Acorns & Oak (Quercus Species) ~ LuminEarth’s Guide to Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants

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Names:  Acorns, Oak (Quercus Species)

Edible:  The acorn was a staple of many Native American cultures and is still eaten in many parts of the world. Acorns are a product of oak trees. Acorns have no poisonous look-alikes, so they are great crops for beginning foragers.

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There are two main groups of oak trees—red oak and white oak. Red oak has pointy-edged leaves and the insides of the nutshells are hairy. Acorns from the red oak contain so much tannin they are very difficult to process. The best type of acorn comes from the white oak. The leaves of the white oak are blunt edged and approximately 5-9 inches long and 2-4 inches wide. A good rule of thumb is that the acorns with the most lightly colored flesh taste the best.

Acorns are an ideal food for those with degenerative, wasting diseases such as TB and aids. When tuberculosis was rampant in the early nineteenth century, acorn porridge was often prescribed because it was highly nutritious and

Acorns are very high in tannins (which taste very bitter and can cause constipation), so they must be properly leached prior to eating. First, the acorn must be shelled, then chopped. After this, the acorns must be either soaked or boiled to remove the excess tannins.

To remove the shells, you can use a nutcracker on the larger acorns, but with the smaller ones you may need to slit them open with a knife.  When I collect acorns, I toss them in the freezer as soon as I bring them home and then thaw them just prior to removing the shells. This will kill any insects or larva that my be in the acorn.(believe me, larvae grow large VERY quickly in acorns left sitting around a day or two!) Also, when the acorns thaw the shells are already split open from the freezing/thawing procedure.  Often the shells will just slip off.  The quickest way to remove the tannins from the acrons is to fill a pan with the acorns and water and bring to a boil. The water will be a dark brown color, like tea. Strain the water from the acorns. Refill the pan of acorns with water and bring to a boil. Repeat this process until the water no longer turns a dark tea color. When the water stays very light or clear after boiling, the tannins have been removed from the acorns.

Because boiling and cooking can cause foods to lose some nutritive value, many people prefer a slower method that does not involve cooking the acorns. To do this, place the acorns in a large pan and fill with cold water. Let the acorns sit in the water several hours then strain the water from the acorns. This must be done over a period of days to remove the tannins from the acorns.

The Indians used to let the acorns sit in a running stream for a week or so to remove the tannins.

After the acorns have been leached, they can be eaten as is, roasted, or added to soups, stews and casseroles. My preferred method is to freeze the chopped acorns after they have been leached. I spread them out on a baking sheet until frozen, then store in a freezer bag. This way they are easily measured and can be added to cookies, granola bars, stir frys, casseroles, whatever I am cooking. The taste of the acorns reminds me of a mild nut.

Medicinal: The inner bark of the oak was used by the Indians and Europeans to make a bitter decoction. They used this decoction as a treatment for diarrhea, a gargle for sore throats, and a rinse for yeast infections, gargle for sore throats, skin ulcers, ringworm, and other fungal skin infections. It was also used as a cold compress for burns. It’s properties are tonic, astringent and antisepticand it is also recommended for use in agues and haemorrhages.tonic, astringent and antiseptic.  As with other astringents it is also recommended for use in agues and haemorrhages.  The medicinal qualities of the bark can be obtained using the standard method to prepare decoctions and tinctures.

Occult Herbal Info and Medicinal Folk Properties

Folk Name: Common Oak
Parts Used: Leaf, Fruit/Nut, Bark, Wood
Planet: Jupiter, Earth
Element: Earth in general but it can also represent Air and Fire
Gender: Masculine
Goddesses/Gods: Hermes, The Green Man, The Horned One

Medicinal Uses: Oak bark and galls are astringent and antiseptic. A decoction is drunk to treat acute diarrhea. Gargled for sore throats, applied as a compress for burns and cuts, added to ointments for cuts and hemorrhoids, and taken powdered as snuff for nosebleeds. Acorns are roasted as a coffee substitute, and fed to pigs. The shrubby Quercus infectoria yields Oak galls for medicine, and a remarkable permanent ink.

Folklore: Oak bark provides tannin, and as leather tanners seemed immune to tuberculosis, the bark was used for treatment of the disease.

Magickal Uses: There is much magickal and occult lore on Acorns. To Wiccans the Acorn symbolizes the Lord or Great Father (for its obvious sexual comparative to the male genitalia). Acorns can be used in charms or spells for good luck, protection, wisdom, and personal power. The Acorn (and the Oak tree as a whole) was sacred to the Druids and they used acorns to tip magickal wands (a practice still in effect to this day). As a Wiccan practice, Acorns can be used as offerings to God(s) in general, specifically acorns are sacred to Hermes, The Green Man, and The Horned One. The Acorn is so culturally charged that it is an accepted magickal symbol and just a picture of an Acorn can be used for magick and spirituality. As a symbol the acorn is magickally used for: New beginning spells, Sabbats rituals involving the Lord (Father God), Invocation of the Lord, Transformation/Evolution, Physical Strength, Will Power, Lust/Sex, Leadership, Wealth/Prosperity (but having enough to share is the underlined point of this aspect), and Courage enhancing spells.

-Tytus Lionheart, Wiccan Folk Magician  - Author of The Lion Heart Coursework

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“As a decoction it has a strong astringent and bitter taste with a slightly aromatic odour.  To make a decoction, collect some bark (best in the spring April or May) from some young trees and dry it in the sun before chopping it.  Use 1 oz. of bark in a quart of water and boil it down to a pint.  It can then be taken in a wineglass measure or dose, and used as a gargle mouthwash for chronic sore throats, or applied locally to bleeding gums and piles.  It is also used in hot baths for chilblains and frostbite or as a hot compress for inflamed glands, hernias and haemorrhoids.  A stronger decoction taken by the spoonful is useful in chronic diarrhoea and dysentery. ”

 -In Worship of Trees by G. Knowles

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Sources:

• Brill, S. (1994.) Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places. New York: Harper Collins.
• Tierra, M. (1998.) The Way of Herbs. New York: Pocket Books.
• Knowles, G. (n.d.) In Worship of Trees. Extracted from http://www.controverscial.com/Oak.htm on May 29, 2011.

The Books We Use:

• A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and central North America (Peterson Field Guide)
• Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers: When and Where to Find Them by William Hutson
• Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places by “Wildman” Steve Brill
• Jude’s Herbal Home Remedies: Natural Health, Beauty & Home Care Secrets by Jude C. Williams, M.H.
• Ortho’s All About Herbs by Maggie Oster
• Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health by Rosemary Gladstar
• Secrets of the Chinese Herbalists by Richard Lucas
• Sunset Herbs: An Illustrated Guide by The Editors of Sunset Magazine
• The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer
• The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B. White, M.D.
• The Natural Physicians’s Healing Therapies: Proven Remedies Medical Doctors Don’t Know by Mark Stengler, ND
• The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine by Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D.
• The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra, L.Ac., O.M.D.
• Wildflowers of the Land Between the Lakes Region, Kentucky and Tennessee

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Disclaimer: The statements in this article are for educational purposes only and have not been evaluated by or sanctioned by the FDA. Only your doctor can properly diagnose and treat any disease or disorder. The remedies discussed herein are not meant to treat or cure any type of disease. The user understands that the above information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician or a pharmacist.