of these subjects is unmatched, here.
phrankus2009 3 months ago
@phrankus2009
On the trail you want to look into hot leaching with large pieces, and yes you want to shell them. However at the home stead I prefer cold leaching and my Davebilt nut cracker.
gwynedd1 3 months ago
@gwynedd1 Thanks !
phrankus2009 3 months ago
@phrankus2009
Oh ... just re-watched this ... Dean *did* say, "shelled, of course".
We have Live Oaks and we grieve for them (Oak Wilt) ... I also am wondering about the physiological consequences of improper or inadequate processing and about how to test for when leeching is reasobably complete.
phrankus2009 3 months ago
Thank you for the explanation about the starch and the different ways to leech them! I was wondering why anyone would leech in cold water for days rather than boiling for a few hours.
Is the difference in use very great though? Since you still mix in flour even with the cold processed acorns?
I'm blessed with a white oak in my yard, and they just taste like a raw nut when shelled.
hicaniplay 3 months ago
whitecat?!
OverSoulMatrix33 4 months ago
@OverSoulMatrix33 He needed a last name and he's white... Oliver Whitecat.
EatTheWeeds 4 months ago
how do i make a whistle out of the cap?
zedoomeloo 4 months ago
Was that flour you put in the batter before cooking?
I didn't catch a listing of ingredients....
iiiiguugleiiii 4 months ago
@iiiiguugleiiii The ingredients are on my website, I did not say them on the video
EatTheWeeds 4 months ago
@EatTheWeeds Put your hands together like praying. Then move your fingers in to make two fists. See where your thumb joints and the first joint in each first finger meet? You put the acorn cap there, hollow up, put your lips next to your thumb joins and blow. It takes some practice. The larger the acorn cap the easier it is.
EatTheWeeds 4 months ago
Thank You so much for all the info you share. Once again I have learned something useful from your videos. You are appreciated!
tellrj 5 months ago
a brown acorn can been eaten raw, no?
pleaseteachmeman 5 months ago
@pleaseteachmeman No. It as acid in it. The acid has to be leeched out before you can eat it.
EatTheWeeds 5 months ago
I almost did a double take & had to replay the video to see if what I thought I saw was what I saw. I deed! I deed see a putty tat! So what is the little charmer's name!?
OmegaSeekerr 6 months ago 2
@OmegaSeekerr Oliver Whitecat... he's my quality control adviser.
EatTheWeeds 6 months ago
@EatTheWeeds Wow what a quick reply! Live in N. Fl.. I saw something from California & was saying to God "Sure would be nice if there were something like this for Florida. I look & there you are! Answered prayer no doubt though I doubt the Big Guy had to work hard here. You did it for Him & seem to having the time of your life! :)) Am surrounded by pine trees & oak trees. Acorn Grubs I may skip but pine nut tea easy enough I will definitely try!
OmegaSeekerr 6 months ago
I am going to begin doing more foraging and eating natural available food like acorns, dandelion, and mulberry. I find your videos very informative. Thanks, I will stop by often.
doggiesarus 6 months ago
Came away about as confused about how to process acorns after watching the video as I did before I watched the video. How many times do you move the acorn from boiling to boiling? How many times from cold water to cold water? What was in the video that showed the making of the acorn patty?
Kentucky338 8 months ago
@Kentucky338 How many times of either is unknown. You keep changing out the cold water, or the boiling water, until the nutmeat is not bitter. I added sugar to the patty. I think the recipe is on my website.
EatTheWeeds 8 months ago
When I was a kid I would crack them open and eat them just as is I haven't ever tasted on that was bitter. To me they taste like hazelnuts. I live Oregon were they are everywere. Thanks for the great videos.
paracordjunky 8 months ago
Hey Greendean have you ever thought of doing a video on making acorn oil? You already did the Vinger, salad dressing, and cider video's. Reason I ask this would be a good way to make salad dressing 100 percent natual and homemade. Just not sure of a few things.
Nut meat whole or grind?
leach in cold water first then boil or Boil only?
