What to do with acorns?

[reggomez]

Hi all,
I'm new to all these forums, so please bear with me if this thread has ever come up before.
it's been such a bumper year for fruit seeds etc, I'm inundated with acorns from the wonderful tree in my garden. Does anyone have any ideas what I could do with 2 dustbins full of acorns that I've picked up from the lawn?
It seems like a fantastic source of stored energy, there must be something useful I can use them for? I can't just compost them, coz they'll grow, but I can't think of an easy way of eg crushing them to stop this.
Any ideas, no matter how innovative would be welcome.

Thanks,

Paul

[Earth Hart]

Originally Posted by reggomez

Hi all,
I'm new to all these forums, so please bear with me if this thread has ever come up before.
it's been such a bumper year for fruit seeds etc, I'm inundated with acorns from the wonderful tree in my garden. Does anyone have any ideas what I could do with 2 dustbins full of acorns that I've picked up from the lawn?
It seems like a fantastic source of stored energy, there must be something useful I can use them for? I can't just compost them, coz they'll grow, but I can't think of an easy way of eg crushing them to stop this.
Any ideas, no matter how innovative would be welcome.

Thanks,

Paul

Sometimes I make acorn flour & use it in sauces & baking. Acorn puree is good in apple sauce for pork.
Check out Acorn - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for more info. There are a few recipes.

[Owl-Light]

Hi Paul, welcome to the forums. I like your question.

It depends on how adventurious you are really. Firstly it would be great if you planted a few and grew them on but with two dustbin loads you're gonna have a lot to spare.

You could scatter some in local parks where Squirrels and Jays could find them. A useful food source that would really help them through the winter months.

Acorns are also edible for humans, they're actually are one of the oldest foods known to man. "Acorn kernels provide a complete vegetable protein, up to 707o by weight in some species. More than half their bulk consists of energy-rich carbohydrates." source

You can't just munch them because they contain alot of tannins but they can be used to make Acorn Coffee, Acorn flour and so even Acorn Bread. There are a lot of recipies online if you want to do a Google search.

You could use a few to seasonal decorative effect in a potpourris perhaps too.

Edit lol, EH you've beaten me to it again

[Earth Hart]

Originally Posted by Sheryl LaBouchardiere

Edit lol, EH you've beaten me to it again

Sorry Sheryl, but I just had to laugh when I saw Paul's post as I'd just come in with a load of acorns to dry. One thing I forgot, my Grandfather used to make wine from them & hawthorn berries, very good for coughs & colds. Wish I had the recipe. Better luck next time

[Paul mabbott]

Welcome, another Paul! Yes, it is a good year for acorns. I actually compost them and the few that germinate are easily hoed off. Do the same with chestnuts. I suppose it depends on how long they're in the compost heap and how hot it gets. Mine is a large, steaming heap which rots for about eight months.... smaller ones might not be so effective.

Originally Posted by reggomez

I'm new to all these forums, ........... it's been such a bumper year for fruit seeds etc, I'm inundated with acorns from the wonderful tree in my garden. Does anyone have any ideas what I could do with 2 dustbins full of acorns that I've picked up from the lawn?
It seems like a fantastic source of stored energy, there must be something useful I can use them for? I can't just compost them, coz they'll grow, but I can't think of an easy way of eg crushing them to stop this. Paul

[Owl-Light]

Originally Posted by Earth Hart

Sorry Sheryl, but I just had to laugh when I saw Paul's post as I'd just come in with a load of acorns to dry. One thing I forgot, my Grandfather used to make wine from them & hawthorn berries, very good for coughs & colds. Wish I had the recipe. Better luck next time

Gotta type faster, gotta type faster...

[reggomez]

To all,
thanks for the ideas so far. Sheryl, I'll try some acorn flour just for fun, but it does seem quite time consuming and that's a resource I don't have an abundance of. (though it might not seem like it from the evidence this afternoon - I'm actually at work, just taking a break) typical bad timing, I've just bought 20kg of various wheat flours for daily use.
Paul, I'll try composting a batch, I've a double bin system, (each 9 cubic foot) and I guess the worst that can happen is a few tiny oaks appearing around the garden after mulshing shrubs etc - and besides, the Jays tend to create just that effect for me anyway!
Earth Hart, I'll have a look through my recipe books or on the net for a few wine ideas. - Thinks...Hmm, lots of hawthorn berries just down the road too...yum!
I was originally thinking only of garden uses such as composting / soil improving, so it just goes to show how our horizons can be broadened by joining and contributing to these forums!
Anyway, (time for a lousy pun) back to the grind.
Good cheer,

Paul

[henrya]

Go for a walk with a pocketful of acorns and a walking stick. In suitable places, prod a hole in the ground with your stick, drop in an acorn, push the soil over with your foot. Instant forest.

Most will probably get eaten by mice, or the shoots bitten off by Rabbits or deer, and when I say 'instant' I'm talking geologically! But some will survive, and that's got to be good. (And anyway, the mice will be happy!)

I read somewhere of someone (in Spain, I think) who did the same, and now there are trees where he walked (aren't you impressed by my total recall of detail?!)

henrya