Contents
How to collect and store edible acorns
Acorns harvesting time
Acorns are collected between the months of September and November, in autumn. We know when they are mature because they have a brown color, thickened size, and because they easily detach from their husk.
From which trees can we collect acorns?
Within the same species, there are trees that produce sweet acorns and others that make them bitter. It is possible to verify how in the villages, those who consume acorns, have located the trees that produce sweet acorns. F
It is recommended to look for those trees that produce sweet acorns. Sour acorns have a higher content of tannins (bitter substances) and can cause poisoning in case of important ingestion.
Acorn harvesting
Acorns can be collected from the ground, with the precaution of collecting only the whole ones, and observing that these are not bored by weevils or rotted by moisture, in which cases they should not be collected. You can also collect acorns directly from the tree.
The best time to collect acorns is at noon, when they are dry from the heat of the sun. It is not convenient to collect them after a rainy day or when they are still wet, because the humidity favors the bad conservation of the acorn and its rot. In any case, if they are collected during wet times, special care should be taken in drying prior to storage.
Ecological importance of acorns
You should not collect all or most acorns from a tree. As mentioned in the section on collecting wild plants, so that the consumption of these plants is sustainable, a responsible collection is necessary.
Acorns are necessary to feed forest animals, such as squirrels, which collect acorns to feed during the winter. Acorns are also necessary for some insects to complete their life cycle.
Conservation of acorns at home
The biggest problem with the conservation of acorns is that they can be attacked by fungi, which are not visible and are highly toxic, because they produce aflatoxins, a type of mycotoxins that are very harmful to the liver.
How to save the acorns?
At home, the traditional method of storing acorns is to dry-clean them of dirt, dry them and store them in breathable bags, in a dry, cool and lightless place.
Acorns are susceptible to fungal attack during storage. For this reason, at home level, it is not recommended to keep acorns for a long time.
More information on acorn