How many acorn do you need to get a fair amount of oil? I think if you are going to eat the weeds then you should know how to make dressing naturally.
iamtheman698 9 months ago
@iamtheman698 Been pondering it...
EatTheWeeds 9 months ago
Great! Glad I found this! I'm a science fiction writer and was planning to use acorns as an Earth food my aliens just love, but I didn't know what species or how to process them. Are acorns used for anything commercially?
cdechterling 9 months ago
@cdechterling Korean markets sell acorn flower. Buy some and cook it up. It has unusual properties than a writer might be able to use.
EatTheWeeds 9 months ago
would they be okay to eat just roasted over a fire for survival ?
randomnoone 9 months ago
@randomnoone Generally speaking, no. Most species are simply too bitter to eat without leaching. You do find a tree now and then that is not too bitter and a few of them could be eaten but for the most part they are a vllage food, not a survival food.
EatTheWeeds 9 months ago
What a great and fascinating teacher. I just want to say thanks for ALL the videos you share with us. You are deeply appreciated, friend. God bless!
FacetsOfTruth 9 months ago
Love your vids. I to am an herbalist/teacher. Please check out my channel.
TimWalkingBear 9 months ago
You are doing a good job
I wish you a happy life
I love your video
:)
:)
awgat100 1 year ago
Thank you for the great vids and website. I need your guidance with a question I cannot find an answer to: What should a good acorn meat look like? I collected a bunch of acorns here in Phoenix, AZ. Many are still springy, but even more are shriveled inside, yet tan colored. Are they all good, or only the springy ones?
Thanks, Doc.
romedeiros70 1 year ago
@romedeiros70 Acorn meat will range from bright orange to light tan. Brown is possible but not preferable and black whiole perhaps edible I think should be avoided.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
@EatTheWeeds Fantastic. Thank you for replying, and I look forward to ever more videos.
romedeiros70 1 year ago
3:17 random kitteh of whitness
LukeKeister813 1 year ago
@LukeKeister813 that's my orphan Oliver... quality control expert and food taster.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
what were the powders that you added for the pancake this?
Blacken111 1 year ago
@Blacken111 If I remeber correctly, flour and a little sugar. The recipe is on my website.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
I did take a bite and it tasted just fine; not bitter at all. Didn't want to push my luck though.
ofontela 1 year ago
I would like to thank you for your excellent video uploads. I recently moved from the city to a more rural environment and have just discovered a curious fascination for the plants around me. I picked up a couple of these Live Oak acorns up ( I had absolutely no idea they were acorns until just a few hours ago) and cracked them open. They resembled a shelled peanut. I held back the urge to eat one.
ofontela 1 year ago
Green Dean, I need your advice. I gathered acorns from a white oak tree, a live oak, and a bur oak. They tasted terrible raw. I boiled them, and plenty of tannic acid seemed to come out (the water was brown). They still tasted terrible. And I baked them and they taste like dirt. What's the matter. I'm very disappointed.
RAP511 1 year ago
@RAP511 You must leach them of the tannins by either method until the acorns are not longer bitter. Then you can use them. That process can take hours to weeks to months.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
@EatTheWeeds Thanks for your reply. I leached them and they didn't bitter, they just tasted like dirt. I also kept leaching them out until the water was... not completely clear but much more reasonable than at first.
RAP511 1 year ago
@RAP511 I know from working it into a bow that white oak is a very dense wood- the acorns, I imagine, are too. White oak was, like pignut hickory, so tough it took sharpening the tools every hour or so. It's probably an acorn that takes a long time to leech.
LeonRFpoa 1 year ago
@LeonRFpoa Actually no. The shell is more leathery than woody.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
aww i love the cat at 3:17 :)
shelties100998 1 year ago
@shelties100998 He's my quality control supervisor.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
Foodwishes music?
