How to use acorns as food. The unique properties of the acorn: both medicine and food

Most city residents are already accustomed to thinking that food is what is sold in stores, and preferably in finished form; V best case scenario- what is grown in homestead farms. But in living nature, almost everything is edible: animals and plants (especially if they are not disturbed) get along well with each other, and always know what is useful and what is not.

The percentage of vitamins is very high, especially group B - nicotinic and pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamine; There is also vitamin A and minerals: potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, etc.

Medicinal properties and benefits of acorn

Acorns and their preparations, prepared according to folk recipes, useful for: people prone to kidney and gastrointestinal diseases, anemia and metabolic disorders; with weak immunity, disorders of the central nervous system and homocysteinemia. Homocysteine, a compound synthesized during metabolism, is necessary for the body, but excess leads to the development of serious diseases, including thrombosis of arteries and veins. Vitamin B6, contained in acorns, normalizes homocysteine levels, improves blood composition, prevents the development of anemia, restores decreased appetite, etc.

Acorns, because high content folic acid, are also useful for pregnant women. They can be consumed after consultation with a doctor, and not in raw form, but as a food additive, coffee substitute, in the form of decoctions, infusions and other dosage forms. It is known that a lack of folic acid inhibits the growth of fetal cells, leading to serious disturbances in its development and irreversible pathologies.

A little about quercetin in acorns. This flavonol is an antioxidant with many therapeutic actions: antisclerotic, tonic, cardioprotective, hypotensive, antiallergic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, regenerating, anticancer. Quercetin gives acorns a bitter taste: you should not eat them raw, although nothing bad will happen from 1-2 pieces - many remember this from childhood.

Preparations based on acorns have antitumor, enveloping, astringent, and bactericidal effects, and they have been popularly used for a number of diseases for many centuries. So, alcohol tincture Acorns help with joint diseases, osteochondrosis and hypertension, and acorn coffee is useful for bronchitis, asthma and other diseases accompanied by cough.

Treatment and use of acorns

For anemia, prolonged and heavy menstruation and nervous disorders Take acorn juice with honey before meals, 2 tbsp. 4 times a day. Green acorns are cleaned, ground in a meat grinder, the juice is squeezed out and mixed with honey 1:1.

For tuberculosis drink an infusion of roasted acorns. Peeled acorns are kept in the oven at 170-180°C, stirring occasionally; when they turn a little red (after about half an hour), they are crushed. The resulting powder (3-4 tsp) is poured with boiling water (350 ml), left to cool, and filtered. Drink 1 tbsp. before meals, with the addition of honey (milk) for a long time, until the condition improves.

For cystitis crushed acorns (1 tbsp) pour 200 ml of water, bring to a boil, cook for several minutes, cool, filter. The decoction is drunk in small portions throughout the day.

Eat different recipes treatment for diabetes mellitus . The easiest way is to take 1 tsp in the morning, before breakfast, and at night. powder of dried acorns, washed down with water.

People with heart and vascular diseases Instead of real coffee, you can drink acorn coffee: the drinks taste similar, but acorn coffee is both safe and healthy; you can add milk, cream, sugar - just like with regular coffee.

To “get healthier” with the help of acorns, it is not necessary to use only dosage forms. By learning “acorn cooking,” you can speed up your recovery and avoid many health problems.

Acorn in cooking: healing food

There are many known recipes for coffee made from acorns – you can choose any one. For example, use not pure acorn powder, but a mixture with chicory, dandelion, barley grains: all this also makes excellent coffee.

Acorn flour is often used - for adding to baked goods, and cereals - from it it is obtained delicious porridge. You can get these products at home by collecting acorns in the nearest forest, but in order for them to be edible, the technology must be followed: properly soak the acorns, dry them, chop them, dry them, etc.; How this is done is also not difficult to find out.

If you grind dried (fried) acorns finely in a coffee grinder, you get flour; Using a blender or food processor, you can get crumbs with a taste no worse than some nuts, and add it to salads and other dishes - even cakes.

The same crumbs, of different grinds, are used as cereal: porridge from it, cooked in a saucepan, is very nutritious and healthy. Pour the cereal into water (you can use milk), bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, reduce the heat and cook for about 30 minutes; place in a preheated oven for about the same time. It is recommended to add butter, salt and sugar when the porridge is ready.

Curvy and delicious flatbreads made from acorn flour and sour cream. Bring the sour cream to a boil, add flour, cook for a couple of minutes, stirring; remove, cool; stir in grated cheese, egg, sugar. Form small cakes and fry as usual in small quantity oil in a frying pan.

