Self-Sufficient.co.uk
Find out more about Self Sufficiency
Site Search
Main Menu
Top Products
Fruit TreesPolytunnel
Water Butts
Strimmer
Shed
Greenhouse
Porous Pipe
Latest Articles
Allotment Gardening
Grow all you can eat on your own allotment.
grow your own
20:32, 10th May 2014
Smallholding for Sale in North Devon
Three bedroom detached house in 18 acres for sale - North Devon, UK
smallholding
20:48, 17th Mar 2013
Nettles
Find out more about nettles - how to benefit from them and how to get rid of them
foraging
16:12, 13th Apr 2012
Making Nettle Beer
Find out how to make your nettle beer
recipes
16:10, 13th Apr 2012
How to Make Sloe Gin
Find out how to make your own sloe gin
recipes
14:40, 13th Apr 2012
Grow Your Own Chilli Peppers
Find out how to grow your own chilli peppers
grow your own
13:33, 16th Mar 2012
Home Beekeeping
Find out more about keeping bees in your garden for honey
grow your own
15:40, 4th Jan 2012
Storing Apples
Find out how to store apples
fruits
13:23, 28th Jul 2011
Making Acorn Flour
Find out how to make flour from acorns
Making Acorn Flour
foraging | recipes
Acorns cannot be eaten straight from the oak tree since they contain a lot of tannins which make them test very bitter and also make them poisonous - however acorns can be processed into acorn flour with a bit of work. Acorns contain protein, carbohydrate, and fat, together with vitamins and many minerals; fortunately the tannins are water soluble so they are not difficult to remove.
Collect and Dry Acorns
Collect a big bag full of acorns making sure you leave behind any with small dark holes in them since they have been damaged by worms. Also return any acorns which float in a bucket of water since they also have bugs in them.Put the good acorns in the oven at the lowest possible temperature with the door ajar to dry out the acorns and kill any insects you brought home with them. Then break off the shells and discard.
Grind the Acorns
Now the acorns need to be ground up using either a food processor, a sturdy blender (with water), or a meat grinder if you are lucky enough to have one. The resulting mush of acorns needs to be rinsed many times in order to extract and remove all of the tannins.Put the mush into a piece of cheese cloth or muslin, and pour clean cold water through it 2-3 times per day. Depending on the variety of acorn (and the amount of tannins in them) this process can take anything from a few days to a couple of weeks. Every day or two, take a tiny taste of the mush to see if it is still bitter. When it is no longer bitter, the tannins have leached out, and the acorn flour is nearly ready. Don't keep on soaking the acorns once the tannins are gone, or you will lose some of the delicious nutty flavour that acorns have.
The tannin-less acorn mush now just needs to be thoroughly dried. Spread it out on a tray and put it in a very low oven with the door slightly ajar, occasionally turning the acorns until they are dry. Your acorn flour can be stored in jars, and used in recipes in place of wheat flour.
Alternatively, if you have some freezer space free, just squeeze the mush tightly with cheese cloth to get rid of the vast majority of the liquid, and then freeze suitably sized portions in zip lock bags.
Cooking with Acorn Flour
It is best to include an equal measure of wheat flour when using acorn flour, since acorn flour alone does not hold together very well. You can make delicious acorn pancakes, acorn bread, and acorn muffins with this flour.
Article Published: 09:51, 24th Nov 2010
Related Articles
Wild Garlic
Find out about wild garlic
Article Published: 11:40, 19th Nov 2010
foraging | recipes
Make Lavender Biscuits
Find out how to make delicious fragrant lavender biscuits
Article Published: 13:22, 16th Jun 2011
foraging | recipes | general
Making Dandelion Coffee
Find out how to make your own dandelion coffee
Article Published: 10:44, 19th Nov 2010
foraging | recipes
Making Nettle Beer
Find out how to make your nettle beer
Article Published: 16:10, 13th Apr 2012
recipes | foraging
How to Make Sloe Gin
Find out how to make your own sloe gin
Article Published: 14:40, 13th Apr 2012
recipes | foraging | fruit
Picking Wild Blackberries
Go picking blackberries in hedgerows in August and September
Article Published: 08:34, 22nd May 2010
foraging | fruits
Sweet Chestnuts
Find and eat delicious sweet chestnuts
Article Published: 14:07, 11th Jul 2008
foraging
What is Foraging
Find out more about foraging for wild food
Article Published: 08:06, 12th Jul 2008
foraging | books
Nettles
Find out more about nettles - how to benefit from them and how to get rid of them
Article Published: 16:12, 13th Apr 2012
foraging | grow your own
Tomato Ketchup Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes
Make your own delicious tomato ketchup with fresh tomatoes
Article Published: 11:02, 22nd Nov 2010
preserving | recipes | grow your own