Post by blackcrowheart on Jul 22, 2006 10:40:55 GMT -5
Acorn Cakes
One of the most common nuts is the acorn and well known to our people and
other natives. There are different types of acorns and all are edible. However,
the tannic acid must be leached from them before they can be eaten, with the
exception of the white acorn. This is the only acorn that can be picked up
from the ground, shelled and eaten. Has a sweet flavor.
To use the acorn, begin by removing the hull it. You can use a nut cracker,
but I prefer a small rock I can hold in my hand. I remove the nut meat. If it
is a white acorn, I do not leach those.
To leach acorns the quick way: once the meat is shelled put it into a pot of
boiling water. DO NOT put in cold water; if you do, it will remain very
bitter.
Boil the nuts for about 30 minutes and drain the water. (If I’m tanning any
hides, I keep the water for use. I have a huge barrel I put it into. This
water has the tannic acid from the acorn).
Make sure you have more boiling water ready and put the nuts into it a
second and third time. Always do this at least 3-4 times.
The longer way of leaching acorns is to put them into a mesh bag and place
them in a stream of running water and tie them well. Make sure they are
covered with water and that the water is running through the bag. This method takes
much longer; usually it takes about a week or more. Our ancestors used both
methods.
After draining the last time, either dry them in the sun or in the oven at a
very low temperature. About 150 degrees. You can grind them while they are
wet and use the meal right away, but I prefer them dry. You can store the
dried flour just like any other flour. You can grind this very fine or leave some
of it in little chunks to make a nutty bread. I usually grind most of them
very fine. I leave some in small pieces to add when I want to add those.
Acorn flour is heavy and the bread will fall apart if made just of acorn
flour. Our ancestors very often mixed corn or cattail flour with this.
Acorn Cakes
The acorn cake was a quick little cake made by our ancestors. A little of
the white acorn flour was mixed with just a small amount of ash lye. It was
kneaded and patted into a small round cake the size that would fit in your hand.
It was placed near the fire on a hot rock and baked until it was a golden
color. Then honey or maple syrup was either drizzled over this. Sometimes
berries were added to make it different.
Sometimes these were prepared and then dipped in maple syrup, laid out near
the fire and dried. These were great eaten like this.
Acorn bread is very nutritious since it consists of proteins, carbohydrates,
and the “good” fat. Acorns are good for snacks or to use any way you like.
The brown water from the boiled acorns, the tannic acid is not only good for
skin tanning, but it is a great astringent for the skin. It will tighten the
tissue. It is also a great and natural laundry detergent that will not harm
the environment. Put a couple of cups in your washload. Your clothing will
smell great and come very clean. However, it will turn white clothing into tan
ones.
The tannic acid from acorns is antiviral and antiseptic. It can be used on
the skin to treat rashes, skin irritations, burns, cuts and even poison ivy.
You can gargle it for a sore throat. Use a mild dose as a tea for diarrhea.
Out camping and having the really bad runs—dysentery, boil acorns and drink the
tea. It can also be used as a wash for hemorrhoids.
When using it for poison ivy, put the tannic water into an ice tray and
freeze. Rub the tannic ice on the rash. It usually takes only three to four days
for the rash to disappear with this.
You can store tannic acid solution in jars in the refrigerator. I keep mine
in a wooden barrel in a root cellar where it is cool. If you find mold on the
top, you can boil the solution and use it and store it again.
Acorns were also roasted by the European settlers and ground and used as a
coffee and tea substitute.
Charles D. Harnage, Jr.
Tawodi’gage/ Red Hawk
One of the most common nuts is the acorn and well known to our people and
other natives. There are different types of acorns and all are edible. However,
the tannic acid must be leached from them before they can be eaten, with the
exception of the white acorn. This is the only acorn that can be picked up
from the ground, shelled and eaten. Has a sweet flavor.
To use the acorn, begin by removing the hull it. You can use a nut cracker,
but I prefer a small rock I can hold in my hand. I remove the nut meat. If it
is a white acorn, I do not leach those.
To leach acorns the quick way: once the meat is shelled put it into a pot of
boiling water. DO NOT put in cold water; if you do, it will remain very
bitter.
Boil the nuts for about 30 minutes and drain the water. (If I’m tanning any
hides, I keep the water for use. I have a huge barrel I put it into. This
water has the tannic acid from the acorn).
Make sure you have more boiling water ready and put the nuts into it a
second and third time. Always do this at least 3-4 times.
The longer way of leaching acorns is to put them into a mesh bag and place
them in a stream of running water and tie them well. Make sure they are
covered with water and that the water is running through the bag. This method takes
much longer; usually it takes about a week or more. Our ancestors used both
methods.
After draining the last time, either dry them in the sun or in the oven at a
very low temperature. About 150 degrees. You can grind them while they are
wet and use the meal right away, but I prefer them dry. You can store the
dried flour just like any other flour. You can grind this very fine or leave some
of it in little chunks to make a nutty bread. I usually grind most of them
very fine. I leave some in small pieces to add when I want to add those.
Acorn flour is heavy and the bread will fall apart if made just of acorn
flour. Our ancestors very often mixed corn or cattail flour with this.
Acorn Cakes
The acorn cake was a quick little cake made by our ancestors. A little of
the white acorn flour was mixed with just a small amount of ash lye. It was
kneaded and patted into a small round cake the size that would fit in your hand.
It was placed near the fire on a hot rock and baked until it was a golden
color. Then honey or maple syrup was either drizzled over this. Sometimes
berries were added to make it different.
Sometimes these were prepared and then dipped in maple syrup, laid out near
the fire and dried. These were great eaten like this.
Acorn bread is very nutritious since it consists of proteins, carbohydrates,
and the “good” fat. Acorns are good for snacks or to use any way you like.
The brown water from the boiled acorns, the tannic acid is not only good for
skin tanning, but it is a great astringent for the skin. It will tighten the
tissue. It is also a great and natural laundry detergent that will not harm
the environment. Put a couple of cups in your washload. Your clothing will
smell great and come very clean. However, it will turn white clothing into tan
ones.
The tannic acid from acorns is antiviral and antiseptic. It can be used on
the skin to treat rashes, skin irritations, burns, cuts and even poison ivy.
You can gargle it for a sore throat. Use a mild dose as a tea for diarrhea.
Out camping and having the really bad runs—dysentery, boil acorns and drink the
tea. It can also be used as a wash for hemorrhoids.
When using it for poison ivy, put the tannic water into an ice tray and
freeze. Rub the tannic ice on the rash. It usually takes only three to four days
for the rash to disappear with this.
You can store tannic acid solution in jars in the refrigerator. I keep mine
in a wooden barrel in a root cellar where it is cool. If you find mold on the
top, you can boil the solution and use it and store it again.
Acorns were also roasted by the European settlers and ground and used as a
coffee and tea substitute.
Charles D. Harnage, Jr.
Tawodi’gage/ Red Hawk