There are no contraindications to the use of acorns, except for individual intolerance. And here are them life force simply incredible. Archaeologists, working in Japan, once found an acorn that had lain deep underground for more than 3,000 years. For the sake of an experiment, they decided to plant it, and a full-fledged tree grew: people definitely shouldn’t refuse such gifts from nature as acorns.

People can certainly eat acorns, but they must be cooked to become edible. Acorn is extremely rich nutrients, but most people do not perceive acorns as food. Perhaps because of the strong aroma, or because acorns are often associated with food for squirrels and other rodents. Some cuisines around the world have been using acorns in food for centuries, however, and survivalists praise them for being easy to find and rich in calories. The acorn is especially prized by some North American indigenous peoples and Korea.

This is not the most best idea, eat acorns straight from the ground, just like chipmunks do. Raw acorns contain high concentration tannic acid, so they taste bitter, and in large quantities can be toxic to humans. Even animals that eat acorns raw often feel the effects of the tannins, so animals that eat acorns exclusively soak them in water before eating them. On the other hand, raw acorns can be stored for several months, which greatly increases their nutritional value.

How to choose good acorns

It is better to collect acorns in the fall; you should always choose ripe acorns that have fallen from the tree themselves, or that can be removed from the branch with a light pressure. Green acorns should not be eaten. The cap on top, which connects the nut to the stem, must be present; choose whole acorns without any holes or wormholes. Almost any variety of acorn can be edible, although some varieties, such as Emory oak and Oregon white oak, contain less tannin and are therefore more commonly used as food. In comparison, black oak acorns are often bitter in taste and require a long cooking time.

Preparing acorns for consumption

Cooked acorns do not contain tannic acid, which means they are non-toxic and edible. Native Americans get rid of tannins by placing shelled acorns in a bag that is placed in a stream of water. You can boil shelled acorns several times until there are no traces of brown tannic acid in the water. The acorns can then be roasted like any other nut.

Feeding acorns

After the tannins are removed, the acorn becomes sweetish and soft taste. People usually eat acorns simply dried or fried, but they can be coated with sugar and made into candy. In the 19th century, when coffee prices were prohibitive, acorns were used as an alternative to coffee, although the taste was less attractive. You can grind the acorns into fine crumbs and then use them to make breads and cakes, or use them as a thickener for liquid foods. They can even be ground into butter, which will be similar to peanut butter or even almond butter. Those who are curious to know what acorns taste like can try them in Korean restaurant. IN korean cuisine, jellies and noodles are often made from acorn starch. Acorn starch is often used in Korean cuisine and can also be found in markets in other Asian countries.

Acorn oil

Another way to cook acorns is to squeeze the oil out of them, which makes up one third of the total weight of the acorn. Acorn oil was formerly used by North American hunters to attract animals and to mask their own scent in the woods, but was not used as food. Softer acorns from Europe and North Africa, on the contrary, can be used for oil, similar in some respects to olive oil, and which is considered a delicacy.

Acorns have several notable benefits and, like most nuts, they are considered a filling food. They are not as high in fat as some other nuts, but they contain a lot complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Some studies have even shown that acorns may help regulate blood sugar levels.

Oak has long been considered a sacred tree not only due to its enormous size and longevity. Its fruits were also held in high esteem - acorns, from which in the old days they were made effective medicines from many diseases. Acorns have an extremely rich composition, which includes a large number of fatty oils, tannins, tannins and starches. To prepare traditional medicine, already fallen acorns are collected; young, unripe fruits are also used, but for different indications.

The collected acorns are dried depending on weather conditions - in a dry, ventilated place, or in an oven. They need to be fried until a slightly reddish color appears; blackened specimens are considered burnt. Acorns contain a certain amount of flavonol quercetin, a substance that is beneficial for animals, but has a negative effect on humans. This substance is destroyed only by heat treatment and soaking, so raw acorns should not be consumed.

Acorns and cooking

Many people remember coffee made from acorns, which was widely available during the Soviet era. You can prepare it yourself by chopping the acorns after roasting. The result will be raw materials for tasty and healthy drink, to which you can add milk, sugar or honey to taste. Acorn flour was also popular, which can be added to baked goods to increase its effectiveness. nutritional value. The preparation of such flour is divided into the following stages:

Acorns are peeled and filled with water.
The water is replaced 4 times a day, soaking lasts 2 days.
The fruits are filled with water twice the volume of the acorns.
Bring the acorns to a boil, drain the water and grind the fruits in a meat grinder.
The resulting mass is laid out on paper and dried first in air, and then in a low-heat oven.
The dried mass is ground in a coffee grinder to give it the consistency of flour.