Ha.
gamemeister27 1 year ago
can you eat one right off the ground? or will it be toxic?
donius22 1 year ago
@donius22 They are usually too bitter to eat right off the ground. Tannic acid is not that horribly toxic but if you managed to eat enough of it it could hurt you.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
very informative! 3:14 near the pan's handle... is that a cat?
sincityfire 1 year ago
@sincityfire Yes, my assistant and quality control expert, Oliver Whitecat... Ollie... he's a red point siamese or something like that.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
Love your video! How long did it take you to leech your acorns and at what temp at low did you have your oven set at?
themetalmonkey 1 year ago
Thank you so much! I have always wanted to eat an acorn but every time I tried I got one that was very bitter. I have a live oak and read that the acorns were not edible without leaching but tried on anyway. Yep, still bitter. Then I watched your vid and you said to eat the brown ones (had thought those were too old) . I went out and found some and they were actually pretty good - even a little sweet. BTW, opened one up to find some acorn weevils! Learned quite a bit today - thanks.
ScottfromTexas 1 year ago
@ScottfromTexas Yes but... all acorns have to be leached of tannins first. Don't eat a lot of them unleached. They can be toxic.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
@EatTheWeeds - thanks - they aren't quite tasty enough to eat many raw - I only ate one whole one. Was planning to leach some though. BTW, my tree drops a lot of green ones (may have to do with a recent heavy rain) and many of those had a lateral split (also probably due to heavy rainfall - I am imagining the meat swelling and slitting the shell perhaps). But my question is if the green ones will turn brown after falling? My guess is "no."
ScottfromTexas 1 year ago
Great video, ...just about two days ago I found your channel, and although it will take a little while, I plan to watch them all! Very enjoyable to watch!
polemicvs 1 year ago
:-) -- I love the little face peeking through at 3:10 ... :-< (Oliver Whitecat)
Thanks for the very educational and entertaining video, Deane.
RonRay 1 year ago
@RonRay Thanks. I hoped someone would notice.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
Great vid as always. When you ring out the meal from the cloth after cold leaching there will be a lot of fine acorn meal that is still suspended in the water. Make sure that does not go to waste. It can be boiled up for an acorn jelly or tofu. Its a Korean staple. Its eaten there all the time called Dotori Muk . One might get the idea that acorns and the good control of blood sugar might have something to do with the lowest obesity rate in the world in Korea.
gwynedd1 1 year ago
Another great video and the time of year is here. One thing I might add is after straining out the course meal there will still be small particulates of acorn suspended in the water after cold leaching. You won't get it with the cloth. However boiling it up makes a nice bi-product that sets like jello or tofu or can be used as the thickener mentioned in the video. Nothing goes to waste.
gwynedd1 1 year ago
An episode on making a whistle from an acorn cap would be fun - even if not edible.
Jefferdaughter 1 year ago
@Jefferdaughter It would be a short video. You hold the cap on your index fingers with your two thumbs covering the hold while makeing a V shape. The blow into the V.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
what the hell , never knew.
ovandocarter 1 year ago
your videos are great, i cant stop watching I want to go out and find some of these plants but i keep finding more of your interesting videos
kerstingskate 1 year ago
I'm doing it again A - Z! Make more vids : ) Wheeeeeee
Knightreignz 1 year ago
Comment removed
Knightreignz 1 year ago
Extremely informative! And (more importantly) Good vibes! Thank you, I'll make sure to check out your previous 49 videos,
:)
MolecularSpirit 1 year ago
@MolecularSpirit Thanks, I have 119 videos now.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
@EatTheWeeds Your passion is a fruit in itself.
MolecularSpirit 1 year ago
Wonderful video. Iv'e always known that acorns were edible, but I wasn't 100% sure how it was possible to eat them. And now I know! It's enredible to think that things around us, either from the ground, or in a tree, can be eaten and used for many things. Thank you so much for the video!
Oh, and can you pick acorns from trees that are near scociety?
Like near homes and roads? Would it affect the acorns, or tree over all?
Thanks! (Can't wait to try some acorns!)
redwingBlackbird555 1 year ago
Many books should be so thorough.
