Acorns will soon start falling in New England. This is one of the least utilized and most misunderstood wild foods in North America. If you dont believe me, consider the following: 1. the structure referred to as the cap is actually found at the base of the acorn (it is properly called an involucre, a set of bracts that subtends an array of flowers, in this case, an array consisting of a solitary flower). 2. most acorns detach from their involucre (the cup-like base) when mature and not defective (they are at least loose within this structure), so any acorn firmly attached to its involucre after being shed is defective--and this is the stereotypical symbol used for an acorn in the United States (a defective one). In my area (western Maine), they begin to fall around the last week of September. Many people assume members of the white oak group (the ones that taste less bitter) are the preferred species. But there are several reasons why I do not go out of my way to collect them: 1. they are still high in tannins and require processing (and they contain phytic acid, which also needs soaking). 2. they take longer to dry, so reaching a point they can be stored is more time consuming. 3. they are more prone to spoilage during leaching (using some methods). 4. they have much lower lipid amounts, making them more carbohydrate-rich (this isnt a bad thing, but keep in mind that acorns contain lots of the same lipid found in olive oil--and members of the black oak group are much more lipid rich). 5. they have a short season of collection because they germinate in the fall (members of the black oak group dont germinate until the following spring). For these reasons and others (e.g., what species are locally available), I usually gather northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and black oak (Quercus velutina). Keep in mind, no acorns should be consumed in quantity without soaking/leaching--you will be robbing your body of nutrition if you follow this practice. Happy gathering. https://youtube/watch?v=QitkIGNwUgs
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:57:29 +0000
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