In many cultures the acorn is considered a symbol of luck, and it’s even believed that if you keep an acorn on your windowsill it will protect your home. It’s not hard to believe in the mighty power of a tiny acorn, the seed or fruit of great oaks, which are plentiful in the rolling hills of the Ozarks. It’s wild to think that some oak trees like the white oak can live more than 600 years. Just let that sink in. Oh, the stories these trees could tell, and the secrets they hold.
Speaking of secrets, perhaps one of their best kept secrets is that their tiny acorns may just be one of the most underutilized sources of food that grow in the Ozarks without having to be farmed. A simple stroll through the park or your yard could yield tasty acorns that could be used in a variety of ways.
Everyone knows what an acorn looks like, but few realize the opportunities this little nut holds. Many local foragers like Bo Brown, a wilderness survival instructor and author of Foraging the Ozarks, collect acorns after their big fall (usually in October) and then prep, dry and crack the acorns to turn into acorn flour.
There are two types of acorns. One belongs to the red oak, the other to the white oak. White acorns have round edges, while red have sharp points, says local forager and author Rachael West. “White are sweeter as they’re on the tree less time,” she adds.
Both types are edible and nutritious. “Acorns contain 18 different amino acids, including all nine required to sustain life,” Brown says. “They store well, and they are free for the taking.”
You can easily gather acorns by hand, ensuring you’re only collecting the healthy ones. Discard any acorn with dark spots or holes, or ones that are small with their caps still attached. There are grubs that love acorns, and you can usually tell if a grub is in the acorn because it feels lighter and floats in water. But don’t let that deter you from collecting acorns!
To prepare acorns for cooking, the process is pretty in-depth; however, you don’t need any fancy tools. Brown insists that the long processing time is offset by their easy collection, high protein and fat content, and long storage life.
The process involves drying and cracking nuts, removing shells, removing the brown skin (testa) and then removing the bitterness from the nuts, also known as leaching tannins. There are several methods for leaching tannins, but all of them reveal the nut’s sweet flavor. The taste should resemble something like a nutty maple syrup.
From there, homesteaders and foragers usually make acorn flour that can be used in breads, pancakes and even cookies.
Want to learn more about harvesting and processing acorns? Check out Bo Brown’s second edition of Foraging the Ozarks, set to be released next year. Or check his calendar for his acorn and persimmon processing programs at Finley Farms (802 Finley Farms Ln., Ozark; 417-210-6644).
Bo Brown’s Acorn Persimmon or Pawpaw Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
½ cup persimmon or pawpaw pulp, plus extra for the finished cookie
½ cup oil or unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
1 egg
1 cup cold-leached acorn flour, sifted
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon pink or sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground spicebush berries or cinnamon
To Prepare
1. Heat oven to 325°F.
2. Mix pulp, melted butter, maple syrup, and egg for about 1 minute with an electric mixer.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add dry to wet ingredients and mix on medium until fully combined. Place cookie dough in fridge for 2 hours or overnight until completely chilled.
4. Remove chilled dough from the fridge and roll into a log about 3 inches thick, then cut into ½” thick cookies. Place evenly spaced on a foil/parchment-covered cookie sheet and make an indentation in each with a rounded handle or your thumb.
5. Bake for 14–20 minutes or until desired texture is achieved; use the lower end for a soft, chewy cookie. Fill the indentation with paw/persimmon pulp or jelly.