G0LdenL1on 1 year ago
Is there anything particularly useful the shell or cap can be used for? I've had the pleasure of being taught "tribal" uses for many fruits and nuts once separated into their components (processing seeds/shells for making fishing poison, tea, paint and whatnot), but oddly I've never heard of anyone doing more with an acorn than eating or rudimentary tanning. I can only hope that acorn shells would have at least a few tricks to share.
HylianNinja 1 year ago
@HylianNinja You can make a whistle out of the caps.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
Frugal gormet has nothing on you you put frugal on a whole new level that can not be surpassed unless you would dig from the trash.
You didn't eat this as I have seen you do in the past is this food too tart for your taste?
I ownder if you could make acorn alcohol and run a car with it. You know a lot about the plants what wild plant would you use to make alcohol to run an engine with?
cdltpx 1 year ago
@cdltpx Didn't cross my mind to eat it... as for fuel... acorns do contain a lot of starch and oil. I think price would be the only reason not to make it into fuel.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
@EatTheWeeds I can't tell you how much I enjoy your program and you have me looking at the things growing in the yards a lot diffent. We came across a place where they were cleaning out the ditches we cast some turnup seed and came back later and the things were growing everywhere all we had to do was throw the seeds out and we were able to fill the car up over 3 times going back and forth on govt land.I expect gas to be $10gal in 5 years.
cdltpx 1 year ago
@cdltpx What wild plant around 70769 would you say is comperable to turnup greens or mustard greens? If you already did an episode which one is it? I have been watching them and there are plenty.
cdltpx 1 year ago
@cdltpx In the spring Raphanus Raphanistrum
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
Deane this is realy a great series of videos..and thankyou for this great source of information about our natural and ancient food sources...wonderful..:)
ivanrogernz 1 year ago
at 2:53-were the ingredients added flour and salt (or sugar)?
thanks again!
nathuwjohn 1 year ago
@nathuwjohn Flour and sugar
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
Comment removed
nathuwjohn 1 year ago
I want to thank you for these videos.
I was wondering if anyone could point me towards the proper books. In particular, I need a guide that that gives me all the information to "itemize" the plants i find as well explain how to use any parts that are edible. I also need to be able to find a plant, "itemize" it and read about any medicinal purposes it might have. I have had almost no luck trying to find reading material on this subject much less in the form of a feild guide.
Gnostic279 1 year ago
Thanks... I might better be able to answer your question if you'll tell me the general area where you live.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
wow, thanks for a speedy response.
Currently, I'm in the northwest Tenn and southwest Ky area. In the event of a SHTF bugg out senario, I Will head towards florida.
Gnostic279 1 year ago
A general book is Edible Plants of North America by Elias and Dykeman 2008 edition (2008 is important.) That said, an author who writes in depth about the edibility of a few plants is Sam Thayer. Ninety percent of the plants he covers are in your area. His books are The Forager's Harvest and Nature's Garden.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
Thank you very much.
Gnostic279 1 year ago
the cat under ur arm at 3:05 was halaurios
mrhuntingman12 1 year ago
Thanks... I didn't know he was there until I was editing the film. Since he is my assistant and quality control expert I left him in.
EatTheWeeds 1 year ago
When you roast or bake the acorns what temp you set the oven for and how long before cracking the shell? Plus, I seen people leach acorns in a stream or on a sandbed. If you don't leach the tanic acid is the tanic acid dangerous? When I was a kid a friend of the family who was Native American used to process them on a sandbed and she told us to leave them alone there posionious. I think she told us that where we wouldn't mess with it.
iamtheman698 2 years ago
I lightly dry them at aroun 120F for a few minutes. Tanic acid is bitter and the kidneys don't like it. Put shelled acorns whole or ground up in a bag in the back of the toilet for a few weeks. Using sand and water is a way to leach the acorns. What is "poisonous" is a bit of a debate. Unleached acorns can give your a tummy ache, or if you manage to eat a lot of them, hurt your kidneys. So when does tummy ache cross over to being poisonous?
