Processing Emory Oak acorns
- Aunt Plantsy
- Dec 30, 2022
- 3 min read
The Emory Oak acorn (Quercus emoryi) is a small nut, about the size of a pine nut, when shelled. The range of the Emory Oak tree extends east-west from central Arizona through western Texas and north-south from Chihuahua Mexico through southern Colorado. Unlike most bitter acorns, Emory Oak acorns are sweet, edible and gathered for commercial markets.
Originally, acorns from the Emory Oak were gathered in accordance with the Apache and Yavapai traditions; placing tarps under the trees, shucking the acorns free from their branches, and then shelling and toasting the nuts around a campfire.
Currently, acorns have little or no marketability, which is unfortunate, as the nuts are extremely nutritious. Emory Oak acorns are rich in protein, carbohydrates, fats, and essential vitamins and minerals. Specifically, the wholesome nutritional content protects people from dangerously high increases in blood-glucose levels after meals because of the acorn’s slow digestion rate and low glycolic response. This is a huge contrast to white flour, which has a fast digestion rate and rapid glycolic response. American Indians used Emory Oak acorns for flour and meal, and the nuts were often eaten raw or stewed in soups.
Emory Oak acorns, unlike many oaks endemic to the eastern United States, are low in tannins and require no leaching prior to eating. Rich in nutrients, Emory Oak acorns are a critically important commodity for Western Apache tribes, as a staple food source and also for use in ceremonies and other traditional cultural practices.
http://www.internationaloaksociety.org/content/emory-oak-collaborative-tribal-restoration-initiative
Since we don’t have to leach Emory Oak acorns, the first step is to roast them so that the shell can be easily removed. When researching primitive ways to do this, other than at a campfire, the two suggestions were either sun drying them outside for several weeks in the heat or setting your oven to a low temperature, such as 150 (the lowest mine goes to is 170) and roast for approximately an hour or until the shells turn dark brown.
We have several friends who practice primitive skills and also forage for wild food. These Emory Oak acorns were given to me by our friend, Mike Lowe, a well-known survival instructor. I’m following his advice by roasting them in the oven at the lowest temperature until they are dry.
Once they are dry on the outside, you let them cool before removing the shell. Shelling is the most time-consuming part and has taken me days just to get a couple cups worth. I used a nutcracker that we had previously for cracking larger nuts, and it worked fine for the larger acorns but not the smaller ones. So, I ended up buying a second nutcracker that works perfectly. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it doesn’t have a spring on it, so you have to work your hands extra hard to not only close it to crack, but also to open it for the next acorn. If you are interested in getting one for yourself, here is the link:
Another option is hitting the shells with a hammer! In fact, my mom came over and was determined to find an easier way to shell them and the hammer worked pretty well! Discard any acorns that have mold or larvae in them.
You can then blend the nuts in a high-powered blender (I used a Vitamix) and put them back in the oven to roast again until thoroughly dry. Give them another blend to get it into a flour consistency. This smells heavenly! It reminds me of gingerbread cookies.
You will notice that there are less steps involved with processing Emory Oak acorns compared to other acorns. That is because they are low in tannins and require no leaching. When processing other acorns, please research the other leaching steps involved.
You can make almost anything with this flour that you would make with normal flour, including bread and cookies. But since it has no gluten, most recipes will have you also add in some regular flour as well.
Once you have your acorn flour, you can keep it in the fridge, but only if you plan on using it all within a couple of weeks. Acorn flour has a lot of oil in it and will go rancid before long. To store it for a long time, keep it in the freezer for up to two years.
Another tip that Mike told me is that the smaller acorns can be soaked in salt water, roasted until dry, and eaten like sunflower seeds. He warns the shells can be a bit hard to chew but will soften in your mouth as you chew on them. I have not given this a try yet.
I’m currently looking at a few recipes and will share the results when that happens! Happy foraging!
Please visit me online at www.peasbeewithewe.com
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So glad you were able to process acorn flour. Sorry shelling them was less than fun. Makes me wonder if the shells got hard and brittle enough during the first stage of roasting. Can't wait to eat some biscuits with you.