Acorn and Oak

 by Steven "Snowbear" Taylor

The oak comes first, a multiplicity of gifts offered. One early autumn afternoon I went to the white oak on the low ridge, drained from hard work, taxing emotional change and difficult life choices ahead. These influences had manifested in mental and physical exhaustion. I collapsed into the enfolding roots of the towering oak and lay upon the ground, breathing deeply. My experience of that unfolding moment was a feeling that the oak was infusing me with its strength and density, its steadfastness and longevity. I stood feeling vital and strong and ran the quarter mile back to the cabin. So powerful was that sacred moment, I have never questioned the experience or pursued explaining it away. The oak has given me the same gift repeatedly, unselfishly and my belief in the power of these visitations of life and mystery remains.

The oak gives shape and substance to the acorn. Life sustainer of the forest and many of its larger inhabitants, different species of oak have provided large amounts of protein and complex carbohydrates to black bear, deer, human beings, raccoon, gray and flying squirrel, chipmunk, white foot mouse, turkey, grouse, wood duck, mourning dove, blue jay and nuthatch. In the southern Appalachians, the oaks help fill the hard mast crop void left by the destruction of the American chestnut by introduced blight.

The oaks (Quercus spp.) are described by botanists as being divided into two subgroups, red oaks and white oaks. The red oaks have pointed leaf lobes, often tipped with bristles and their acorns take two years to mature; white oaks have rounded leaf lobes, and their acorns take one year to mature. All acorns contain tannin, a bitter compound that has a cleansing and beneficial action on the digestive tract. Generally, acorns of the white oaks have a significantly lower level of tannins than those of the red oaks. The mildest of the oaks of the southern mountains is white oak (Quercus alba); the unprocessed acorn is not quite as bitter as a coffee bean and can simply be roasted and eaten by humans. Wildlife and humans alike know to gather the white oak acorns as soon as possible after they fall from the trees, because they will soon begin to sprout and many become damaged by insect larva ( although they too are edible!). Red oaks, however, do not sprout until the following spring and are resistant to the larva that eat white oaks; they can be gathered later in the season, do not require fall processing and can be air dried and stored in a net bag. The most bitter of acorns can be made more palatable by leaching out the water soluble tannins. Most writers recommend boiling the acorns repeatedly until the water no longer becomes brown; but that seems a bit like making soup and throwing out the nutritious broth. Instead, leaching can be effectively accomplished by cold water. Crack and shell the acorns, then grind them into a coarse meal. Place the meal in a cloth sack or tightly woven, lidded basket and anchor the sack or basket in a clean flowing stream. Every several hours, taste the meal and when the bitterness and astringency are gone the leaching is complete. The meal is then spread out into flat, broad baskets and stirred frequently until sun-dried. To assure dryness for storage of the flour, it is best to then parch the meal on a flat rock over fire, or in a cast iron skillet. When doing this, a light roasting of the meal imparts a fine, nutty flavor to the finished flour. the leached, dried, parched meal can be used at this point, or ground once more into a fine flour.

Dry storage for the flour is essential. Acorn flour can easily become moldy with the right combination of moist conditions and a few warm winter days. When going into the storage container, smell the flour before using. If a musty smell has developed, discard the flour. Acorns can serve as a host for the aflatoxin mold, as can peanuts, rye and other grains; most frequently, aflatoxin poisoning comes from the mold aspergillus flavus. In these southern mountains, acorn flour often lasts into February or March before “going off,” when stored at room temperature on the kitchen shelf in a ceramic container. Freezing prolongs the shelf life; but the flour loses the richness of its flavor 8-10 months after freezing.

Breads, muffins, biscuits and pancakes benefit from substituting acorn flour for one third of the flours called for in recipes. Acorns are not glutinous, so breads made solely with acorn flour are extremely dense and either hard (when baked a little too long) or crumbly (when not baked long enough). My favorite combination is one part corn meal, one part whole wheat flour and one part finely ground acorn flour.

It is believed that acorn mush was often prepared by the Cherokee in pre-Columbian times. At its simplest, acorn flour boiled in water, it is very filling and satisfying; but add some persimmon pulp, shelled hickory nuts or black walnuts and a little honey and you have a breakfast feast that will fuel a dayful of vigorous activity and please the palate, too.

Oak and acorn - strength of spirit and vital sustenance for many generations of human beings.