The Autumn has arrived! It is our favourite season of the year because there are so many things you can forage in the woods - autumn olives, apples, pear, and ACORNS! We love acorn more than any other nuts. It has a deeply earthy flavour that is between pecan and walnut. We use it to make cookies.
This year the acorns grow much better than the last two years. We got plenty of them so that we can have enough to make cookies and soup.
We pick acorns in the woods.
We also collect the acorns on the roadside in the city.
The recently dropped acorns are the best because they are less likely to have worms and contain higher fat content. Of course, the flavour is also stronger.
We need to do a float test for the acorns. Fill a sink of water and add the acorns. The good acorns will sink and the bad acorns will float.
Crack the nuts and remove the shells. Put the flesh in a jar of cold water.
Continue to soak the flesh in the water for two days in order to leach out the tannin. You will find the water turns slightly brown and it is the tannin that causes bitterness. Change the water twice a day.
Put the flesh in a blender with some fresh water. Process it until really fine. Pour the mixture over a tea towel and squeeze out the milky liquid. While holding the tea towel tightly, rinse and squeeze the processed acorn meal under running water until the liquid runs clear.
Add the acorn meal to a non-stick pan. Toast over low heat until it is totally dried.
Store the acorn flour in a ziplock bag and keep it in the freezer for later use.
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