You can use this flour to make bread, flatbreads, cereals, puddings and much more. Dishes made from acorns have a pleasant nutty taste and some sweetness, so you don’t have to add sugar to them.

Acorn soup with milk is very tasty. To prepare it, boil water and add acorn cereal in small portions with constant stirring. Bring the cereal to readiness, pour in the milk, add sugar and salt to taste. Boil for five minutes and serve with a knob of butter. This soup is suitable as dietary nutrition for gastrointestinal disorders.

Fight diabetes

Acorns are effective in normalizing blood sugar levels, which will be useful for diabetes of any type. They will help enhance the effect of traditional medicines, while traditional medicine has a mild effect. There are several options for taking acorns:

Acorns dried in the oven until reddish in color are crushed using a coffee grinder or blender. You should eat one teaspoon of the resulting flour twice a day an hour before meals.
Acorns are crushed into small pieces, and take 1 tsp. on empty stomach. You need to eat them twice a day, with water, at least an hour after meals. Treatment is carried out over 7 days, alternating with a week of rest, while regular measurements of blood sugar levels are carried out. Significant results are achieved approximately in the 3rd week of use, the duration of the course is 4 weeks.
Dried and peeled acorns are ground in a meat grinder. A glass of the resulting mass is poured with one and a half liters of water and boiled for half an hour over low heat, after which it is left for 24 hours. Then they boil again and leave for a day, repeat the procedure again. Strain the broth, add a glass of vodka and drink three sips seven times a day for two weeks. Store the decoction in the refrigerator and drink twice a week to keep sugar levels low.
Coffee made from acorns is effective in the initial stages of the disease; a tablespoon of ground acorns is steamed with 400 ml of water. To get results, it is enough to drink it once every 7 days.

Gastrointestinal disorders

Symptoms of indigestion and food poisoning extremely unpleasant. Acorns help eliminate discomfort and speed up recovery. To do this you need:

1 teaspoon chopped acorns;
1 glass hot water.

Pour boiling water over the acorns, leave for 15 minutes and then strain. Take the infusion 0.5 cup three times a day until symptoms disappear completely.

Pancreatitis

To relieve the symptoms of pancreatitis, not whole fruits are used, but only their caps. Healing infusion prepares like this:

Take a tablespoon of acorn caps and dry them in the shade.
Pour a glass of boiling water over the caps and keep in a warm place for 3 hours.

The resulting infusion is taken, gradually increasing the dose from one teaspoon to 70 ml per day. It should be consumed three times a day, half an hour before meals.

Benefits of acorn coffee

Ground coffee acorns can be stored quite long time, the main thing is to provide them with a dry, tightly closed jar in a dark place. Such coffee drink not only tastes good, but also helps fight many diseases. Just one cup a week will significantly reduce the risk of developing pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

In addition, a coffee drink made from acorns helps with the following diseases:

Asthma.
Bronchitis.
Persistent cough.
Scrofula.
Childhood rickets.
Stomach colic.

This coffee has pleasant taste, reminiscent of cocoa with milk. To prepare it, you need to lay the acorns in a thin layer on the deco and fry for five minutes in a preheated oven until the skin of the fruit bursts. Then you should open the oven door and dry the fruits for another hour. Grind the cooled acorns and brew with boiling water at the rate of 1 tsp. per glass of water.

Drink for the heart

Except regular coffee made from acorns, a drink made from the following ingredients is used to treat heart diseases:

chicory;
barley;
acorns;
rye;
wheat;
oats

All ingredients are taken in equal proportions, ground in a coffee grinder and poured into a dry jar. The drink is steamed at the rate of 1 teaspoon per glass of water, you need to take it three times a day.

The benefits of unripe acorns

Unripe oak fruits also have many beneficial properties, slightly different from those described above. To obtain juice, green acorns are picked from the tree, peeled and ground in a meat grinder. The resulting mass is wrapped in gauze folded in several layers and the juice is squeezed out of it. The liquid obtained in this way helps in the fight against such ailments:

Anemia.
Nervous system disorders.
Excessive menstruation.
Scrofula.

To obtain a healing effect, 2 tbsp. l. Green acorn juice is mixed with the same amount of honey and taken four times a day 5 minutes before meals. This is how inflammatory processes occur in the female reproductive system and bladder.