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
What a wonderfiul video! I'll have to try this! I'll use cold. What powder did you add to the other powder when cooking? What were they both?
NancyToday 2 years ago
A little baking powder and flour.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
Why did you take out the floating ones?
goldenscales 2 years ago
They are almost always rotten.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
wow those acorns look alot different then the ones where i live
snower5554 2 years ago
There are great variations.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
Very well done. Thanks!
nonamelef 2 years ago
I have heard of a method of putting Acorns in a pillow case and putting it in the Toilet Tank. Every time you flush it flushes out some tanic acid.
Thefirstaquias 2 years ago
It works well, though it does color the water some.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
So they aren't ground up, just whole acorns?
NancyToday 2 years ago
Notice at 3:13 the acorn pancake takes on the shape of an Indian's face writhing in pain. (just a coincidence? I don't think so)
donnie1968 2 years ago
At 3:22 exactly it takes on -- upper left -- the profile of what looks to be a long-faced woman, though just to the right of her there is an animal-like face as well. Without the ability to stop these videos one would never see such things clearly.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
I simply adore Oliver Whitecat!
Please let your cute assistant have more air time in your new videos!
Thanks again Green Deane! I adore you too!
Gwoana 2 years ago
There more of him on the second Apios video... and now he has a roommate.... I don't know what to call her, Cous Cous.... or Kolla (which is Greek for glue because she is always on my lap if possible. )
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
Where I live, Many of the brown acorns are spongy and full of fungus. I collect green acorns, leach them and have no problem. Is this unussual and particular to my area?
Ghostkamo 2 years ago
wondering if you can boil acorns and eat after? trying to find edible plants to eat in alabama.
donyandbah 2 years ago
@donyandbah me to please send me a message on things you find if you can.
virtualnoodles 1 year ago
Why dont you have any videos on"smokin the weeds?''
jaker2880 2 years ago
How do you know when you are done leaching? Do you sample tast them to see if they are bitter? Or do you go by the color of the water?
biglove269 2 years ago
When the acorn is not bitter to eat.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
hey great video
Wonderful
i have a few questions...
How long can Acorns be stored for, Leeched and none leeched?
Is it best to collect and leech Acorns from a single source tree or not?
Is it important to dry the acorns after leeching in all cases as i would figure if they were not dried they would be prone to degrade or rot.
Are Acorns capable of being a staple food sourse?
Thanks
ImagineerMat 2 years ago
I was picking up white acorns last weekend and noticed many have began to sprout. Are they OK to use and is that normal?
Also, what is the storage life of unshelled acorns? Is it better to process them right away, or can they be left in there shells and processed when needed? Thanks
CreatorsHand 2 years ago
I mention on my website that sprouted acorns can be eaten if they are not green. As for keeping, whole, non-wormy ones can be stored for months.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
What was the purpose of the oven? What was the temperature and time in the oven? Great video, Thanks.
CreatorsHand 2 years ago
To dry them at a low temperature after washing to make it easier to clean. Just a few minutes under 165F, preferably much lower.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
Totally above 212F or totally cold water, no where in between.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
gues i did it wrng with my boiling, thats why it seems to stay bitter no matter how many times i refresh the water
nephildevil 2 years ago
Like the vid, I was playing around last year with acorns on the sidewalk, I was able to put some presure on them and roll them and they shucked their hulls fairly easy. Going to do it this year with clean shoes. Thanks for the cold/cold & hot/hot info. John.
OKBushcraft 2 years ago
Got about 3/4 of a cup processed today from doing like I mentioned in the above comment. Could have had more but the little ones were weary of it. Started with about 22ozs, most loss was due to removing the moving protein. Got leaching in a bowl now, great project for me and my three boys. Great video. John.
