Æcorn Bitter Citrus, Non-Alcoholic Spritz 50cl

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Leach the tannins out with either hot or cold water. With hot water, boil them for 15 minutes or until the water becomes dark brown with leached tannins, then drain. Repeat this process with more water until the water runs clear — between two and ten times. The boiling method is fast but leaches some beneficial nutrients and oils. For the cold water method, soak them for 6-12 hours until the water turns brown. Drain and repeat with fresh water until the water runs clear. This usually takes a few days. Our panel said the liquid was “aromatic” with “good texture”, and created a “delightful, uplifted and refreshing” G&T. When harvesting acorns, look for the acorns that have no split in the outer shell or any sign of insect damage. It’s okay if the caps have fallen off, but avoid the ones with splits in the shell or green ones. You’ll also have some competition from squirrels when it comes to finding acorns on the ground. Squirrels love acorns, but they also prefer the relative safety of a nearby tree. If you see an oak standing out in a field un-surrounded by other trees, your odds of beating the squirrels will improve. Typically, a squirrel won’t travel farther then 30 yards from the nearest tree. An isolated tree is less likely to have any visits from squirrels and the acorns will be plentiful.

Acorns, on the other hand, took more like 1/3 of a cup (to 1 cup acorns). A little research and this amount actually makes sense. Its trio of drinks includes the Livener, the Social Elixir and The Night Cap. What does that mean for flavour? The Livener is “energising, exotic and fiery”, with ingredients including English beet sugar, watermelon concentrate, pomegranate molasses and botanical extracts of hibiscus, guava leaf, schisandra berry, Siberian and Panax ginseng. The Social Elixir is made with agave nectar and botanical extracts of caraway seed, damiana leaf, lion’s mane mushroom, yerba mate, passion flower, tulsi, cacao bean, green tea and coconut vinegar. The Night Cap is made from maple syrup, Hüll Melon hops and botanical extracts of lemon balm, turmeric root, ashwagandha, white willow bark, vanilla, valerian, liquorice root and ginger.The best way to store acorns after they are dried is in a canning jar in the refrigerator or a root cellar. The shelf life will vary from a week to months, depending on how well they have been dried and the variety. Keep an eye on them if you have stored them and if you see any sign of mold or notice a mildew smell, discard them.

We have a lot more acorn recipes coming this year, and next up is acorn ice cream…stay tuned! More Foraged Food Recipes A variety of oak trees across North America produce acorns that usually mature in early to late fall. The size and shapes vary — and so does the flavor. There are basically two types of acorns: bitter and sweet. What makes an acorn bitter is a chemical referred to as tannins, or tannic acid. Certain oaks, like red oaks, have the highest amounts of tannins, while burr oaks and white oaks have less. My initial plan was to cold leach ground acorns in cold water until the tannins were removed (several days). Then dry the acorn flour, add a bit of oil and process it further into acorn butter. At this point, the acorns are a lot like any other roasted nut. They were tasty to eat out of hand, and I actually stored some in a jar in the pantry for several weeks. They kept just fine since the roasting process dehydrated them.Hot tip: To increase surface area and speed up leaching, grind the acorns first. Then, soak them in hot or cold water and strain them using a cheesecloth when the water runs clear. Acorn Flour Acorn flour is nutritious, but acorn recipes with only this flour can be too dense. (Foto: CC0 / Pixabay / Taken) Any acorn should be processed to leach out tannins, regardless of whether they are bitter or sweet. The fundamental process involves either a boiling water bath or cold-water bath to remove the tannic acid. This process can take a couple of days up to a week or more, depending on the amount of tannins in the acorns.