Video: Acorns in folk medicine

Conclusion

Acorns can be called one of the most useful gifts of nature in the middle climate zone. They are widely used in folk medicine and have a wide range of useful action, allowing to heal and alleviate the symptoms of many diseases. At the same time, acorns have practically no contraindications, except perhaps an allergy to this plant.

At the same time, it must be remembered that acorns that have not been heat-treated or soaked contain a certain amount of the flavonol querzatin, which has a toxic effect on the body. This substance is rendered harmless by proper preparation, therefore, when preparing tinctures and dishes from acorns, you must strictly adhere to the recipe.

The most appropriate time to begin a course of treatment with acorns is autumn, when it is possible to collect freshly fallen fruits. They can be collected in parks, forests and forest plantations. This time is perfect for collecting a supply of acorns, which will be enough for treatment throughout the year.

Nuts and acorns are great source food and were used in former times, they gave people many healthy and useful culinary ideas. They are still popular today, and this is good, since nuts and acorns contain B vitamins, protein, low fat and quite a lot of carbohydrates. In addition, they normalize sugar levels. . However, you cannot eat them raw - raw acorns are poisonous and have a bitter taste. They must be cooked before being eaten. Here are some tips for using acorns as food.

Steps

Processing acorns for food

Collect ripe acorns. Look for brown acorns and use only those. Green acorns are unripe and unsuitable for consumption (but they can ripen in a clean, dry place). Wash and process only ripe brown acorns. Avoid any acorns that are moldy, dusty, blackened, etc. High-quality acorns should be yellowish in color. Unprocessed natural nuts various types oaks:

Blanch the acorns. Unprocessed dried acorns contain a high concentration of tannic acid, so they are bitter and can be toxic to humans if consumed in large quantities. The tannic acid can be washed out by immersing the acorns in boiling water. The washing process makes the acorns spicy and slightly sweet. Fill the acorns repeatedly hot water(so-called blanching). Continue doing this until the water no longer turns brown as you strain and replace.

Remove the soaked acorns from the container and leave to dry, or fry them after drying (optional). Yes, raw acorns are poisonous, but they can be stored for several months; this dramatically increases their value as an “essential food resource.” Please note that they can only be used after washing.

Acorns in recipes

Make “coffee” from acorns. Clean the ripe, blanched acorns. Break the kernels. Place in a heatproof dish and cover with a lid. Roast in the oven on low to dry slowly. Stir frequently. Once cooked (you can adjust them to light, medium or dark to suit your taste), chop the acorns. The resulting mixture can be mixed with coffee or used separately to make acorn coffee.

Make whole acorn meal or sift it to remove fibers to grind it into starch! Use flour to make bread, muffins and so on.

Salt the washed acorns in brine. They are salted in the same way as olives. Pickled acorns are an excellent medicine and a delicacy.
Replace fried acorns with nuts and boiled legumes. Shredded or ground acorns can replace many nuts and legumes, such as peas, peanuts, macadamia nuts, and so on. Follow regular recipe, simply replacing necessary ingredients on acorns. Like most nuts, they are nutritious and filling and can be used freely.
- Make acorns into dukkah, a dry, spicy mixed condiment that has many uses but is used primarily for dipping bread mixed with olive oil or butter.
- Sprinkle with chopped roasted acorns fresh salad as a sauce.
Roast the acorns. After frying, peel and dip them in thick sugar syrup.
- Make acorn candies using the peanut recipe and place them on a greased plate to cool.
- Make acorn butter, which is similar to peanut butter or almond butter.
- Use acorn starch in low carb pancake or cookie recipes (like crepes) by drizzling with acorn butter and sprinkling with stevia - a natural sweetener - or using fresh honey!

Living in cities, we gradually get used to considering only what can be bought on supermarket shelves as edible and healthy. Of course, you won’t find acorns there - but in vain! After all, this is valuable nutritious product, and a natural first aid kit in one bottle. Humans should also enjoy oak nuts, which serve as food for forest squirrels and livestock - the main thing is to know how to make coffee or bread from them. In addition to their nutritional benefits, acorns have many other uses—we will talk about them today.

Starting from afar

Nowadays, acorns have practically lost their “divine” and “magical” functions - but they were once the most important in people’s interpretation. In Ancient Hellas, it was believed that the mighty oak appeared before all the trees on earth, and its fruits - acorns - became the food of the human race. The ancient physician Galen wrote in his works that they are more nutritious than all other seeds and can compete even with cereals. The most powerful and oldest specimens of oak were considered by the Hellenes to be statues of Zeus - by listening to the rustling of their leaves, the priests predicted the future. The oak branch was a symbol of strength, power and nobility of the family, therefore the bravest warriors who distinguished themselves in battle were awarded oak wreaths.