OKBushcraft 2 years ago
Nice that you finally give Oliver Whitecat credit for his work on EatTheWeeds series. So how about greenlighting his catnip salad recipe video project?
pinkytm1 2 years ago
He has been bugging me to get that done.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
Hey i have a question. You say that generally the bigger the cap, the more bitter. Well, bur oaks have really big caps but they are closely related to the white oak which is not as bitter. So, is the bur oak bitter or not as bitter?
countryisthelife 2 years ago
How does it taste? It should be bitter though trees vary.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
Part 2...
I just ate them warm like oatmeal with a little honey drizzled over them. ;-)
I found some that were huge! Black oak, I think.
Collected some this year, white oak, I think.
I believe it would be better to mash the acorns somehow, with a molcahete (mortar & pestle) to break down the structure of the nuts to let the tannins out easier. The "Natives" used rocks to pound them.
m4surveys 2 years ago
I've "cooked up" a few batches of acorns...
I ground them in a blender and boiled them a few times (10+!) until the water ran clear. Didn't know about the cold/cold, hot/hot thing, I rinsed them with cold water between boilings. The tannins stained the **** out of the sink! CLR rust/lime remover cleaned it up good.
m4surveys 2 years ago
Congratulations on the 50th
This is my second video the first was the hard cider video.
You seem to be a biologist or a botanist.
is this so?
dave777blaster 2 years ago
Yes I was adding flour, but some sugar could have been use, or not flour at all if the acorns were cold processed. Remember, acorns must be leached of tannins and that can range from no tannins to loaded with tannins and requiring weeks or months of soaking. It varies from species to species and tree to tree.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
Recipe? Was that flour you were adding? I know I'm high maintenance
sins3milla 2 years ago
why do we have to grind them up? cant we leach the nuts whole, then roast them just like other nuts? and can we dry them after leaching to keep like other nuts? O.o
usuratonkachi84 2 years ago
It takes a long time to leach them whole, on the order of months. They can be dried after leaching. To get whole acorn look for a white oak that has little or no tannins. They are around, you just have to look for them.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
why does acorns have to be leeched?
is it to remove the bitter taste
or to remove poison im confused?
yourroaddog 2 years ago
Acorns have tannic acid that makes them too bitter to eat. Water, however, can remove the tannic acid. Tannic acid is not a poison per se but the body does not tolerate a lot of it well. Once the acid is removed acorns are sweet. The acid level varies species to species, tree to tree. Some acorns have little or no tannic acid.
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
This reminds that I still have lots of acorns to pick up..I have collected about 25 lbs this year,..I save the 50# dog food bags for my acorns and my pecans. Now if I could just find some help! Our white oak tree is around 150 yrs old. I can hardly wait to go get some usnea and saw palmetto too. Today I hope to go looking for those..ummm.."potatoes on a string"?" sorry I have to go back..I forgot the name.
Hubby is gearing up to make vinegar.
unityisonlyway2peace 2 years ago
Apios americana, ground nut... they tastes better cooked and warm than cooked and cold. Ahh... vinegar... good luck...
EatTheWeeds 2 years ago
This is great info! I wish I knew all these edible plants! I bet you can save tons of money and live alot healther too!
Thanks for this awesome video. I wish I got a cool plant guy near me like you so I can learn what is edible.
anonymous4849 2 years ago 2
Thanks-- it's hard to find folks with info on Chestnuts, as most of the ones we eat now are Chinese-- or some other foreign variety. But ours are legit-- and edible, if you don't mind "the protein" as you call it. :D
As a vegetarian, i'd rather do without the animal protein... LOL
frithar 3 years ago
Here's a related question to your web-site's entry on acorns. I have access to some chestnut trees (very old!) at a local park. We've collected them and roasted them, but EVERY one of them had a worm inside. Any ideas about that?
LOVING your site--thanks!
frithar 3 years ago
Part one: My first question is are you sure you have an edible chestnut tree? Chestnut trees with edible nuts are on their way to extinction (make sure you don't have a horse chestnut or a buckeye.) If the chestnut tree is on private property you can clean up under it leaving the weevil less ways proliferate. Picking them one or two days after falling decreases weevil spoilage by taking infected nuts away. Over time the stops the infestation.
EatTheWeeds 3 years ago
Part two: Spraying the tree early in the season will also reduce the problem. Don't pick the nuts off the tree before they leave the bur because the starch won't sweeten. You put the chestnut in water at least 120 degrees for 20 minutes to kill the weevil but not the chestnut.
EatTheWeeds 3 years ago
I live in Iowa and the bur oak is the dominant species of tree around here. It is also the state tree. I have never eaten them but i plan to. I was wondering what the oil from acorns can be used for? You have great videos
gands1102 3 years ago 2
It is on par with use and flavor of olive oil. If boiling does not drive off enough oil the boiled acorns can be pressed. The acorn is about 30% oil.
EatTheWeeds 3 years ago
btw, the acorn paddy looks delicious!
kimmarie801 3 years ago
It can be but you have to leach the acorns first, if they have any tannins. My particular tree has almost none, so the acorns are easy to work with.
EatTheWeeds 3 years ago
I'd like to put my basket on my bicycle to ride down that acorn lane- it's so nice and looks like easy peddalin' too 5*****
kimmarie801 3 years ago
Thanks for this video I experimented leaching acorns earlier this year but I added the acorns to the pot and brought it to a boil. I did that about a dozen times and the water turned brown like tea each time so I was never confident enough to eat them. Nice to know what I was doing wrong. Most of my acorns had dark brown spots inside them that never faded. I read somewhere the Indians would put acorns in a sack and let them sit in a stream for a few days to leach them.
ArboriusOwns 3 years ago
They can have a huge amount of tannin in them and turn a lot of water dark. The surface of the acorns can also turn dark. One last soak in milk can sometimes lessen that. Sometimes the Indians let them leach for weeks, if not a year with some species.
EatTheWeeds 3 years ago
Thank you very much for this video. I've always wanted to learn acorn recipes.
Kirinluke 3 years ago
Awesome video! Thanks for this info! I'm going to check out your site right now. Awesome.
gc5484 3 years ago
What are the nutritional values of acorns?
Psychogenius018 3 years ago
I mention that very thing on my website. It is Acorns are quite nutritious. For example, the nutritional breakdown of acorns from the Q, alba, -- the white oak -- is 50.4% carbohydrates, 34.7% water, 4.7% fat, 4.4.% protein, 4.2% fiber, 1.6% ash. A pound of shelled acorns provide 1,265 calories, a 100 grams (3.5 ounces) has 500 calories and 30 grams of oil.
EatTheWeeds 3 years ago
Congrats Deane. You've been busy. Very good one.
MatureHealth 3 years ago
Good vid just like always; but what was in the bottle that you added after the salt?
hoosierarcher 3 years ago
Flour... t'was making a pan bread. Of course, my assistant on the floor there was hoping for something along his taste preferences.
EatTheWeeds 3 years ago
That's what I thought but as the old school masters used to say,"One should never make assumptions."
I've made the acorn bannock with acorns and arrowroot and apple sauce instead of water. looser but really tasty.
hoosierarcher 3 years ago
I read that the dominant hardwood species in Australia is the swamp, beach and river oaks. Perhaps they grow only in wet areas.
EatTheWeeds 3 years ago
Again, great video! I'm envious of your low or no leaching acorns. Our California live oaks are extremely high in tannin. As with the larvae, I've eaten them on a few occasions (from Q. lobata acorns) and enjoyed their flavor (after dry roasting.)
Thanks, and keep the videos coming please.
feralkevin 3 years ago
Spoken by a man who ate ants on video...the larva I had were bitter... didn't think about how to leach them alive... might be an interesting project and food source. As for the acorns, there are several Live Oaks here and there that have no tannin but I can find quite a few that do should I want to work harder.
EatTheWeeds 3 years ago
Ant larva need to be soaked in water for at least an hour before cooking. They can then be saute'ed or stir fried with lemon grass and garlic and thai fish sauce.
hoosierarcher 3 years ago