IN Ancient Rome acorns retained the imprint of Zeus - here they were called “fruits of Jupiter.” As in Ancient Greece, the Romans retained the highest honor - rewarding the victorious commander with a wreath of oak leaves. In many countries to this day Oak Leaf, branch, wreath or garland serve as an emblem of valor and courage in military insignia. The Romans valued acorns for their healing properties: they believed that bitter nuts restored youth and gave unprecedented strength in love - so they ground them and mixed them with wheat flour before baking bread.

In the myths of the northern peoples, oaks still “propped up the sky,” and their fruits, according to myths, bestowed immortality and fertility. Among the German-Scandinavian tribes, the oak was the Tree of Life, and acorns were the sacred fruits of Thor. The Druids swallowed these nuts whole, because they were convinced that this would give them the gift of clairvoyance. They called the day of the summer solstice “Oak Day” - a time when people could remember the purpose for which they came to earthly life.

Archaeological excavations on the territory of modern Ukraine have shown that the Trypillians who lived here 5,000 years ago at that time ate acorns, and not wheat or rye. And, presumably, to be healthy and prosperous - the whole world has heard about the highly artistic culture of Tripoli. U Slavic peoples the oak was dedicated to Perun - already the fourth thunderer on our list. Later tree became a symbol of the clan and a link with the ancestors, to whom they came to ask for advice (by God, “” in Russian!)

At all times, oak was considered the strongest magical tree, and all its parts were used to make amulets. Modern research shows that it is much more useful to “communicate” with a live oak: it really has powerful energy, helps to clarify consciousness and cleanse it of all illusions, of everything artificial. As for the acorns themselves, they belong in the kitchen!

Use in cooking

The nutritional value of acorns is really great: they are rich in starch, ß-carotene, various acids, essential oil and tannins.

Recipe " acorn coffee "goes back to ancient times: our distant ancestors stocked up on bitter nuts in September and prepared aromatic, nutritious and medicinal drink. Of course, it was not called “coffee”, but something else, but that’s not the point. To prepare such a wonder, acorns must be shelled and ground. The resulting powder should be doubled big amount water and boil the mixture in a sealed container over low heat until a paste forms. It is recommended to dry it and fry it over low heat. After this, the mass must be ground again in a coffee grinder, blender, or, as a last resort, passed through a meat grinder. Such a preparation can be stored for a long time in an airtight container. glassware(“jar with a lid” in scientific language). And in order, after such a long fuss, to finally enjoy a cup of drink, pour a tablespoon of “coffee” with 250-300 grams of hot water (or milk), simmer for 3-5 minutes over low heat, strain - and here it is, joy. If natural bitterness is not very to your taste (in vain, in vain), you have the power to conjure a spoon over the sugar bowl - this will make the acorns neither hot nor cold - just maybe sweet.

But for cooking bread, pancakes or acorn porridge you will have to pre-soak them for two days to get rid of the astringent bitter taste. First, of course, they need to be peeled and cut into four parts - and only then filled with water, which should be changed three times a day. After that oak nuts You can transfer it to a saucepan, add twice as much water and heat to a boil. After this, the acorns need to be crushed and dried, scattering the mixture in a thin layer on paper napkins. If you simply grind them, you get cereal for porridge, and if you grind them, you get flour. What to do with the latter - figure it out yourself.

Acorns in medicine

Here, acorns are famous for their bactericidal, enveloping and antitumor effects. Their decoctions have a beneficial effect on digestion, help with acute and chronic colitis, stomach upsets, and various types of poisoning. Acorns work well in treating gums and soothing toothache. They really increase potency and help against infertility, and also treat enuresis and diseases genitourinary system, anemia, rickets, scrofula and various nervous diseases.

Other uses of acorns

It turns out that acorns (and other parts of oak) can also help deal with wrinkles if eaten. Another little-known use of wooden “cups” of acorns of the downy oak (Quercus pubescens), growing in the Eastern Mediterranean and adjacent areas of Asia, is the production of ink from them for dyeing fabrics and wood, as well as for tanning leather (may animal rights activists forgive the oak) . And, of course, acorns are perhaps the main component of autumn crafts from natural materials, which each of us made at one time for school exhibitions or just for the soul. By the way, in " flight weather“Imagination can turn this pasture into amazing home decorations or toys for kids!